It’s a truism in Hollywood that when you have ahold of a good thing, you should proceed to produce at least three different versions or sequels to that good thing until the public gets sick of it. This is especially true when it comes to horror films, which we all know deserve at least five sequels. The latest in the genre to be trilogized is Creep, co-starring and co-written by Mark Duplass and produced by Paranormal Activity’s Jason Blum.
Creep is being given the trilogy treatment before it even gets to most major screens, as Radius/The Weinstein Company has picked up the film (which premiered at the SXSW Film Festival to generally good reviews). The Weinsteins have eyes to make two more to go along with it, even though it sounds like the film itself is not quite set up to be a trilogy.
Creep tells the story of Aaron (Patrick Brice, who also directs), a man who answers an online ad offering to pay $1,000 for one day of filming service. He heads off to a remote cabin (that’s always a good idea) where he meets Josef, played by Mark Duplass. Josef seems like a decent fellow, but of course, things are not all as they seem and poor Aaron has probably bit off more than he can chew.
The premise is an excellent one, and Creep was lauded at SXSW for being a very different take on the horror genre. But just because something is a good idea does not mean you need to make two more sequels to go along with it; the increasingly asinine Paranormal Activity franchise proves that. If Creep is so good, does it really need to be a trilogy? Can’t a good film just be a good film any more?
At least this means that Creep will finally be released to major theatres before long. Then we can look forward to two more along the same lines. Yay.