Rating: ⅘
Synopsis:
Osgood Perkins has been cranking out new movies left and right. His latest “trip” as he calls them, focuses on a couple who retreats to a remote family cabin for their one year anniversary. But as Liz (accompanying her boyfriend Malcolm) settles in, she quickly realizes that this romantic getaway might be a nightmarish trap. As she begins to experience strange visions and increasingly concerning behavior from Malcolm, Liz must find a way to escape the terrors that await her…or die trying.
Positives:
I believe Osgood Perkins is one of the most exciting voices in the horror genre. While his films often contain some creative choices I don’t resonate with, he still delivers a memorable experience. “Keeper” is no different, where he manages to craft an atmosphere that feels both claustrophobic and terrifying. The story kicks off with some haunting imagery of a series of unnamed women. They are shown with exceptional beauty, only to be covered with buckets of blood and deathly screaming. The film quickly introduces us to Liz and Malcolm, a flawed couple who are in a tricky place in their relationship. We see the cracks as they settle into their cabin vacation when Malcolm starts to behave in a concerning manner. Liz begins to realize there might be supernatural presences that lurk in the shadows of this luxurious cabin. Perkins crafts some unbelievable tension here, delivering frightening imagery filled with quick cuts and jolting sound design. This gives Liz a hypnotic sense of reality, where the frightening imagery she encounters leaves audiences filled with questions. We start to wonder why they are happening and if they are real at all.
Perkins plays with perception well, where Liz’s increasingly haunting visions begin to trap the audience in this nightmarish fever. I don’t get spooked very easily anymore but there were a few jump scares that almost managed to startle me out of my seat. But they’re not cheap scares. They manage to burrow beneath the skin like a deep south deer tick. These scares lasted long after the scene would conclude, managing to add to the dysphoria Liz is feeling. When the creatures were revealed, I curled up in my seat and felt the hairs on my arm raise. Credit to Perkins for managing to get under my skin when most films don’t these days. The cinematography is excellent as always. Perkins manages to craft quick cuts and sharp visuals to concoct an environment of dread. Tatiana Maslany gives a nice performance here as she is tasked with playing a character that is forced into a horrifying situation. Perkins has a knack for sustaining a mood that manages to create intrigue while never letting audiences forget that they’re in a nightmare.
Negatives:
“Keeper” isn’t a film that will work for everyone but it sure worked for me. The story struggles in a few areas that will bother some more than others. The pacing makes the film feel as if it’s trapped in mud, trying to get moving but bogged down by slow, uneventful interactions between Malcolm and Liz. But once it gets going it never lets up. The story doesn’t reinvent the wheel either. Lots of the story elements are inspired from previous horror films (but what isn’t at this point). While “Longlegs” and “The Monkey” felt fresh all the way through, “Keeper” doesn’t manage to feel as unique. It also chooses bewildering ways to kickstart the terror, specifically regarding Malcolm’s insistence of Liz to consume chocolate cake as they begin to get intimate. But Perkins usually has some wonky elements scattered throughout his film. “Keeper” continues that trend, but it manages to rise above its flaws to create an experience I won’t soon forget.
Conclusion:
Chalk “Keeper” up with one of the most surprising films of 2025 thus far. It manages to craft throat-crushing tension as the story unfolds. Some nifty editing and strong sound design elevate the film’s technical merits too. Some pacing issues and strange character decisions don’t ruin the film though. Credit to Perkins for truly getting under my skin with some haunting imagery, seat-jolting jump scares, and claustrophobic atmosphere. I highly recommend fans of the horror genre to give this a watch as Osgood Perkins solidifies himself as one of the most exciting voices in modern horror.