Keeper Ending, Explained – Liz’s Fate and What It All Means

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Osgood Perkins is a horror director known for keeping details about his films secret, even after they’re released. This mystery is a big part of what makes his movies so captivating. He’s been directing since 2015, but his 2024 film, Longlegs, really established him as a rising star in the genre. He used the same strategy with his latest film, Keeper, building suspense through a lack of information. Now that Keeper is out, the reasons for all the secrecy are finally being revealed.

Similar to his film Longlegs, director Perkins doesn’t fully explain the supernatural elements in Keeper. Instead, he uses these strange and frightening events to explore themes of relationships and the power dynamics within society, particularly those related to patriarchal structures. Considering Perkins has shared that Longlegs was inspired by his parents’ experiences and The Monkey dealt with his own childhood trauma surrounding their deaths, it’s clear his films often have personal and deeper meanings. Keeper specifically focuses on the complexities of abusive relationships and a woman’s journey to regain control of her own life.

‘Keeper’ Hides Its Main Antagonist in Plain Sight


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The film Keeper follows Liz and Malcolm, a couple celebrating their first anniversary at a remote cabin. Director Perkins creates a sense of unease from the beginning with surreal imagery and strange camera angles, making the audience feel like someone is watching. Things get even more uncomfortable when Malcolm’s irritating cousin, Darren, arrives with his girlfriend, Minka, who supposedly doesn’t speak English. Conversation eventually turns to a strange chocolate cake left by the cabin’s caretaker. Minka cautions Liz against eating it, claiming it tastes awful, but Liz is pressured by Malcolm to try a slice. She ends up becoming obsessed with the cake and secretly finishes it off during the night.

After that night, strange things begin happening around the cabin. Liz starts seeing visions of deceased women, and we even see a disturbing scene of Minka being attacked and killed by something invisible. These events create suspense, leading to a dramatic climax. For a long time, the audience isn’t sure if what Liz is experiencing is real. But when Malcolm returns after leaving her alone, he reveals a shocking truth: 200 years ago, he and his cousin kidnapped a pregnant woman who looked exactly like Liz (and is played by the same actress). After she gave birth to strange creatures, Malcolm killed her. Then, he and Darren began luring women to the cabin as food for the creatures, hoping to gain eternal life. The cake they offered Liz was intended to drug her.

The film finally reveals the children, who are tragically deformed and keep their mother’s head preserved in a jar of amber or honey. Liz is left alone in the cabin, but surprisingly, the children spare her, mistaking her for their mother – something that’s never happened before. Despite being hidden throughout the movie and promotional materials, these creatures aren’t the real villains. The true antagonist is Malcolm, who pretends to be kind and gentle. His and his cousin’s cruel treatment of the children’s mother years ago created a cycle of trauma and abuse, leading to the dark life the children have endured. However, things begin to change as they start to accept Liz as a mother figure.

‘Keeper’s Third Act Reveals the Patriarchy as the True Horror


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I was completely floored by the twist! After leaving Liz and the kids, Malcolm drifts off to sleep, seemingly expecting things to play out like they always did with his other…acquaintances. You realize, looking back, the film cleverly showed us glimpses of him meeting those women earlier, from his perspective. But this time, it’s different. He wakes up old and weak, and the kids…they aren’t giving him energy anymore. Then things get really dark. Liz has him hanging upside down, and I noticed she has the same haunted look as the very first woman he ever hurt. He desperately pleads with her, claiming he actually loved her, but it doesn’t matter. She forces him to eat the same cake she had, and then…she drowns him in the same preservative liquid used on that first woman. It was a shocking, full-circle moment that really stuck with me.

The film ends on a disturbing image of Malcolm suspended, ironically accompanied by Elvin Bishop’s upbeat song, “Fooled Around and Fell in Love.” Keeper explores the damaging patterns found in unhealthy relationships, specifically how men can contribute to them. Director Osgood Perkins delves into the themes of harmful masculinity and how power imbalances can trap women and leave them feeling powerless. Malcolm’s isolated cabin serves as a small-scale representation of this dynamic. The film’s title itself is layered with meaning—it’s both a common phrase used to describe someone desirable and a commentary on Malcolm’s possessive nature and selfishness.

Like Ari Aster’s film Midsommar, Keeper draws on folk horror, featuring a secluded setting, hidden spiritual elements, and a troubled relationship. While Midsommar focused on a dangerous cult, Keeper centers the horror on the dynamic between Liz and Malcolm, making their relationship the core of the story. Both films, however, offer a satisfying resolution for the female protagonists, as they escape controlling partners and forge their own independent futures.

‘Keeper’ Reinforces Osgood Perkins’ Sharp Lens Through Which He Tells Stories


© Neon / Courtesy Everett Collection

Ultimately, the mystery in Keeper isn’t just about surprising you with the scary creatures hidden in the woods and cabin. It also cleverly disguises the film’s most disturbing element: Malcolm’s manipulation and abuse of women over many generations. Rossif Sutherland brilliantly plays Malcolm as someone who sincerely believes his own lies, which accurately reflects how abusive relationships often hide control behind a facade of love.

Osgood Perkins consistently raises the bar for horror films, crafting deeply personal stories from both original ideas and existing tales. He explores universal themes like family trauma and difficult relationships, often using unsettling and frightening visuals to deliver a powerful message. His latest film, Keeper, focuses on the patterns of unhealthy relationships – particularly those passed down through families – and challenges us to understand and ultimately break those cycles.

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2025-11-17 02:08