A romantic anniversary trip to a secluded cabin turns sinister when a dark presence reveals itself, forcing a couple to confront the property’s haunting past.
Osgood Perkins’ “Longlegs,” released in 2024, arrived amid a storm of critical acclaim, with many anointing him as a master filmmaker. The anticipation for the film was so overwhelming that, when I finally watched it, I found myself underwhelmed. It struck me as an imitation of “The Silence of the Lambs,” aspiring to that standard but never truly achieving it. The following year, Perkins returned with “The Monkey.” The trailer promised a grisly spectacle, but the film itself felt derivative, reminiscent of the FINAL DESTINATION franchise—memorable for its elaborate deaths, but lacking in substance. I expected little when a 4K review copy of his latest work, “Keeper,” arrived unannounced. To my surprise, it surpassed his two previous features by a considerable margin, and I am now genuinely interested in his future projects.
“Keeper” centers on Liz (Tatiana Maslany) and her boyfriend Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland), who have planned an intimate celebration for their first anniversary at Malcolm’s remote cabin in the countryside. The only other soul nearby is Malcolm’s cousin, Darren (Birkett Turton). Upon arrival, Liz discovers a boxed cake, which Malcolm claims was left by the caretaker. He offers her a slice, but she initially declines, citing her dislike of chocolate. With a bit of coaxing, she eventually tries it.
That night, Liz wakes and wanders into the kitchen, where she consumes the rest of the cake. Soon after, she is plagued by disturbing visions: bloodied, screaming women and a pregnant figure who appears to be her double, crying out in the woods. The next morning, Malcolm announces that he must return to the city to be with a dying patient’s family, leaving Liz alone at the cabin. As the hours crawl by, Liz’s anxiety mounts; she becomes certain that something else is present with her. Unseen creatures stalk her—she can sense them, though they remain invisible, at least for now.
Malcolm eventually returns to find Liz in a state of panic, desperate to leave. He soothes her and pours them each a drink, only to launch into a bizarre tale: he and Darren, he claims, are over two centuries old. Liz laughs off the story at first, but Malcolm persists, recounting how, in their youth, they encountered a pregnant woman—the very one from Liz’s visions—and trapped her in a pig pen. She gave birth to strange creatures and was then killed. In exchange for a longer life, Malcolm and Darren agreed to lure women to the property so these creatures could feed on them, and now it is Liz’s turn.
“Keeper” is a surrealist folk horror film that moves at a deliberate, unhurried pace as it builds toward its unsettling climax. This is not a traditional slasher; instead, it is haunting and methodical, distinguished by its deeply unnerving creatures—visions that linger long after the credits roll. Tatiana Maslany, whom I have admired since her astonishing performance in “Orphan Black,” brings her formidable talent to the role. Known for her chameleon-like ability to embody multiple characters with distinct voices and mannerisms, Maslany is initially restrained here, but as the narrative unfolds, so does her emotional depth. By the film’s conclusion, she delivers a performance of remarkable nuance, shifting seamlessly through a spectrum of emotions that few actors could hope to achieve.
Osgood Perkins, for his part, finally realizes the unsettling potential glimpsed in his earlier films. While “Longlegs” and “The Monkey” aimed for a particular mood but fell short, “Keeper” succeeds with imagery and atmosphere that haunt the viewer long after the film ends. Though the “cabin in the woods” is a well-worn staple of horror, “Keeper” distinguishes itself with its nightmarish visuals and a sense of dread that feels uniquely its own. For a genre so saturated with imitators, this level of originality is truly impressive.
Available on 4K Ultra HD™ and Blu-ray™ February 3rd
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