Jeepers Creepers (2001)
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Two siblings traveling home for spring break find themselves hunted by an ancient, monstrous creature that feeds on human body parts.
The story
Trish Jenner and her brother Darry are traveling home from college for spring break through the Florida countryside. During their journey, they encounter a mysterious truck driver who behaves erratically and appears to be disposing of bodies. After a tense encounter near an abandoned church, the siblings find themselves pursued by the driver. They seek refuge in various locations, including a diner and the home of an elderly woman, while trying to escape the threat. They eventually receive a cryptic warning from a psychic about the true nature of their pursuer, a creature that awakens periodically to feed on human flesh.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Trish Jenner and her brother Darry are traveling home from college for spring break through the Florida countryside. They encounter a truck driver who they suspect is involved in something sinister after he dumps bodies near an abandoned church. After a confrontation, the siblings are pursued by the driver. They eventually learn from a psychic, Jezelle Gay Hartman, that the driver is actually an ancient creature known as the Creeper, which awakens every 23rd spring to feed on human body parts. The Creeper eventually attacks a police station where the siblings are seeking safety. In the final confrontation, the Creeper chooses Darry as its victim. The film ends with the revelation of Darry's mutilated body in an abandoned factory while the song 'Jeepers Creepers' plays, showing the creature's monstrous form.
- First release year
- 2001
- Runtime (minutes)
- 91
- Production countries
- United States; Germany
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Victor Salva
- Writers
- Victor Salva · writer
- Cast and characters
- Gina Philips · Trish Jenner; Justin Long · Darry; Jonathan Breck · the Creeper; Eileen Brennan · the cat lady
- Genres
- horror; supernatural horror; teen horror
- Themes
- survival; supernatural horror
- Tone and mood
- tense; suspenseful; gory
- Setting
- Florida countryside during spring break.
- Premise and plot tags
- road movie; monster movie; sibling bond
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1938 song 'Jeepers Creepers'
- Franchise connections
- Jeepers Creepers
- Reception
- The film was a commercial success but received mixed reviews from critics who praised the first half but criticized the second half.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 47% · scale: percentage · review count: 116
- Awards and nominations
- Best Horror Film · Saturn Award · nomination; Best Performance by a Younger Actor · Saturn Award · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was loosely inspired by the case of Dennis DePue.; The script borrowed elements from Night of the Living Dead (1968) and Duel (1971).; The character of the Creeper was inspired by serial killer Ed Gein.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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