There is a certain madness of being a woman in a patriarchal society that harshly breaks our boundaries on a daily basis. keeper It is about the madness that slowly and steadily creeps in and makes us doubt ourselves, our surroundings and our own mind. “Gaslighting” has become a buzzword that is often misused. But when it comes to guard, Filmmakers Osgood Perkins and Nick Leppard attempt to spin a yarn that’s grotesque, scary, and remarkable, while fleshing out its true horrors.
Perkins is on a hot streak. After building a reputation with esoteric horror films like Daughter of the blackcoat, I am the beautiful thing that lives in the house, And gretel and hanselPerkins delivers a surprise box office hit with 2024 long legs, The serial killer drama is full of folk horror and psychological thriller, bolstered by Nicolas Cage’s intriguing and bizarre turn. Then, in early 2025, Perkins was removed Monkeywhich is a complete 180 long legs. Based on the short story by Stephen King, it was a splash of macabre and dark comedy, centered around twin brothers traumatized by an evil toy and his dramatic execution.
with guard, Perkins keeps his fans and critics guessing by presenting a film that hints midsummer And Gothic horror. Starring Tatiana Maslany as a woman brought into a horrific scenario, this is a horror film that is sure to scare and thrill in equal amounts.
What is? keeper About this?
Tatiana Maslany as Liz and Rossif Sutherland as Malcolm in Osgood Perkins’ “Keeper.”
Credit: Neon
keeper It centers on a couple visiting a rural cabin for the weekend. Malcolm (Rossiff Sutherland) and Liz (Tatiana Maslany) are headed to her family’s vacation home in the upstate, which gives his girlfriend a mixture of excitement and concern.
Liz is worried that something is off about Malcolm. She suspects that he is hiding something. Maybe a wife and kids? The dialogue written by Lepard hints at this uncertainty, as it plays as if two people are always talking about something. There is an alertness but also a distance in every exchange. Of course, Malcolm is infatuated with Liz, complimenting how “special” she is and happily buying her paintings because he loves her work. But early on, there are signs that Malcolm doesn’t really understand Liz.
She likes bright colors like red in her wardrobe. Yet he gifts her a stunning beige pearl-embellished cardigan. To this her friend sarcastically says, “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say ‘beige’!” This is an early red flag (not a beige flag!) that Malcolm’s idea of Liz doesn’t match who she really is. So, what will this mean for their planned weekend? Well, first, there will be some unexpected visitors: Malcolm’s obnoxious cousin, Darrin (Birkett Turton), and his party girl date, Minka (Eden Weiss). But then there’s the mysterious caretaker, who leaves behind a strange cake and appears to be crawling upstairs. Because what else could those sounds be?
As the weekend goes on, Liz becomes increasingly convinced that she is in danger. But quiet Malcolm is full of satisfaction. Liz fears she is either going crazy or dying. But is there any way to escape fate?
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keeper Weaves an emotionally intelligent and shockingly scary portrait of gaslighting.
Tatiana Maslany as Liz in Osgood Perkins’ “Keeper”.
Credit: Neon
Perkins has often focused his horror films on women. With Liz, she overcomes the fear of being a woman who is forcefully bullied. Liz is no weak virgin or withered flower. He’s a raucous, smart, cosmopolitan artist. She has a keen sense of danger, immediately noticing anomalies emerging around the cabin. But these qualities are countered by Malcolm and Darrin, who have some excuse or forceful request at every turn. At first, it is subtle, expressed in pleas for politeness and civility. Darrin is polite in letting him finish their romantic dinner. It is expected that Liz will taste the chocolate cake left by the housekeeper or enjoy a scotch with the intrusive cousin. The thing is, Liz doesn’t want any of this.
However, soon, she catches Malcolm in a lie and finds strange things and even stranger visitors around the house. It may be impossible to predict what this means, but these revelations are cleverly plotted by Leppard, who also wrote a clever and scary screenplay for it. dangerous animalswhich premiered earlier this year to critical acclaim.
Both films show how predatory men use the facade of decency and charm to set traps. dangerous animals That setup leads into a terrifying tale of shark-centric vengeance. keeper Goes more into folk horror territory. like a donor midsummerLiz is an educated and passionate woman who is taken out of her comfort zone to a rural location, and forced to understand the culture that is coming at her fast and furiously. But it’s not a cult that surrounds Liz. Like straight out of old Hollywood Gothic horror, she’s lost and alone in a strange house with dark secrets. What she is seeing is senseless, perhaps supernatural. Like many horror heroines before her, these surreal circumstances push her into madness, where she must reject or accept a world beyond her understanding – and suffer the consequences either way. Yet the conclusion that Perkins, Lepard, and Maslany draw from their story is distinctly modern and encouraging. And I wouldn’t dare mess it up.
keeper There’s a wicked sense of humor and ruthless tension.
Tatiana Maslany as Liz in Osgood Perkins’ “Keeper”.
Credit: Neon
Perkins knows, probably better than most of us, that we all go a little crazy sometimes. with keeperHe explores mind-brain separation through Liz’s emotional breakdown. Small moments where Liz is convinced she has seen something horrific – like a disembodied head screaming from a garbage bag – come across as a terrifying leap. You might laugh at the horrifying spectacle of such surprises, but Perkins deftly plays with the suspense.
As the house’s secret inhabitants come crawling out from their hidden corners, some are more sly than others. one of the most horrifying scenes keeper It features a mysterious figure creeping up on Liz, towering over her in a pose that is both terrifying and mysterious. But a complete release of fear will not come. Perkins turns away, the tension of the moment still seeping into the chest of his audience. This continues our fear of Liz, even in the quieter scenes, because we are seeing things she hasn’t seen. And yet are we any closer to solving the mystery of this place and this man? No, oh, the blissful hell of not knowing!
As Perkins explained Monkey, Horror can be a great venue for raunchy comedy releases. The astonishing horror of a strange murder pushes us not only to excited wonder, but also to confront the absurdity and inevitability of death. One moment you are here, being a person doing whatever work, small or big. The next, you’re a dead thing, a lump in a garbage bag, a blood stain on a polished floor. Thus, some deaths occurred keeper Some are horrifying, while others are humorous. The film’s sound effects are a rich mixture of wet squealing, sounds that can make the audience laugh or groan. And walking this fine line of twisted humor and sharp tension, with all the skill of a tightrope walker, is mustering.
She faces moments of normal and then extremely awkward irritation keeper With a huge power on her beautiful shoulders. Liz’s wavering certainty flickers in Maslany’s dark eyes. His fierceness shines through bared teeth, sometimes in a smile, sometimes in the form of a threat. How her physicality transforms from effortless ease, to harsh tension, to something even more wild, is an electrifying and wonderfully visual story. In Monkey, She was a sensational supporting player for Perkins as the death-defying mother of her twins. Here, he is the heart of a wild and wonderful beast of a movie.
Ultimately, keeper An unrealistic and sensational thriller. Perkins takes us into a nightmare that builds tension and uncontrolled behavior with disgusting sound effects, spectacular creature design and a smartly brutal script. Maslany is our guide, believable and brilliant, radiating strength and vulnerability in a spirited performance. In a year of deadly terror sinners And after 28 years, Perkins makes his mark with this sly, disgusting and sophisticated thriller.
keeper Will be released in theaters on 14 November.