KEEPER IS A KEEPER

 Liz (Tatiana Maslany) thinks she might have finally found “the one” in Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland), a charismatic doctor. He takes her up to his posh cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway, but Liz’s vacation quickly sours. Malcolm seems almost too good to be true, but has a troubling aura around him. As Liz grapples with her insecurities concerning their relationship, she is overwhelmed by strange and terrifying nightmares, visions, and hallucinations. What exactly is going on here? 

Keeper is the latest trip from Osgood Perkins, and this latest outing is much more in line with the director’s usual, weirdo sensibilities. Keeper feels more in keeping with The Blackcoat’s Daughter, I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House, and Gretel and Hansel than it does with Longlegs or The Monkey.  Nick Lepar penns the screenplay and hits another home run. This is Lepar’s second feature after the massively entertaining Dangerous Animals. The two films couldn’t be more different, showing that this guy might have some serious range. I can’t wait to see what he writes next!

Jeremy Cox is in charge of cinematography and does a phenomenal job. He has mostly worked on very independent films, with possibly his most well-known project being the tv series The Edge of Sleep. The visuals in Keeper are consistently mesmerizing, gorgeous, and trippy. It’s easily some of the best cinematography of the year. I’d compare it favorably to the cinematography and visuals found in Gretel and Hansel. The soundtrack is freaking great as well. Same goes for the score by Edo Van Bremen. 

Rossif Sutherland fits his role like a glove. He’s very charming and likable, while still managing to subtly unsettle throughout. Is there something he’s hiding, or is Liz just paranoid. Speaking of Liz, Tatiana Maslany is a fucking star! She is completely engaging and easy to root for. You can’t help but empathize with her worsening mental state and creeping fear/dread. She’s incredibly likable, and you want everything to be ok for her in the end.

Keeper is aggressively weird, surreal, and gonzo (I would compare it favorably to last year’s Cuckoo or 2022’s Men, except Keeper is clearly MUCH better than Men). It’s a thousand percent NOT made for mass audiences. The third act goes off the rails a bit and not everything makes perfect sense or is completely satisfying by the end. That said, Perkins’ vision for Keeper is damned impressive. You can’t help but respect what he’s made here. The metaphors/messages about men and women aren’t perfect, but you should be able to get the gist of them. 

Keeper is a supernatural-mystery-psychological thriller that isn’t afraid to embrace the bizarre and strange. I personally prefer it to Longlegs and The Monkey. It’s another one of the best horror films of 2025. It gave me life. This one’s a keeper.

4 STARS