The Creeps (2025)

The Creeps (2025)

Nothing to do with Night of the Creeps (1986), mind you! Nor with The Creeps (1997).

Two American friends head to the Vuokatti ski resort in Finland to celebrate Monsterfest. They pick up Jaakko, a Finnish outsider who wants only one thing: to make friends. Their party plans are, however, thwarted when a mysterious portal unleashes a horde of mischievous little creatures onto the resort. As chaos breaks out, the pair must dig deep to channel the heroes of 1980s horror films in order to combat this threat and survive the night.

This film won’t recapture the fun of Gremlins 1 & 2. Yet that was the plan! Even Joe Dante has a small role. That says it all!!! It must weigh heavily on him never to have recaptured the success of the 1980s.

This time, it’s murderous snowmen who are brought to life by scientists who’ve crashed the party. Besides, it’s not clear why these ridiculous heroes start calling them ‘The Creeps’ as if it were obvious! We were dreaming of a Gremlins 3, but all we get are flops like Slotherhouse (2023) or Critters Attack! (2019), which is the fifth instalment.

Only the first half-hour of this film offers a glimmer of hope… but you soon realise that this rubbish combines the worst of Critters and Ghoulies.

When the main character goes to the loo, the words ‘Gremlins Rocks!!!’ are scrawled on a wall alongside a middle finger. He then asks someone on the phone, ‘What on earth is going on???’ and the reply is something along the lines of: ‘It’s Gremlins!!!’

So, you get the sense that it’s meant to be a tribute and that it’s also set in winter… but all they’ve done is sully the masterpiece, and nothing more. As mentioned before, this is much closer to Critters. So… a Critters-style winter horror film. Basically, I’d say “Why not?”, but it’s a bit too low-budget, it’s not that funny, it’s not at all gripping and… poor Christophe Lambert! What on earth are you doing here? So far from home, in the cold…

Yes, you can really sense the end of his career! Christophe Lambert for yet another rainy Sunday! Even his famous laugh doesn’t work anymore.

There are also continuity errors and poorly executed action scenes, which are quite laughable given how many botched cuts there are. I don’t like the Critters films to begin with, but making a Critters knock-off is really not great.

A special mention for Finnish Lapland, which might remind some people of their holidays!!!

I found this review to be fairly comprehensive, concise and spot on: “Zach plans to celebrate his birthday quietly, but his friends – and, above all, some killer snowmen – have other plans for him… The Creeps is, in a way, a cross between Gremlins and American Pie, with horny teenagers on one side and little creatures on the other. Marko Mäkilaakso delivers a film packed with references that has a distinct 80s feel without quite capturing its charm. All the ingredients are there – plenty of references, even if they’re thrown in a bit haphazardly without really being integrated, some enjoyable cameos and a brisk pace… but nostalgia alone wasn’t enough to make me enjoy the film. The creatures are too incidental and the humour didn’t work for me. It doesn’t take itself seriously, but that doesn’t make it funny either. In short, it’s not great and quickly becomes repetitive.”

The central character is called Zach… whilst the lead actor in Gremlins 1 and 2 is called… Zach Galligan! Yes, it really does go that far!!!

There are some pretty mad moments, but I wouldn’t call them incredible. Like the bit where the characters are inside a video game.

The plot is weak and it quickly drags on, despite a concept that could have been fun. The special effects are deliberately rubbish, because it’s always been clear that if the Gremlins were to return, the same effects would have to be used so as not to lose any of the charm. But here, it clearly hasn’t worked.

A totally bonkers horror B-movie: a few rare enjoyable moments, some rather cringe-worthy sex scenes and nods to the 80s, with uneven humour and a plot you’ll quickly forget.

It’s got that Gremlins vibe with gore and snow; it certainly doesn’t lack effort or twists and turns, but it’s a complete flop.