‘Creep 2’ and the Fallacy of Postfeminism
Creep (2014) burst onto the horror landscape with a ferocious awkwardness and an unsettling depiction of malignant narcissism. The brainchild of filmmakers and stars Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice, the indie gem follows an exuberant man named Josef (Duplass) who hires videographer Aaron (Brice) for a day of filming that quickly escalates into an annoying nightmare. The highly anticipated sequel, Creep 2 (2017) flips the initial premise of dangerous politeness on its head and accomplishes the rare feat of topping its predecessor.
Now going by the name Aaron (Duplass), the Creep immediately lays all his murderous cards on the table for new target Sarah (Desiree Akhavan). Rather than manipulate her with pity and praise, he systematically disarms her by preying on her assumptions of empowerment and postfeminist illusions of safety. Creepy 2 becomes a powerful argument against postfeminism not by blaming Sarah for her actions, but by arguing that simple defense against a predatory patriarchal system is not enough.
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Sarah is a YouTuber whose series, Encounters, centers on answering strange personal ads and filming the resulting interactions. Believing she has a talent for bringing out the weirdness in people, she exploits the men who post them. She warps their benign requests into confrontations of their strangeness. While she would likely argue her goal is to make unique and authentic connections, her underlying intention seems to be proving her dominance over these men and challenging a system that would tell her they are dangerous. Sarah feels no guilt for exploiting them, only sadness that she’s not getting many views. She’s all but ready to give up, when she sees an intriguing ad.
Aaron is seeking a videographer for the day, offering $1000 for an unspecified job. His ad mentions “Interview with the Vampire” (famously about a deadly conversation with a monster) and notes that “honesty and emotional bravery” are required. Sarah is intrigued. She senses a unique opportunity and gives her real name. She convinces herself that the reason for her channel’s poor performance is her lack of commitment. So, she ignores warnings that Aaron might be dangerous in search of captivating content.
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Upon arriving at Aaron’s remote home, she finds him making a green smoothie. He offers one to her and she initially refuses, smartly rejecting a drink from a total stranger. But then she accepts it after he lists the ingredients. Aaron’s joke that it’s actually poisoned is a harbinger for the way he will systematically push her boundaries throughout the day. He unsuccessfully tries to scare her by lunging and screaming at her and asking bizarre questions while wearing his Peach Fuzz mask, the terrifying face of a wolf. By admiring her refusal to flinch Aaron is subtly inflating her ego. He gives her a false sense of empowerment while diminishing the threat he poses. Outwardly frustrated, he vows to scare her at some point during the day, but he has already penetrated her defenses.
Aaron immediately lays out the day’s assignment. He tells Sarah that he is a murderer, responsible for the deaths of 39 people. He’s having a midlife crisis and killing is starting to feel like a job. Aaron wants her to film a documentary about him and promises her full access and safety for 24 hours. Fearing that she doesn’t believe his brazen honesty, he shows her footage of himself murdering a previous victim, the real Aaron from the first film. They both watch as he sneaks up behind the unsuspecting man and kills him with an ax. When Sarah doesn’t respond to his clear attempt to shock her, he escalates his tactics.
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Briefly excusing himself, Aaron returns fully nude claiming this exposure is necessary for their future collaboration. Sarah responds by stripping off her own clothes. But it’s clear from the look on her face that she is uncomfortable revealing herself in this way. She is calling his bluff, proving to him and to herself that she is not afraid. While putting her clothes back on in private, she tells her audience that Aaron’s behavior is concerning, but her desire for content compels her to continue with a situation she knows is dangerous.
Her refusal to heed her own internal warnings poses questions about the real intentions behind her videos. Not only does she want to demonstrate moral and intellectual dominance over men she views as losers, she wants validation for this superiority from the outside world. Believing this will prove she has overcome a predatory system, she willingly walks into the thick of it.
Like his Peach Fuzz mask foretells, Aaron is a wolf hiding in plain sight. He tells Sarah the truth about his murderous habits and gives her ample proof to convince her. She doesn’t believe him, reasoning that if it were true, he would hide his intentions and try to protect himself. She falls into his trap by believing him to be another creepy weirdo whose quirks she can exploit. Sarah admits to her audience that the entire interaction puts her in danger, but this acknowledgment feels perfunctory; a feminist mantra accompanied by an empowered eye roll. She protects herself by filming her actions and hiding a knife in her boot, tactics learned from many years inside the patriarchy. But this protection is also symbolic. She doesn’t take it seriously because she doesn’t believe she’ll actually have to use it.
