Tatiana Maslany in ‘Keeper’. Photograph: Neon.
Opening in theaters November 14 is ‘Keeper,’ directed by Osgood Perkins and starring Tatiana Maslany, Rossif Sutherland, Birkett Turton, Claire Friesen, Christin Park, and Eden Weiss.
Launch Date: Nov 14, 2025
Run Time: 1 hr 39 min
Finances: $6,000,000
Associated Article: Director Osgood Perkins and Maika Monroe Speak Horror-Thriller ‘Longlegs’
Preliminary Ideas
Rossif Sutherland in ‘Keeper’. Photograph: Neon.
For his sixth directorial effort (and third in 16 months, following ‘Longlegs’ in 2024 and ‘The Monkey’ earlier this 12 months), director (and one-time actor) Osgood Perkins swerves once more, pivoting from the horror-comedy of the latter to a darker, extra foreboding story set towards a backdrop of nature and that includes nearly a people horror vibe. Notably, he didn’t write ‘Keeper’ – it was penned by Canadian scribe Nick Lepard, who was capable of work on it throughout the 2023 writers’ strike in Hollywood – however the movie does bear Perkins’ emblems as a director, with unsettling imagery, creepy sound design, and the usage of each darkness and silence all in abundance.
Whereas the story is a reasonably gripping, slow-burn affair, it nonetheless feels prefer it will get stretched out regardless of the comparatively temporary 100-minute working time. Padded by Lynchian dream sequences (which admittedly elevate a couple of goosebumps), ‘Keeper’ may be fairly scary – but in addition can’t fairly make this story really feel prefer it matches in a feature-length film.
Story and Course
(Middle) Director Osgood Perkins on the set of ‘Keeper’. Photograph: Neon.
‘Keeper’ opens with a dread-inducing montage of pictures of girls, progressing from flirtatious to romantic to indignant to fearful to lastly screaming in terror, all set to Mickey and Sylvia’s ‘Love is Unusual.’ Reduce to Liz (Tatiana Maslany) within the automotive together with her boyfriend Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland), as they head for Malcolm’s household cabin deep within the woods to rejoice their one-year anniversary of relationship.
Liz continues to be not sure in regards to the relationship – her pal is bound that Malcolm is hiding a spouse and youngsters someplace – and it appears tough for Malcolm to earn her belief fully, regardless of his apparently honest affection for her and willingness to do something to make her snug. However consolation is the very last thing she finds on the Westbridge household cabin: the woods are deathly silent round them, the next-door neighbor is Malcolm’s obnoxious cousin Darren (Birkett Turton), who’s there together with his non-English talking mannequin squeeze (Eden Weiss), and the home appears to reverberate with muffled sounds from someplace above. Then Liz wakes up on their first evening there with an unquenchable urge to devour a complete chocolate cake ostensibly left behind by the property caretaker, and issues solely get weirder.
Tatiana Maslany in ‘Keeper’. Photograph: Neon.
Neon has largely held ‘Keeper’ again from critics, formally to keep away from spoilers, however after all we’d honor that beneath any circumstances. So we’ll chorus from discussing way more of the plot, besides to say that it’s pretty primary as soon as all of the playing cards are on the desk. There are parts of the movie the place little or no appears to occur, however Perkins makes a strenuous effort to fill the display with every kind of surreal pictures and scary portents – and his efforts do repay. Even by the point we attain the third act, the place sure plot components turn out to be murky and fewer of the story is smart, the director nonetheless manages to give you some actually nerve-rattling visuals.
Ambiance, imagery, and sometimes jocular or haunting needle drops are Perkins’ robust factors, notably as seen in his final couple of outings, and so they don’t fail him right here. Story and character, not a lot this day trip. Liz and Malcolm are barely sketched in as individuals, and within the case of Liz – being the protagonist – that leaves her and the viewer a bit misplaced within the woods (pardon the pun). There may be some subtext right here as nicely — and a way of comeuppance later — which manifests late within the proceedings and brings slightly humor with it as nicely.
Forged and Performances
(L to R) Tatiana Maslany and Rossif Sutherland in ‘Keeper’. Photograph: Neon.
The forged is sort of small on this one, and the characters usually are not particularly crammed out, however Tatiana Maslany is great as Liz – a lady who’s not afraid to say what she feels however is on not sure footing with a attainable love in her life. Maslany makes us care sufficient about Liz to need her to outlive, though unusual issues begin taking place so rapidly that we’re undecided why she waits so lengthy earlier than deciding she desires to depart. Her wry humor provides approach to abject terror (which Maslany is sort of good at) and he or she holds the display for practically the whole working time of the movie.
Much less profitable is Rossif Sutherland (sure, Donald’s son) as Malcolm, who speaks in a whisper for a lot of the film and in addition sports activities an odd half-accent that maybe is smart towards the tip of the movie. He’s imagined to be a bit mysterious however Sutherland’s work is a bit too flat – though his monologue close to the tip is efficient. The one different actors with any actual display time are Birkett Turton and Eden Weiss, however the minimal characterization leaves them giving one-note performances.
Closing Ideas
Tatiana Maslany in ‘Keeper’. Photograph: Neon.
With half a dozen movies in 10 years, Osgood Perkins has firmly established himself as a style auteur, crafting a form of literary model of horror film that finds inspiration, immediately or not directly, in authors like Shirley Jackson (‘I Am The Fairly Factor That Lives within the Home’), Stephen King (‘The Monkey’), and H.P. Lovecraft (to which ‘Keeper’ owes a debt).
His movies are odd, steadily surreal, and never notably large-scale, and their narratives are sometimes clouded – maybe a deliberate selection on his half, however one which leaves them with a obscure feeling of incompleteness. ‘Keeper’ falls squarely consistent with the remainder of his filmography, however he continues to mine the story and manufacturing assets at hand to generate some actually terrifying imagery and a sustained stage of dread even when the fabric doesn’t all the time sustain its finish of the discount.
‘Keeper’ receives a rating of 70 out of 100.
Tatiana Maslany in ‘Keeper’. Photograph: Neon.
What’s the plot of ‘Keeper’?
A romantic anniversary journey to a secluded cabin turns sinister when a darkish presence reveals itself, forcing a pair to confront the property’s haunting previous.
Who’s within the forged of ‘Keeper’?
A scene from ‘Keeper’. Photograph: Neon.