The world of horror is dominated far too often by a handful of big names. It seems that no matter how many brilliant new ideas take the stage, fans won't stop demanding the return of what was popular a few decades ago. Since there's no threat of franchise reboots going away, look to disastrous examples like Jeepers Creepers: Reborn as a handy guide to what could go wrong.
Some horror franchises are iconic for their longevity, others have a distinct personality that keeps fans interested, and a few manage to be packed with great films. However, some horror franchises live the sad life of a name that's only famous due to repetition, leading to a mess when it comes time for the reboot.
Jeepers Creepers is one of the most unusual ongoing series in the genre. The first two films were financial successes, despite mixed critical reception. The 2001 original is something of a cult classic, granted a disproportionally fond memory by people who were just the right age to see their first horror film at the time. The film comes across like a team of writers set to work on the project and never stopped pitching. There are a few too many ideas packed into the runtime, but there's enough decent horror content to make it a worthwhile watch. The first film set the tone and would've been a perfectly decent place to end the franchise.
The sequels undergo a precipitous drop in quality right away. Jeepers Creepers 2 is the kind of trashy b-movie that's too dull and stupid to be anything other than a target of mockery. The third film manages to be a fun watch by leaning into the nonsense that makes up its predecessors. There was a two-year gap between the first two entries and a fourteen-year gap between the second and third. A lot changed over the years, but the third film manages to be imminently watchable, if only for its commitment to over-the-top CGI violence and blood. The reboot began production a few years later, and after some production hangups due to COVID and rights disputes, Reborn was on its way to a blessedly brief two-day event screening in limited theaters.
The elephant in the room whenever Jeepers Creepers is brought up is the original trilogy's the writer/director Victor Salva. The reboot is the first film in the franchise to be made without his involvement. Salva was convicted of sexually abusing the 12-year-old star of his first theatrical film, as well as possession and production of child pornography. He committed and served a prison sentence for these crimes more than a decade before his first commercial success. His 1995 film Powder was the target of a boycott by his victim. Despite this, his crimes seem to have been forgotten for years while the Jeepers Creepers films attained success. It made a substantial splash online when people rediscovered Salva's nightmarish actions. Fans were heartbroken to know the nature of the man who made a film they enjoyed, so the idea of creating a new entry without his name attached was obviously appealing. Jeepers Creepers: Reborn probably should never have been made, but, rest assured, it's also terrible on its own merits.
The problem with Reborn, from a filmmaking perspective rather than a moral one, is that it completely squanders anything worthwhile in the old franchise. It must distance itself from Salva's work, which means it can't be too similar to previous entries. Yet, it still has to appeal somewhat to fans, who are the only people likely to show up to the screening. With a nightmarish public perception and little goodwill to skate on, Reborn would've been better off without the brand name. It could've invented a different monster with entirely new mythology, and it probably would've been better for it. The titular Creeper is all iconography. He has a distinct look, signature weapons, a time-specific pattern of hunting, a specific modus operandi, a vehicle of choice, notable superpowers, and much more. Any movie with the Jeepers Creepers branding has to do so many callbacks and references that it feels like it's pandering to a strange audience.
The Creeper feels like he was made up to sell toys. For all the distinct design elements and weirdly specific gimmicks that he's known for, there's no real substance to the character. It doesn't have even the slightest notable personality, it doesn't have a weakness, and it doesn't do what it does for any interesting reason. The reboot even manages to take away several of its most notable assets. By setting most of the movie in a single house, it doesn't get to drive around in its truck or drag people into the air. Not only is the reboot a mess of lame callbacks trying desperately to avoid being too closely connected to the source material, but it also weirdly ditches some of the most notable upsides.
Jeepers Creepers: Reborn is everything wrong with the concept of rebooting horror cinema. The franchise's legacy condemned it before it was even made. The source material could barely sustain two films, let alone a fourth. It mangles some already dodgy gimmicks in its attempt to dredge them up from a deep dark hole. When filmmakers of the future try to drag some 80s or 90s classic back to the modern day, they should look to Jeepers Creepers: Reborn as a lesson. Anything that follows its example is doomed to be forgotten in an unending disaster of a genre.