My quick rating – 5.3/10. Keeper is one of those films that hooked me early with mood, promise, and pedigree, then slowly drifts into stranger territory without ever fully cashing in on its ideas. Directed by Osgood Perkins, coming off recent genre standouts like Longlegs and The Monkey, this one had my attention well before release. The trailer teased something eerie and unsettling, the kind of distinct horror Perkins has been getting increasingly good at delivering. Unfortunately, while Keeper has flashes of that same atmospheric power, the story itself never quite keeps pace.
The film opens with a really disturbing, several-year-spanning montage of the things people do for love, punctuated by screaming, bloodied women. It’s effective, uncomfortable, and immediately signals that this won’t be some cozy cabin getaway story. From there, we follow Liz (Tatiana Maslany) and Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland) as they head off for a romantic anniversary weekend at a secluded cabin. Almost immediately, a conversation highlights the age difference between them, something the film clearly wants us to think about, but the casting doesn’t help sell it. Maslany and Sutherland look far too close in age for the dynamic the script is trying to establish. Oddly enough, Malcolm’s cousin Darren (Birkett Turton) and his date Minka (Eden Weiss) are a much clearer example of the imbalance the film seems interested in exploring.
Once Malcolm abruptly returns to the city, Liz is left alone at the cabin, and Keeper begins its slow descent into isolation and dread. Perkins does what he does best here, framing shots that subtly suggest something is off. Forests loom, shadows linger, and the camera frequently sits at odd angles or presses into tight spaces. Jeremy Cox’s cinematography is easily one of the film’s strongest assets, giving Keeper a hazy, hallucinatory feel that sustains tension even when the script falters.
There are genuinely disturbing moments scattered throughout, including a major “what the hell was that?” scene involving Minka in the woods that feels ripped straight from a nightmare. The film toys with multiple horror threads – serial killer implications, woodland creatures, monstrous figures, and even hints of witchcraft – but it never fully commits to one. Instead, these elements drift in and out, building atmosphere without delivering much payoff.
Maslany carries the film well and serves as its emotional and visual centerpiece. Her performance drives the story, especially as it becomes clear Liz may be more than just a victim. She also reflects manipulation as the story assigns her a “side piece” role. If you’ve ever been that woman, or felt like it, Keeper will probably resonate more deeply. For everyone else, the experience will likely land somewhere in the middle.
Nick Lepard’s script ultimately feels underdeveloped, especially compared to the confidence of the filmmaking. After the central mystery reveals itself, the film doesn’t do much with it, opting for ambiguity over escalation. While Perkins’ direction and Cox’s cinematography do a lot of heavy lifting, it’s hard for me not to feel disappointed given the director’s recent output.
Keeper isn’t a bad film – it’s an intriguing, well-shot one – but it’s a lesser entry in Perkins’ growing horror catalog. Creepy, slow, and occasionally unsettling, it builds tension beautifully, then lets it dissipate when it matters most.