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Women are raised knowing how to defend themselves from male attack. We learn to lace our keys between our fingers, park under streetlights, walk quickly and with purpose, and never accept drinks from strangers. Sarah believes this knowledge equals power, but she is merely learning weapons that exist within a misogynistic system. Josef knows these tricks too. A predator by nature, he’s developed ways around them, namely disarming charm and uncomfortable honesty. Sarah takes his recognition of the dangers women face as proof that he is not dangerous. His knowledge that she might be wary of a poisoned drink becomes proof in her eyes that he would not poison her. She dismisses the threat he clearly poses because she wants to believe that she has breached the heart of patriarchal power. She doesn’t want to see herself as a potential victim, but as a dominant manipulator.
While filming, Aaron has a meltdown when things do not go according to plan. Or is he playing into an illusion of powerlessness? Sarah rejects the opportunity to leave and instead decides to “provoke” him, hoping for interesting content. It’s unclear what Aaron’s true intentions are. But by staying when she’s asked to leave, Sarah tells herself she’s acting out of free will. She believes she has manipulated him into continuing with the video. However, in reality, he has caused her to let her guard down. She feels comfortable getting close to him because she believes she’s the one in control.
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Aaron does finally find a way through Sarah’s defenses. Sneaking up behind her and filming her without her knowledge, he notices a look of uneasiness. By taking the camera, he has robbed her of her sense of control. That moment of fear is the tiny chip in her armor he’s been looking for. He reverts to the murderous MO we saw in the first film, forcing intimacy with outlandish and self-deprecating stories.
He admits to knowing about her web series and orchestrates a scenario in which she will murder him on camera. Handing her the ax, he lays down on a table and instructs her on how to chop off his head. Knowing she won’t do it, he further reinforces her illusion of power while simultaneously confronting her with the knowledge that she’s not as brave as she thought. In a deadly game of chicken, she will be the first to back down.
After faking a suicide, Aaron “comes clean” about his larger intentions. He tells Sarah he doesn’t actually kill people, he just wanted to give her a great episode. Having rejected the truth, she now believes this ridiculous lie. His story of being an awkward loser with a crush is more comfortable for her than the actual truth and so she chooses the story that makes her feel powerful. She doesn’t want to believe that the feelings of fear she felt were justified. She doesn’t want to admit to herself that this was a mistake and that she’s put herself in real danger.
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Sarah goes out to the woods with Aaron where he attacks her and drags her into an open grave. While he addresses the camera, she is able to sneak out of the grave and hit him with the shovel. But even then she does not kill him, dropping her weapon and running for safety. The defense she took for granted has become overwhelmingly horrific in reality. Later, we see footage of her on the subway. Aaron has found her and is taunting her with her own camera. By failing to listen to her feminist instincts, she has become her greatest fear, a frightened woman on the subway.
It’s important to note that Sarah is not to blame for the horrors she endures. Aaron is directly responsible for her own actions, but by continually choosing to ignore her instincts of fear and unease, she repeatedly puts herself in danger. In this way, Creep 2 becomes a powerful argument against postfeminism not demonstrating that simple defense against a predatory patriarchal culture is not enough. In order to truly be safe, we must actively work for system change while continuing to fight for our individual safety along the way.
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Sarah is a strong and empowered woman. She is self-possessed and capable. But her tragic flaw is that she believes she lives in a world that does not yet exist. Though we long for change, our culture is not there yet. We still live in a society that will ask us what we’re wearing if we’re attacked, where stalking laws are basically meaningless, and where the only sure way to stay safe from a predator like Aaron is to never have the misfortune of meeting one.
We must not confuse our awareness with ultimate power because the safety we want depends on men to participate, and too many still refuse. The men who seek to oppress us learn as quickly as we do. We must stay vigilant, listen to our instincts, and protect ourselves even when it shatters our illusions of strength. By allowing our desire for a postfeminist world to dictate our actions in the world we still live in, we’re only handing agents of the patriarchy another way to victimize us.
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