Keeper

A good horror that keeps you guessing in a good way.

Good performance from the main characters.

Decent idea that is executed very well and the tension is maintained throughout the film.

Even manages a solid ending, which is not so easily done in "serious" horror movies.

It's not perfect, but it stands head and shoulders above most of it's competition.

It could probably have done with having more implied and leaving it up to the viewer to fill in the blanks at times.

Liz (Tatiana Maslany) and her boyfriend Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland) drive to a secluded cabin in the woods to celebrate their one-year anniversary. Almost immediately after their arrival, it becomes clear that they are being watched. In a nearby cabin, Malcolm's cousin Darren (Birkett Turton) is staying with his new girlfriend Minka (Eden Weiss). Liz eats a welcome cake left behind by the concierge, and soon after, strange spirits begin stalking her. When Malcolm has to leave for work in town, Liz is left alone in the cabin with whatever is haunting her.

I have to admit: despite being a slow burn, Keeper is genuinely tense at times. The bathtub scene, where Liz is surrounded by what looks like a flowing wall of spirits, is particularly effective and made me hopeful that this film might become something truly unsettling and original. For a moment, it felt like the movie was building toward something fresh. Unfortunately, that promise doesn't fully pay off.

One of the main issues is how the spirits are used. Most of the time, they linger in the background, visible to the audience but positioned just out of Liz's line of sight. While this can work as a suspense technique, it's overused here. When a spirit finally reveals itself to Liz, it disappears almost immediately, turning what should be a terrifying moment into a cheap jump scare. The film repeatedly hints at danger without committing to it.

The third act raises more questions than it answers. Malcolm eventually offers an explanation for what's happening, but it feels incomplete. Darren suddenly vanishes, with no explanation. The spirits resemble a toned-down, almost softcore version of Hellraiser-style creatures, yet the film never explains why they look this way or what they represent. The ending feels rushed, as if the filmmakers realized they needed to wrap things up quickly and chose the most convenient resolution for Liz without fully earning it.

By the time the credits roll, there are too many loose ends: Who made the cake? Why did it trigger the events? What really happened to the other women? And what exactly were these spirits?

If none of that was meant to matter, then it raises a bigger question: why make this movie at all?

Keeper isn't a bad film. It has atmosphere, tension and a strong central performance from Tatiana Maslany. But it ultimately settles for ambiguity where clarity was needed, leaving the experience more frustrating than haunting.

I will admit, the cinematography is good! But it's pretty framing on a kindergarten level painting. The story is jumbled and feels slightly rushed yet somehow you'll feel every minute going by at the pace of a snail, it feels like he's trying to explain that men will sacrifice anything to reach a goal but it tells it in such a way that feels as if he let an edgy 2015 era Tumblr-ite write the script. I spent a concerning amount of time thinking about other movies I could have seen instead of it while it was playing, not worth the time or energy it took and it ruined my evening. Kinda like "this could've been an email" but in movie form...

Keeper (2025) is a psychological horror movie directed by Osgood Perkins and it follows a couple on a romantic anniversary trip to a secluded cabin that turns sinister when a dark presence reveals itself, forcing them to confront the property's haunting past. I just got done watching the movie and it was okay.

Positives for Keeper (2025): The story is somewhat interesting for what it's going for. I also have to give credit to Osgood Perkins for doing his best with what he has to work with. Tatiana Maslany and Rossif Sutherland are good in their roles. The movie is short and it gets to the point. And finally, the ending was interesting for being different enough.

Negatives for Keeper (2025): This movie has a story that you've seen so many times. It is so predictable with what is going to happen. I was getting bored with the movie because I saw a lot of things coming. And finally, the ending was bizarre despite being interesting.

Overall, Keeper (2025) is one of the weaker movies from Osgood Perkins that I've seen so many times, but I will continue to watch his movies in the future.

Most of my time watching this movie I was thinking "This is not very good at all, this movie doesn't know what it wanted to be".

But then the ending comes and boy is it a wonderful ending. I don't want to spoil anything about the ending so I won't say anything about it other than i loved it and it redeemed the other 90% of the movie.

The Cinematography is the best element that is good throughout the movie and the audio is well and of course as I mentioned above the ending is the best aspect of the movie.

The acting I wasn't really sold on for most of the movie but it worked during the great ending section.

A mixed bag but it was worth watching until the end, I wish more of the movie was like the ending, which was very creepy and super well done.

Get through the movie to see the ending and you will appreciate it. I usually LOVE slow burns in horror flicks, usually my favorite ones are slow burns. But the slow burn in this didn't really work, thankfully the ending saved the movie.

I would have given this movie a 4 out of 10 if the ending wasn't as good as it was. The ending I would give a 9/10 though. So overall since I didn't like most of the movie but LOVED the ending I will give it a 7/10.

In the end it is Osgood's most inconsistent movie but it is also my favorite ending of his to so make of that what you will.