Creep 2

The follow-up chapter to Creep may not have the wicked delights of the original's discovery but that doesn't mean it is any less intense, unnerving or discomforting. The setup is virtually the same, the treatment is slightly altered and thanks to our knowledge of the protagonist's true identity, it manages to keep us on edge at all times.

Co-written & directed by Patrick Brice, the story at first seems like a rehash with a new victim but this latest intended target turns out to be more confronting & less perturbed by our serial killer. Playing along with his eccentricity, she matches him on several occasions and keeps pushing & challenging him for a reaction until the chilling finale.

This different approach doesn't make it better or more compelling than last time but due to our familiarity to the situation, the foreboding anxiety is omnipresent. The creepy, weird stories are out of the picture and replaced by gruesome details of past killings. And Mark Duplass is terrific as before but Desiree Akhavan leaves a lasting mark of her own as well.

Overall, Creep 2 is a worthy sequel to its predecessor and makes for yet another palpably tense & gradually escalating ride that's almost as thrilling as the original if not more. Opening with a vicious prologue, slowed down by empty patches in the middle, and lacking the shocking appeal of previous entry's finale, Creep 2 is slightly less effective but it still delivers the goods.