In 'Keeper,' a romantic getaway becomes as nightmarish as you'd expect
A cabin in the woods. A handsome boyfriend who seems a little too perfect. A stranger at the door.Osgood Perkins’ latest horror film isn’t just rife with clichés — it warmly welcomes them in like old friends, inviting the audience to savor tropes we’ve seen plenty of times before. But when they’re recycled with the enthusiasm and skill that Perkins brings to “Keeper,” they can still feel fresh. At least for a little while.Perkins’ third release in the last 16 months shares similarities with both his 2024 standout “Longlegs” and his disappointing adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Monkey” that extend beyond their shared genre. “Keeper” recalls “Longlegs’” cunning precision and embrace of classic horror traditions while sporting the impish humor that defined (and diminished) “The Monkey.” And yet, this intimate chamber piece is its own confident flex, further proof that Perkins is a superb conjurer of old-fashioned dread, even if there’s little that’s memorable underneath.Tatiana Maslany plays Liz, a commitment-phobic artist celebrating her one-year dating anniversary with Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland), an older doctor who whisks her away from the city for a romantic weekend at his luxurious, rustic vacation home. Liz finds herself out of her comfort zone in two ways — she’s not fond of nature, and a long-term relationship is a foreign concept to her — but she feels safe with Malcolm in the middle of the forest, despite a nagging suspicion that he may have a secret wife.“Keeper” takes place largely inside Malcolm’s Architectural Digest-worthy cabin, with Perkins often filming Maslany from a distance, the gorgeous house surrounding her like a cage. Liz and Malcolm have an affectionate, spiky rapport — she seems a bit guarded, unsure about surrendering to his proclamations of love — but the dynamic radically shifts once Malcolm’s next-door neighbor appears.That would be Darren (Birkett Turton), Malcolm’s arrogant, bro-tastic cousin, who presents his latest fling, the statuesque Minka (Eden Weiss) as if she’s a shiny new sports car. (Proudly, Darren declares that she barely knows English.) But during a quiet aside, Minka ominously mentions to Liz that a chocolate cake made by the housekeeper tastes terrible, the observation sounding more like a warning than a culinary assessment. Later when Liz and Malcolm are alone, he insists she try a bite.Working from a script by Nick Lepard, Perkins carefully lays out a series of enticing clues regarding precisely when and how the terror will descend upon Liz. Composer Edo Van Breemen’s shivering score and cinematographer Jeremy Cox’s icy compositions give even the most humdrum of moments — like Malcolm offering Liz the cake — a whiff of the sinister. For much of its runtime, “Keeper” succeeds as an elegant tease, setting up familiar horror prompts and then letting the audience stew in their giddy uncertainty. When Malcolm abruptly announces that he has to return to the city to care for an ailing patient, Liz must stay in the big, empty house by herself, plagued by both the obnoxious Darren and also strange visions of horrific figures that are probably just her imagination. Or maybe it was something in the cake. Or maybe the place is actually haunted. Perkins knows we’ve seen this all before, practically daring us to guess how it will play out this time.Maslany, who portrayed the doomed mother in “The Monkey,” brings an edge to Liz from the start, the character’s romantic anxieties segueing into a fear that something in the house is out to kill her. Her nicely grounded performance never betrays Liz’s intelligence or escalating annoyance. (Sure, she’s scared, but she’s also pissed that Malcolm has left her to fend for herself.) Like everyone in “Keeper,” Liz is not especially well-drawn, but Maslany is so restrained and controlled that she elevates the vague character into a symbol of every woman who’s been gaslit by a partner who swears everything is fine.But elegant teases will only take a horror movie so far. Eventually, Perkins has to reveal what is going on. And it’s here that “Keeper” starts to unravel, the arrestingly pristine visuals and hypnotic rhythms giving way to contrived explanations. For all its suffocating air of unease, “Keeper” is as deep as a thimble, having little to say about relationships, toxic men or anything else. And Perkins can too easily fall back on predictable techniques, overlaying cheery pop songs on top of macabre scenes for cheap ironic effect.But where “The Monkey’s” snide sense of humor about its kills quickly grew smug, this time Perkins’ light touch — even during the most frightening moments — gives this slight film just the right proportionality. Ultimately, one suspects Perkins views Liz’s dilemma as little more than an excuse to construct a fun exercise in nightmare inducement that possesses the same craftsmanship that Malcolm clearly put into his swanky cabin. Each is a sight to see and neither is worth visiting for too long. 'Keeper' Rated: R, for some violent content/gore, language and some sexual referencesRunning time: 1 hour, 39 minutesPlaying: In wide release Friday, Nov. 14
