It was supposed to be a fresh start. A total reboot. Most horror fans remember the 2001 original—that dusty, terrifying road movie with the whistling monster and the laundry chute of bodies. It was simple. It worked. But by the time Jeepers Creepers: Reborn (the fourth film in the series) crawled out of the basement in 2022, things had gotten messy. Like, really messy.
If you're looking for a scary movie to watch on a Friday night, you’ve probably seen this one pop up on streaming services and wondered if it's worth the hour and a half. Honestly? It's a complicated answer. The story behind the making of this movie is actually way more dramatic than anything that happened on screen.
Between massive lawsuits and a total shift in the creative team, the fourth film became a case study in how not to handle a cult horror legacy.
The Legal Chaos Behind Jeepers Creepers: Reborn
You can't talk about this movie without talking about the courtroom. Usually, when a studio makes a sequel, they just... make it. Not here.
Myriad Pictures, the folks behind the earlier sequels, ended up suing the producers of Jeepers Creepers: Reborn. Why? Because they claimed they had a "right of first negotiation" and a "right of last refusal" on any new films. Basically, they argued the movie was made behind their backs. When you have a production shrouded in that kind of legal smoke, the final product usually suffers. You can see it in the budget. You can see it in the sets.
The movie was filmed in Louisiana during the height of the pandemic. That's hard enough for a blockbuster, but for an indie horror flick? It was a nightmare. They had to rely heavily on green screens—and boy, does it show. Instead of the practical, tactile grit of the first two films, we got digital backgrounds that looked more like a mid-2000s video game than a theatrical horror movie.
A New Vision (Or Lack Thereof)
Victor Salva, the creator of the original trilogy, was gone.
Iron Sky director Timo Vuorensola stepped in to take the reins.
On paper, that sounds interesting. Vuorensola is known for a weird, campy style. But the script by Sean-Michael Argo tried to do too much at once. It wanted to be a reboot, but it also wanted to pay homage to the fans. It ended up in this awkward middle ground where it felt like a fan film with a slightly higher budget.
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The plot follows Laine and her boyfriend Chase. They head to a "Horror Hound" festival in Louisiana. Chase is a Creeper obsessive. Laine is just along for the ride, but she starts having these psychic premonitions. It's a classic setup. But once they get to the festival—which looks suspiciously like a few tents in a warehouse—the logic starts to unravel.
Why the Creeper Looks... Different
Fans are protective of their monsters.
Think about Freddy's glove or Jason's mask.
The Creeper's design in the first two films was iconic—the heavy duster, the wide-brimmed hat, the makeup that made Jonathan Breck look ancient and predatory.
In Jeepers Creepers: Reborn, the Creeper was played by Jarreau Benjamin. He’s a big, imposing guy, but the makeup changed. It felt "brighter." Some fans complained he looked more like a swamp creature and less like the ancient, winged demon we've known since 2001.
The wings were another sticking point. In the original films, the CGI was used sparingly. It was about the threat of the wings. In the fourth film, the digital effects are front and center. When the Creeper flies or uses his "crow-based" weapons, the lack of polish is distracting. It takes you out of the moment. You aren't thinking, "Oh no, he’s going to eat them!" You’re thinking, "That's a really rough render."
The Cult of the Creeper
One thing the movie actually got right was exploring the idea of a cult.
The film introduces the idea that people are actually helping the Creeper. This adds a layer of folk horror that the franchise hadn't really touched before. It makes sense, right? If a monster shows up every 23 years to feed for 23 days, eventually some weirdos are going to start worshipping it.
This cult element is where the movie finds its heartbeat. It stops being a generic slasher for a few minutes and becomes something more sinister. But again, the execution is rushed. We get glimpses of these hooded figures and old rituals, but it never fully pays off in a way that feels satisfying.
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Critical Reception and the Rotten Tomatoes Score
Let's be real. The reviews were brutal.
If you go look at the ratings, they are among the lowest in the horror genre for that year. Critics panned the dialogue. They hated the CGI. Audiences weren't much kinder.
But why?
It comes down to expectation. Jeepers Creepers 2 is a masterpiece of tension—a bunch of high schoolers trapped on a bus in the middle of nowhere. It’s tight. It’s scary. The fourth film feels cavernous and empty.
However, there is a certain "so bad it's good" quality to it if you go in with the right mindset. If you're a horror completist, you're going to watch it anyway. There are a few kills that are creative, and the festival setting provides some fun "meta" moments where you see people dressed as other horror icons. It’s just a shame that the core of the movie—the Creeper himself—feels like a guest star in his own franchise.
The Continuity Nightmare
Is it a sequel? Is it a remake?
The movie treats the first three films as "movies within a movie" at first, then seems to suggest the events actually happened. It’s confusing.
Chase, the protagonist, is a fan of the "legend," which gives the filmmakers an excuse to reference the old movies. But it never quite decides if it wants to be its own thing or a continuation.
This is a common trap for horror reboots. Look at Halloween or Texas Chainsaw Massacre. They keep trying to rewrite the timeline to ignore the sequels people didn't like. By the time we get to the fourth film in this series, the timeline is so tangled it’s better to just ignore it and watch the movie as a standalone creature feature.
The Future of the Franchise
Is there going to be a Jeepers Creepers 5?
Honestly, it’s looking unlikely for a while.
The lawsuit between Myriad and the producers of Reborn put a massive dampener on any future plans. When a film underperforms both critically and commercially, and it carries a heavy load of legal baggage, studios tend to back away slowly.
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The rights are a mess.
The reputation is bruised.
The Creeper might stay in his 23-year hibernation for a lot longer than expected this time.
If you are a fan of the lore, the best place to go isn't the screen—it's the comics or fan forums. There’s a lot of interesting world-building out there that the fourth film just couldn't capture. The idea of the Creeper's origins, his physiology, and his history in the American South is fascinating. It just needs a director and a budget that can do it justice.
What You Should Do Instead of Rewatching It
If you’ve already seen Jeepers Creepers: Reborn and you’re feeling let down, go back to the basics.
Watch the first 15 minutes of the original 2001 film. That scene with the truck on the highway is a masterclass in building dread. No CGI. No complex lore. Just a scary-looking truck and a couple of terrified kids.
Alternatively, if you want something that feels like what the fourth film tried to be, check out Barbarian (2022) or X (2022). They handle the "horror in the South" vibe with much more style and better practical effects.
Actionable Insights for Horror Fans
Don't just take the critics' word for it, but go in with managed expectations. If you decide to sit through the fourth film, keep these things in mind to actually enjoy the experience:
- Appreciate the Camp: Don't look at it as a gritty horror. Look at it as a B-movie from the Syfy channel era. It's much more enjoyable that way.
- Watch for the Easter Eggs: The "Horror Hound" festival scenes are packed with nods to other films. It’s a fun "I Spy" game for genre nerds.
- Focus on the Cult Lore: Pay attention to the secondary characters and the strange rituals. It’s the one part of the movie that actually adds something new to the franchise's mythology.
- Technical Curiosity: If you're interested in filmmaking, watch the green screen scenes closely. It's a great example of how lighting (or a lack of it) can make or break digital environments.
- Check the Legal News: Keep an eye on trade publications like Variety or The Hollywood Reporter. Any news about the franchise’s future won't come from a trailer—it'll come from a court settlement.
The Jeepers Creepers franchise is a survivor. It has survived controversy, bad sequels, and now, a botched reboot. Whether the Creeper rises again remains to be seen, but for now, the fourth film stands as a reminder that some monsters are better left in the shadows until the timing—and the script—is finally right.