Key Takeaways
- The Creeper from Jeepers Creepers is an underrated horror villain with a practical backstory and terrifying presence.
- The Creeper’s unique look and pattern of killing make him more engaging and scary than other horror villains.
- Timo Vuorensola’s Jeepers Creepers: Reborn introduces a different version of The Creeper, adding a new dimension to the character.
As a horror fan since my early teenage years, I’ve watched classics, more contemporary releases, and tried my best to work through the most critically acclaimed and popular films from each subgenre. Slashers are my favorite, and since there are so many villains to observe and compare to one another, I’ve spent a lot of time wondering who the best and worst villains are.
I may love Ghostface and think there have been some impressive horror villains from 2020 releases, from Mother in Barbarian to the terrifying entity in Smile and the brilliant sequel Smile 2. However, there is one villain from the 2000s who I think needs more attention, no matter how corny they are.
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Why I Think The Creeper From Jeepers Creepers Is A Great Villain
Ever since I first saw Carrie as an eleven-year-old, I’ve been making my way through classics like Halloween and The Shining while also checking out modern slasher movies. I enjoy elevated horror films ranging from The Babadook to It Follows, but I also can’t say no to a corny movie like Jeepers Creepers. And I think The Creeper is a compelling and underrated horror villain.
The Creeper has a distinct look, a fairly practical backstory, and a pattern of killing and attacks. I’ve been disappointed time and time again by killers in slasher films and creepy ghosts in haunted house movies. While these movies are no doubt entertaining, they can leave you wanting more. I appreciate that horror fans learn exactly who The Creeper is and what he’s all about by the midway point of Jeepers Creepers.
I also appreciate The Creeper from Jeepers Creepers because he’s fairly scary. Although fans might get to the end of Jeepers Creepers 2 and shrug, as it’s not as interesting as the original movie, The Creeper is genuinely terrifying in the first movie. When I watched Jeepers Creepers for the first time, I believed Darry (Justin Long) and Trish Jenner (Gina Philips) were fully aware of The Creeper’s power and knew that it would be almost impossible to get away from him. When The Creeper stalks Darry, I can’t help but feel freaked out, no matter how many times I’ve seen the 2001 movie.
Long even shared in an interview with Vulture, when he was promoting his 2022 horror movie The Barbarian, that one behind-the-scenes moment on the Jeepers Creepers setwas nerve-wracking. I love hearing details about filming movies, particularly horror films, since it’s always interesting to hear if the actors actually get scared. This story sounds awful and drives home the generally eerie tone of the movie. Long said:
“One of the few times I’ve been afraid, I was involved in a stunt, and I wasn’t all that confident about it. I remember doing
Jeepers Creepers,
and we were meant to drive into the Creeper, and he was going to jump over our car.”
Long shared that the stunt double realized the speedometer in the old car was broken, which would likely cause problems for the upcoming scene. Long continued, “Then the stunt Creeper’s harness broke as they lifted him up, and he came smashing through my side of the windshield.”
Hearing Long’s story makes rewatching Jeepers Creepers feel even more unsettling and also makes The Creeper even scarier. Sure, I agree that supernatural villains can be cheesy, and The Creeper has his corny moments. But when I reflect on this villain, I can’t help but think he’s more engaging than he gets credit for sometimes.
How Many Jeepers Creepers Movies Are There?
There are four movies in the Jeepers Creepers franchise, starting with the original which was released in 2001. After Jeepers Creepers 2 came out in 2003, there was a big gap and Jeepers Creepers 3 was released in 2017. Then, the fourth and most recent movie, Jeepers Creepers: Reborn, came out in 2022.
Timo Vuorensola, who directed Jeepers Creepers: Reborn, said in an interview with Cinefied that the villain in this third sequel is unique. The director said:
“It’s a rebirth of The Creeper itself, one way or another. I mean, it’s a different kind of a Creeper than you’ve met before. And that was very important for me, when I started to work, that I didn’t want to keep on repeating the same thing. I wanted to do something different. And this time, The Creeper is not an all powerful killing machine. This time Creeper is actually at the end of his cycle, if you will.”
Although Jeepers Creepers: Reborn has problems, The Creeper does feel distinct from previous versions, and I appreciate that.
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