No matter how much time has passed, no matter how old I get, on every road trip I take (especially through a small town), the thought has always crossed my mind of that old truck with the license plate BEATNGU. Its presence nothing more than a promise of a terrible fate for any unlucky motorist to lay eyes on it. It surprises me that the fear I experienced as a 6-year-old still haunts the mind of the 31-year-old I am today.
“Jeepers Creepers,” directed by Victor Salva, follows a brother and sister as they travel back home for spring break. On that journey through the countryside, they encounter that same old truck, which escalates from an isolated road-rage incident into a 91-minute terrifying manhunt. Withstanding the test of time, the cult classic stands out for its overall story structure, as well as its petrifying makeup and prosthetics. Together, these elements created unforgettable scene haunting images that remain burned into my memory 25 years later.
What immediately separates this from other horror features is the dynamic between the two leads. In most horror films, the victims are always a young couple or just horny teenagers who simply aren’t aware of their surroundings (mostly couples accompanied by a nerdy friend). Here, there’s no honeymoon phase or confessions of undying love. These are just two siblings who have learned how to coexist long enough to make it home. All of this works because of the chemistry between Justin Long and Gina Philips as Darry and Trish Jenner.Â
A Force That Won’t be Stopped
Free to drop the formalities, bicker with one another, and let the insults fly, they feel like real people whose well-being you’re invested in. Not just generic high school sweethearts waiting for impending doom. The power of love from a spouse or a mother overcoming evil is a theme that’s been explored a million times over. But, what would you do for a sibling?Â
The idea of being chased in the night by a murderous lunatic is heart-pounding. The film does a stellar job of keeping that momentum long after the first encounter. Then there’s the jaw-dropping twist about our mystery man or as Jezelle says, it dresses as a man only to hide that it’s not.
Every 23rd spring for 23 days, it gets to eat, and whatever it eats becomes a part of it. The crazed motorist is actually an ancient beast called The Creeper, which is in the middle of its feeding cycle with its eyes set on the siblings. This all comes across as a pretty big swing at first. What makes this film work—and what makes this horror figure so iconic—is its relentlessness and personality. Jonathan Breck as The Creeper is a force that won’t be stopped until he has had his fill. There are many victims along East 9 road who could have sufficed. The specific scent of fear is what drives this creature from county to county in high pursuit.
A Psychic and a House of Pain
For a demon or some hungry thing from some dark place in time, with no real origin, its sadistic personality adds an unmatched level of horror. His true, monstrous appearance resembles that of the Creature from the Black Lagoon if it could fly. His clothes show calculation in his hunt rather than just acting with raw aggression and taking by force. The very act of masquerading as a man is no different from wearing a ghillie suit to go undetected. Or maybe it’s more like playing with his food?
Accompanied by a sinister smile and the whistling of his own tune, he shows a genuine sense of enjoyment in being a hunter playing the most dangerous game. No words are spoken because none are necessary. However, the real horror lies in its “House of Pain.” The Creeper’s chamber tells a story of torture and torment that spans centuries. Victims are plastered across the walls of the church cellar—described as a sick and twisted version of the Sistine Chapel—frozen in their final moments of fear.
Sure, some of the bodies are clearly mannequins with wigs if you take a closer look. In a way, this still works if they have truly been mummified—kind of like seeing a deer that’s been taxidermied. Uncanny Valley. One could argue that the sewing, stuffing, and stitching mean this is more than just a game or dinner. This is art in its darkest form. The only other person to witness these atrocities besides Darry after accidentally falling into the cellar is Jezelle Gay Hartman—a psychic who dreams of The Creeper and his doings—portrayed by Patricia Belcher.
A One-of-a-Kind Villain
The phone call she makes to the diner warning the siblings of what lies ahead is by far one of the best examples of foreshadowing I’ve seen in any film. First it was the cats, a lot of cats. Then, the song: “Jeepers Creepers, where’d ya get those peepers? Jeepers Creepers, where’d ya get those eyes?”—the same song The Creeper whistles with glee. And to quote her: “When you hear that song, you RUN! AND I MEAN RUN!”Â
Normally it would bother me that the only Black character’s presence is reduced to the “Magical Negro” trope—whose only concern is the safety of our white protagonists. However, her performance is so ominous and damn near perfect that her words still give me goosebumps as I type. She’s not only there to save their lives, but in hopes to stop the nightmares she experiences every night. Not only does the song tell us exactly what The Creeper wants, but her very presence serves as confirmation that this future will come to fruition.
The biggest factor this film has going for it is its sense of isolation. Watching it, you can’t help but put yourself in their shoes, knowing help is 60 miles away in either direction. But as the story unfolds, it shows that it doesn’t matter where you are or who you’re with—he will find you. The Creeper is a one-of-a-kind villain in a one-of-a-kind film. As far as creature features go, it doesn’t get much better than this: an unstoppable force with all the bells and whistles of a horror legend, paired with characters who make questionable decisions yet still make us care about their survival. It isn’t perfect, and the leads can occasionally be annoying and dismissive. But, even 25 years later, this remains a staple on my Halloween watchlist every single year.
