Creep Analysis

The film is set in Charing Cross station, a familiar place within London. The film was mainly filmed during the night time when people usually wouldn’t be at the station nor see it as the station was closed, this also is a good setting because it would be connoted as unsafe. However, as the location is so familiar it creates a sense of security and safety but within the film this is far from the truth and is actually contrasted by the killing and stalking that happens within the station once the exits are closed and locked up for the night. In the film creep Kate is stuck underground for an elongated period of time, whereas usually people do not stay in underground stations for long periods of time. This creates tension and adds to the scare as its unnatural. The creep hides his ‘patients’ under the station itself where he plays around with tem in his operating room which is disturbing due to the fact it is unhygienic in contrast to a sterile and clean hospital in present time, this makes the audience feel uncomfortable.

Kate is the main female protagonist and is shown to be an independent and strong woman at the start of the film brushing off the advances of another male character (Guy). She is German and thought of as attractive throughout the film, this is reinforced by the advances of Guy and then by the paranoid mumblings of a homeless woman, “do you fancy her?”. She is the one that eventually kills the ‘Creep’ in the end which shows her determination and strength. Guy is set up as the antagonist of the film when he sexually assaults Kate and tries to rape her in an abandoned tube. He is portrayed as voyeuristic. The ‘Creep’ is not portrayed as neither creature nor human, but a mix of both. This is shown through his actions within the operating room, which shows him to be psychotic, washing his hands with no water, and also by his appearance as he has no nose or eyebrows, which is unusual and unnerving for the audience, and his skin is an off blue colour. He stalks Kate and murders the other characters within the film.

At the beginning of the film we see the use of a torchlight which limits the audience to what they can see which creates suspense and mystery as they wonder what is could be lurking within the shadows of the scene. The use of a strange  shadow that looks like a weird creature suggests to the audience that the victims are being stalked, however are unaware of it’s presence. Torch lighting is used again whilst Kate is on the tube and the lights flicker out, it is used to hide the identity of the person holding it and obscures Kate’s vision, she believes it’s the driver of the tube however the audience know different to this. Kate uses the flame from a lighter which is used to create the same effect as the torch did., which builds tension and makes the audience feel on edge. Whilst Kate is in the warehouse we yet again see the appearance of the torchlight which makes the audience jump as she turns it on and then off to reveal the killers face that we have not yet seen.

The film uses intense gore and savage killings, the killer within Creep feeds human body parts to rats. The killer also looks inhumane.

During the film we see a close up of a woman's face which is covered in blood which then jump cuts to a party leaving the audience confused and questioning what has happened and foresees the rest of the film. A point of view shot is used to show Kate trying to find an escape/exit, this could be connoted that she is being stalked or watched making the audience wonder what is following her and what is going to happen to her. During the scene where Kate gets onto the off timetable tube we see an extreme close up shot of the peep hole of the driver door and then instantly a reverse shot which reveals to the audience the corpse of the driver. This creates drama and suspense as the audience know something that the main protagonist doesn’t. As Kate begins to run through the tube stations the camera is used at 3 different positions (steadicam), the camera appears to be following her, running with her, and when she stops the camera is looking at her with a close up shot to show her emotional and stressed face.  The camera then begins to circle around her as she tries to think of where to go to escape.

Subdued screams of a female and blood indicates danger. The film uses sounds and music to pre-empt terror. The audience are aware of the genre of the film and are waiting to be scared. However, some moments within the film are used as red herrings to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. A menacing soundtrack is played when one of the workmen is heading down a tunnel alone to create suspense to the scene. This also fits with the convention of a character being alone means something is going to happen. The soundtrack is used to aid the narrative rather than take It over or lead it. When Guy is attacked we see him dragged from the tube and with the use of diegetic sound, the audience begins to use their imagination to decide what is happening to him. This gives a powerful sense of suggestion. Non-diegetic sound is used when Kate runs from the tube. The sound is reminiscent of a heartbeat we hear due to the high tempo. Sounds of babies are also used when they are shown in the test tubes. This creates unsettling images and horror within the audience.