Keeper – Film Review
Reviewed by Harris Dang on the 13th of November 2025
Neon presents a film by Osgood Perkins
Written by Nick Lepard
Produced by Chris Ferguson and Jesse Savath
Starring Tatiana Maslany, Rossif Sutherland, Tess Degenstein, Birkett Turton, and Eden Weiss
Cinematography Jeremy Cox
Edited by Graham Fortin and Greg Ng
Music by Edo Van Breemen
Rating: MA15+
Running Time: 99 minutes
Release Date: the 13th of November 2025
Keeper starts with a montage of women interacting with someone directly to camera, an off-screen presence. Progressively, the women shift from affectionate to agitated, culminating in screaming in bloody terror before the title card emerges. The film then follows Liz (Tatiana Maslany), who is romantically entangled with a wealthy doctor named Malcolm (a taciturn Rossif Sutherland).
Liz discusses with her good friend Maggie (an amiable Tess Degenstein) that she doubts her relationship with Malcolm due to her anxiety. Nonetheless, she undertakes a romantic anniversary trip with him to a secluded cabin for the weekend.
Immediately, the peace and quiet quickly dissipates and dread settles in. From the unwanted presence of Malcolm’s misogynistic cousin, Darren (a smarmy Birkett Turton) and his girlfriend, Minka (a peculiar Eden Weiss), to the peculiar noises in the vents, the cabin’s secrets really take the cake when Liz must fend for herself.
Keeper is the latest film from Osgood Perkins, who is best known for his horror efforts with renowned indie film studio Neon. From the serial killer crime procedural Longlegs (2024) to the macabre horror comedy The Monkey (2025), Perkins is on a roll with the studio. He even has a fourth project with them on the horizon.
Keeper forgoes The Monkey’s overt comedy and returns to the pervasively brooding atmosphere of Longlegs that earned Perkins his kudos. Unlike Longlegs, Keeper’s narrative is a mystery box that unravels with numerous unexplained details, storytelling via ellipsis, and befuddling character decisions.
Nick Lepard is best known for scripting Dangerous Animals (2025). Without spoilers, his Keeper’s script explores themes of misogyny (the title is a dead giveaway) through history and how actions from the patriarchy reverberate through time. Through Perkins’ eyes, he teases certain sub-genres of horror too. It may or may not be a dive into genres such as domestic thrillers, folk horror, science-fiction, slashers, and the supernatural. It works to entertaining effect and reflects the themes without being didactic or bludgeoning.
The makeup effects, lighting, restraint in jump-scares, and lashings of gore are admirable and add to the dread-soaked atmosphere. On the escalation front, Perkins’ restraint with eliciting scares is admirable. The vividly astute cinematography by Jeremy Cox and the provocative sound design deserve credit too. It also helps that Maslany is a fantastic sport in playing Liz as compellingly vulnerable and easy to root for when she is played for keeps.
Keeper’s success hinges on withholding what the film is about. The ending must satisfy in terms of escalation and payoff. Unfortunately, the film fumbles the ending. The anti-climactic conclusion is inescapably free of ambiguity in terms of motive and thematic drive. This is due to the leads’ flat characterisations, despite the actors’ best efforts. Perkins’ focus on story visuals is detrimental to the characters, leaving the audience’s sympathy stranded in the woods.
Keeper is still an entertaining ride that has all the expected horror trappings from Perkins, including palpable dread, memorable imagery, and assuredly handled tension. However, due to the scant characterisations, style-over-substance filmmaking and anti-climactic payoff, it is safe to say this film may not be kept close to the chest.
Summary: An entertaining ride that has all the expected horror trappings except a strong payoff.
3
Enjoyable
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