Can I trust this man? Can I trust this woman? People really need to stop going to cabins in the woods. It never, ever goes well. Director Osgood Perkins has been cranking out movies recently. In the past two years, he has made LONGLEGS, THE MONKEY, and now KEEPER. This is a surreal slow burn horror about Liz (Tatiana Maslany) and Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland) going to his cabin in the woods for their anniversary. It's isolated, claustrophobic, and immediately feels off. Early on, Malcolm has to go back to the city for his job, leaving Liz on her own, always a great idea. Thus begins the strange noises accompanied by the sense that somebody or something is watching her. I really like how this is shot. Characters are to the side of the frame. Things are happening in the blurry background. It's very unsettling and effective. This was shot during the writer's strike in Vancouver, when they weren't able to film THE MONKEY. Some things are very predictable, but Maslany kept me hooked with her performance. Her changing mindset is clear and precise. There are some great spooky visuals that I probably won't forget anytime soon. One of them reminded me of the video game Little Nightmares 2. Os is a wizard of unique horrors, each having a different tone. The music works well with the creepiness. It's pretty scary, but it doesn't rely on jump-scares. Only once. Okay maybe twice. I wish the script gave us more hints earlier on, instead of telling us most of what we want to know at the end. The ending itself might not be satisfying enough for some people. It was alright for me. This might not be a KEEPER for you, but I enjoyed this one enough.
