Twenty-three years is a long time between feeding cycles, and apparently, it’s also long enough for a horror franchise to forget what made it terrifying in the first place. Jeepers Creepers: Reborn, the fourth installment in the supernatural horror series, attempts to breathe new life into the winged demon’s legacy but instead delivers a tedious exercise in franchise resurrection that feels more like cinematic necromancy gone wrong.
Reborn or Stillborn? The Creeper’s Lackluster Return
This review contains discussions of supernatural horror elements and cult-like behavior. Some plot details are explored, but major ending reveals remain concealed in the spoiler section below.
The film opens with a familiar beat. Marie and Ronnie encounter the Creeper’s truck on a desolate road, mirroring the iconic opening of the 2001 original. This isn’t mere homage; it’s a deliberate narrative bridge connecting past and present, establishing that we’re revisiting the same cursed stretch of highway where nightmares began. The fact that Marie is played by Dee Wallace made me instantly feel like Jeepers Creepers Reborn was going to be excellent.
When Horror Becomes Tedious
The transition from this opening sequence to our modern protagonists feels appropriate for any B-horror. There’s nothing wrong with it, but rather expected instead. We’re introduced to a young couple (Laine and Chase heading to what they call a “nerd fest”, a horror convention that serves as both destination and metaphor for the film’s self-aware but ultimately hollow approach to genre conventions. The boyfriend’s knowledge of the Creeper’s 23-year cycle feels more like an exposition dump than organic character development.
The performances throughout suffer from a fundamental disconnect with the material. While the cast isn’t comprised of household names, the issue isn’t their relative obscurity but rather their inability to ground the increasingly absurd situations in any emotional reality. When the female protagonist discovers her pregnancy through flashback sequences, it should feel like a pivotal character moment. Instead, it becomes another plot device in service of the film’s convoluted mythology.
Jeepers Creepers: Reborn’s Mystical Misdirection
Perhaps the film’s most intriguing element is the introduction of a mysterious shop owner, a painted, cloaked figure who serves as both fortune teller and conspirator. When our lost protagonists seek directions, they stumble into what appears to be a supernatural retail establishment that doubles as a recruitment center for Creeper cultists. The mystic’s call using “tree bearing fruit” as a code word suggests a larger network of believers working to facilitate the demon’s return.
This cult element could have provided the film with genuine horror; the idea that ordinary people actively enable monstrous evil is genuinely disturbing. Unfortunately, the screenplay treats this revelation with the same flat affect it applies to everything else. We’re given glimpses of this covert group without any meaningful exploration of their motivations or the extent of their influence.
Visual Effects: Practical Meets Digital Disappointment
The film’s approach to the Creeper’s design attempts to honor the practical effects work of the original while incorporating modern digital techniques. When the creature emerges in its caterpillar-like regeneration state, there’s a grotesque beauty to the transformation that recalls the body horror sensibilities that made the franchise memorable. The practical elements feel “gordy” and tactile, maintaining some connection to the visceral impact.
However, these moments of visual competence are undermined by awkward execution and poor integration with the digital elements. While technically proficient, the Creeper’s full resurrection lacks the mythic presence that made the character iconic. It’s horror by committee rather than vision.
Narrative Structure and Missed Opportunities
The film’s greatest sin isn’t its low budget or unknown cast. It’s the complete absence of narrative tension. The repetitive flashback sequences feel like padding rather than character development, and the basic pacing strips away any sense of mounting dread. Horror thrives on anticipation, but Jeepers Creepers: Reborn telegraphs every stomp so obviously that suspense becomes impossible.
The pregnancy subplot, which should serve as the emotional and thematic core of the story, feels perfunctory. The idea that the Creeper requires an unborn child for complete regeneration adds a disturbing layer to the mythology, but again the film veers away from highlighting the implications of this revelation with any depth or sensitivity.
Click to reveal ending details and major plot points
The climax reveals the Creeper stripped of his characteristic black skin, suggesting the regeneration process was incomplete or corrupted. The cult’s plan partially succeeds, but the creature emerges diminished rather than empowered. The boyfriend’s apparent death is reversed in typical horror fashion, though his survival feels more like a sequel setup than a meaningful resolution. The mystic’s network remains largely unexplored, leaving questions about the scope of the Creeper’s influence that feel more like lazy writing than intentional mystery.
The film isn’t without merit; the practical effects work shows flashes of the craftsmanship, enough to steer newcomers to horror to be brave enough to watch another. The cult conspiracy angle suggests interesting thematic possibilities. But these elements are buried under tedious pacing, flat performances, and a screenplay that seems more interested in checking franchise boxes than telling a compelling story.
For horror fans seeking genuine scares or franchise devotees hoping for a worthy continuation, Jeepers Creepers: Reborn offers little satisfaction. It’s a film that exists because it can, not because it should.
If you love a B-movie, no matter what, have you seen Inconceivable / The Beast Comes at Midnight or Rogue Hostage? Perhaps you simply need another monster movie. Check out: Please Don’t Feed the Children and Monster Island.
Recomendations on what to watch next
Cast: Sydney Craven, Imran Adams, Jarreau Benjamin
Director: Timo Vuorensola
Writer: Sean Michael Argo, Jake Seal.
Distribution: Rialto Films
Release Date: 2022
Review by: Mother of Movies
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Jeepers Creepers: Reborn is rated
1 winged demon that should have stayed buried out of 5.
“A franchise resurrection that feels more like cinematic taxidermy, technically assembled but spiritually vacant.”
– Mother of Movies
Jeepers Creepers: Reborn 2022 (Slasher horror) is streaming on:
For another slasher movie, watch The Haunted Forest:
Jeepers Creepers: Reborn
Director: Timo Vuorensola
Date Created: 2022-09-22 23:51
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