A stern and overbearing father named Stan (Hal Holbrook) is left furious when he discovers his young son Billy (Ted Danson) engrossed in a grisly horror comic book titled "Creepshow." After a heated argument with his wife Adrienne Barbeau and striking Billy, Stan impulsively discards the comic into the garbage. Unbeknownst to them, a skeletal figure, known as the Creep, hovers outside Billy's window, serving as the host for the dark narratives unfolding in the comic.
As a gust of wind sweeps the forgotten comic book from the trash can, the pages transform, bringing the five eerie tales to life. These stories intricately weave in and out of animated frames, shifting from comic illustrations to chilling live-action sequences.
1st Story: "Father's Day" – A wealthy family called the Granthams engages in a macabre celebration every Father's Day. Sylvia Grantham (Leslie Nielsen) hosts a gathering that includes her family members: Richard and Cass, alongside the peculiar Aunt Bedelia. As the family recounts Bedelia's troubled past involving her murderous father Nathan, an ominous tension builds. On this fateful day, as Bedelia visits Nathan's grave, his decaying corpse emerges to enact a terrifying revenge on the family. In an astonishingly grim twist, he surprises the remaining Granthams with the head of Sylvia, festooned like a Father’s Day cake.
2nd Story: "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill" – Jordy Verrill (Ted Danson), a dim-witted farmer, stumbles upon a meteor that crashes onto his property. Fueled by dreams of wealth, he discovers too late that the meteor's contact unleashes a strange green vegetation that soon consumes him. He is ultimately driven to despair when his mind and body succumb to the lush, alien growth that infiltrates his being, leading to a tragic end.
3rd Story: "Something to Tide You Over" – Harry Wentworth (Ted Danson) finds himself in a precarious situation when Richard Vickers (Leslie Nielsen) confronts him about an affair with his wife, Becky. What ensues is a sinister game of revenge where Harry is buried up to his neck on the beach, alongside Becky, as the tide threatens their lives. The horrifying conclusion reveals what lies in store for Richard after the doomed lovers return as water-logged zombies.
4th Story: "The Crate" – Mike, a janitor, discovers an ancient crate beneath a stairwell at Horlicks University. When Professor Dexter Stanley (Hal Holbrook) investigates, they unveil a creature inside that leads to a series of gruesome events. Dexter’s meek friend, Henry, concocts a devious plan involving his obnoxious wife Wilma (Adrienne Barbeau), which unwittingly becomes a deadly trap for her.
5th Story: "They're Creeping Up on You!" – Upson Pratt (E.G. Marshall), a ruthless businessman, lives in an excessively sterile penthouse, where his paranoia about cleanliness reaches its peak. After receiving a call from the widow of a former employee he dismissed, Pratt’s life spirals into chaos as cockroaches invade his apartments, reflecting his deeply rooted phobia. This culminates in a shocking and gruesome demise, as he succumbs to a relentless swarm of the very bugs he detests.
In the wraparound story, the next day, two garbage men discover the abandoned comic next to the trash can outside Billy's house. As they explore its contents, the tale culminates with the Creep holding the next edition of "Creepshow," while Billy enacts his revenge on Stan with a voodoo doll.
The atmosphere darkens when the comic's chilling host, the Creep, chuckles, signaling the end of this frightful saga as the credits roll. Even in the silence that follows, the Creep's laughter echoes, leaving an unsettling impression.
