Creepy (film)

Synopsis

Having resigned as a profiler following an injury, Koichi Takakura and his wife Yasuko move to a place closer to his new job as a university lecturer in criminal psychology. His present colleague, in his research, comes across a cold case involving the disappearance of three members of a family leaving only an unreliable witness, Saki Honda. The colleague asks Koichi to help him investigate. After visiting the crime scene, Koichi declines but later on, he is approached by an ex-police colleague who asks that he use his profiling background to talk to Saki. He agrees. Koichi begins to see parallels with his new neighbour, the unpredictable and secretive Masato Nishino.

Production

The film is based on a mystery novel by Yutaka Maekawa.

Production Credits

Release

The film had its premiere on February 13, 2016 at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival. It was released in Japan by Shochiku on June 18, 2016.

Reception

The film received positive reviews upon its American premier, earning a 94% on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes from 17 reviews. On Metacritic, the film has received a weighted average score of 79 out of 100 based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Deborah Young of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that with Creepy, "Kiyoshi Kurosawa returns from auteurist chores to the classic horror that made him a cult name."

New York Times' critic Manohla Dargis praised the movie, writing, "True to its English-language title, the movie is thoroughly and utterly creepy, partly because Mr. Kurosawa knows how to slither under your skin, but also because his movies transcend the classifications (and limits) valued by critics and content providers. “Creepy” certainly works — looks and feels — like a horror movie, but it also has the conundrums of a detective story, the emotional currents of a domestic drama and the quickening pulse of a psychological thriller, a combination that creates a kind of destabilization."

Rob Staeger of the Village Voice also praised the film and singled out Kagawa's performance, writing: "The performances are compelling all around, but Kagawa stands out: His Nishino, somehow as cowardly as he is sinister, recalls the oily nervousness of Peter Lorre."