Review - Keeper (Spoiler-Free)

For the last ten years, filmmaker Osgood Perkins, has been conjuring up the most gloriously twisted and quite remarkable horror films. 2015 saw his debut with the brutally underrated 'The Blackcoat's Daughter' (2015), followed by the gothic haunt 'I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House' (2016), and the equally eerie 'Gretel & Hansel' (2020). Shortly thereafter was 'Longlegs' (2024), which many argue was one of the 2020s' most standout films, followed by the incredibly gory, Final Destination-esque 'The Monkey' (2025). And with bated breath comes 'Keeper'; however, what remains is whether this new tragedy cum psychological fright infused with a generous dash of folk horror lives up to Perkins' roaring reputation. 

Keeper sees a couple, Liz (Tatiana Maslany) and Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland), embark on a romantic retreat to a rural cabin. However, their amorous dalliance is soon disrupted when Malcolm's cousin Darren (Birkett Turton) and his partner Minka (Eden Weiss) arrive, catalysing a weekend of delusion, betrayal and unearthly upset. 

The worlds that Perkins establishes throughout his catalogue of macabre films all have this uncanny feeling. The cars still drive the same, towns function as normal, and despite the essence of either monstrousness/serial killers/violent curses causing a ruckus, society still acts within its roles. However, underneath this, something is always bubbling and brewing into an uncanny storm. Keeper is no exception to this rule. Of course, the real terror of the story comes into play once the cards start folding into place and the grand reveal makes its big entrance, yet the atmospheric horror that comes before the elaborately dark conclusion is what bodes well for Keeper. The ambiguous nature of unease that is meticulously and slowly evoked during the first two acts far surpasses the finale, with the gradual escalation of events working to rouse a formidable and powerful tension. 

Weary of treading into the land of pesky spoilers, what is next to be said about Keeper is how visually haunting the entire film is. The striking set design, unsettling imagery and moody bleakness of it all is a triple threat that colludes and collides in the most stunning of fashions. Akin to the maddening yet imposing design of Alex Garland's 'Men' (2022) or the affective setting in the Philippou brothers 'Bring Her Back' (2025), Keeper is dead set on casting a wickedly dark, ambient shadow over the entire film. 

Despite all this, Keeper is not immune to losing a touch of its steam as the film progresses. To phrase it bluntly, at times the film is a bit high on its own artfulness. Throughout, there seems to be a consistent striving for the film's symbolism and message to be profound, which in itself is not necessarily a negative. What is however, a drawback is how Keeperactions its pursuit of an 'elevated' allegorical meaning. Essentially, Keeper's supposed desire to achieve profundity is welcomed, but the ham-fisted, overt exposition dumps render the art of any subtlety completely pointless. 

It is here where it seems that Keeper earns its divided reception, with the film receiving extremely mixed reviews since its release. Rightly, the split-down-the-middle consensus both agree on one thing - the surrealness of the entire film. It is an odd premise. There are strange quirks that serve as narrative ties. And the ending is somewhat nonsensical. However, depending on one's perspective, these snags are what makes Keeper a must-see. 

As such, Keeper sits nicely within Perkins' filmography, offering an experience that is equally intriguing and alluring as it is zany and peculiar. 

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