Blood On The Tracks

by Brody Rossiter

After dozing off while waiting for the last train, party girl Kate (Franka Potente) finds herself trapped within the confines of Charing Cross station. With no way out, no phone signal and no signs of life, it appears that young women is stranded for the night. Fortunately an unscheduled train promptly arrives…

Unfortunately, Kate’s journey quickly grinds to a horrifying halt and she is forced to flee into the bowels of the station.  Her only hope of escape is through navigating the intricate system of tunnels, yet the stifling and oppressive space is home to a grotesque and deadly hunter.

Creep isn’t well-written; its dialogue is clunky, its plot non-coherent and its characters deeply unlikeable. However, the manner in which it trades upon the anxieties that many of us carry down into the London Underground is a powerful tool when building an evocative horror picture. With a brief eighty minute runtime, the film’s grimy oversaturated visuals, blood-soaked shocks and overarching sense of dread offer a cheap and trashy journey on the tube.

Director Christoper Smith would go on to make far more nuanced and accomplished entries into the horror genre, most notably, 2009’s Triangle. However, his debut feature remains his most immediately shocking and bloodthirsty. Creep will garner very few glowing reviews, yet if you’re hungry for a taste of visceral horror, then much like the Tube, it’ll quickly get you to your destination.