Main Cast: Gina Philips, Justin Long, Jonathan Breck, Patricia Belcher, Brandon Smith
Release Year: 2001
Country: US
Run Time: 89 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Writer/director Victor Salva returns to his horror roots with this teen-slasher genre flick, one of several 2001 films produced by Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope studio. Gina Philips and Justin Long are siblings Trish and Darry, road tripping home from college across the U.S. and bickering all the way. Menaced by a truck on the highway, the travelers encounter the same vehicle later, and what they believe is a man dumping a human body into a drainage pipe. Investigating, Darry and Trish become the intended prey of an indestructible, supernatural creature hell-bent on eating them, a murderous local myth that is proving to be all too real. As they attempt to escape their bloodthirsty pursuer, the pair discovers that even the local police station is no refuge; they also receive some advice from a knowledgeable psychic (Patricia Belcher). Jeepers Creepers co-stars Eileen Brennan. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Review
Writer/director Victor Salva's genre offering proves more effective than the standard turn-of-the-century teen horror flick, in large part due to its respect for such essential -- but usually ignored -- elements as suspense, pacing, and atmosphere. Jeepers Creepers forgoes the jokey self-referentiality of the Scream series and the nihilistic, gore-for-gore's-sake quality of, say, Final Destination for a more straightforward approach, and -- at least in his film's first hour -- the choice pays off in a big way. As bickering but devoted siblings terrorized by an inhuman creature, Gina Philips and Justin Long have a natural, believable chemistry, which is particularly helpful when the script veers into some of its more ridiculous conceits. If anything, Salva is too enamored with horror conventions: In the last act, he's determined to throw in psychics, police squad showdowns, and even a few allusions to Quasimodo and The Phantom of the Opera. But for the most part, the script keeps it simple, and thanks to ace cinematography and editing, Jeepers Creepers provides an ample supply of economically presented cheap thrills. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
