JEEPERS CREEPERS 5 (2025)

Jeepers Creepers 5 (2025) revives the chilling saga of the Creeper with a new, darker chapter that delves into both myth and modern horror. Set nearly two decades after the last film, the story follows Marisol Vega, a determined folklore researcher whose family disappeared under mysterious circumstances in rural Louisiana during the 2000s. Haunted by old nightmares and obsessed with uncovering the truth, Marisol travels to the Pine Barrens, where she hopes to unravel the Creeper’s ancient curse.

When a group of thrill-seeking students arrives in town to investigate the local legend and film a documentary, Marisol reluctantly partners with them. The group includes Lucas, a skeptical journalism major; Hana, a folklore enthusiast; and Theo, a local mechanic with knowledge of the region’s secrets. As their investigation progresses, they discover eerily preserved victims buried beneath swamp moss—signs that the Creeper has awoken yet again, and is drawn to that particular stretch of highway for reasons beyond simple hunger.

Director Jerusha Hess shifts the tone toward slow-burn dread, crafting long stretches of silence broken by unsettling glimpses of the Creeper among cypress roots. Visually, the film blends gothic mood with stark modern elements—swamp gas lights, abandoned motels, and the creeping undergrowth all come alive under a muted palette that emphasizes decay and suspense. The sound design is equally compelling: distant scraping noises, muted growls, and the hum of cicadas heighten tension until the Creeper’s sudden, primal attacks.

Performances unify the story’s emotional core with horror. Marisol’s portrait of grief-turned-obsession anchors the narrative, and her growing distrust of the Creeper’s motives leads to shocking revelations: this iteration of the monster might possess intentions beyond mere consumption. Lucas’s transformation from skeptic to survivor adds depth, while Hana channels folk wisdom that helps unlock the Creeper’s cyclical origins. Theo’s knowledge of local legends proves crucial in identifying a ritual site—an old cross carved with cryptic symbols meant to trap the Creeper every 23 years.

When the creature finally emerges in full, Jeepers Creepers 5 delivers visceral terror: brutal swampside chases, tense confrontations along crumbling boardwalks, and intense, close-quarters combat. The climax unfolds under a blood moon as the surviving group performs a hastily assembled ritual meant to bind the Creeper and buy them time. Though they partially succeed, the ritual’s failure to completely destroy it leaves a chilling final image: the Creeper turning its gaze toward the audience, promising that the curse endures.

At approximately 400 words, Jeepers Creepers 5 honors the franchise’s roots in rural isolation and supernatural dread while pushing its mythology into new moral territory. By blending folklore, academic curiosity, and visceral horror, the film reinvigorates the lore with fresh ideas and emotional stakes. It questions what it truly means to fight evil when that evil may be driven by unknown, perhaps tragic motives. In doing so, it leaves audiences both unsettled and eager for another chapter in the Creeper’s long, haunted history.