‘Mesmerizingly Strange’ Or ‘Profoundly Dull’? Critics Have Seen Keeper, And Their Opinions Are All Over The Place

Osgood Perkins is quickly becoming a standout director in the horror genre, following the success of films like Longlegs and The Monkey (scheduled for release in 2025). His newest movie, Keeper, starring Tatiana Maslany—like his previous adaptation of a Stephen King story—has just been shown to critics, and their reactions are mixed. It sounds like a truly terrifying film, but opinions vary.

Osgood Perkins’ new film has sparked a lot of debate about its plot, as the trailer is full of scary scenes but offers few clues. Bill Bria from SlashFilm calls it a “horror movie stew,” meaning it blends different types of horror in a way that dedicated horror fans will likely enjoy. Bria explains:

The film begins as a take on the classic ‘cabin in the woods’ story, but quickly grows into something much more complex. It blends elements of several genres, including thrillers about women facing danger, folk horror, fairy tale horror, serial killer stories, and monster movies – even hinting at vampire lore. Despite all these different influences, the director skillfully maintains a cohesive and unified film. It’s truly a movie within a movie, like a Russian nesting doll.

This movie has a pleasantly surprising feel – it’s best enjoyed knowing as little as possible beforehand. The story begins with Liz, played by Tatiana Maslany, and her boyfriend Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland) heading to a cabin for a romantic anniversary weekend. However, Liz soon finds herself alone when Malcolm is unexpectedly called away for work.

Aidan Kelley at Collider praises Osgood Perkins for delivering another original horror film. Kelley notes that Perkins successfully takes a familiar concept—the classic ‘cabin in the woods’ story—and creates something truly unique.

It’s tempting to think the strange happenings in Keeper are just weird for the sake of being weird, but the film ultimately delivers a shocking twist that explains everything. The ending is a fast-paced reveal, adding to the growing number of horror movies this year with truly surprising conclusions. It’s a rewarding finish, particularly thanks to the impressive practical effects.

According to Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter, the film feels like a bizarre, illogical nightmare. While the story is weak and its message about gender roles is surprisingly simple, Han praises its ending, noting it’s one of the few that actually feels satisfying.

It’s not really scary, but deeply unsettling and strangely captivating – you can’t look away. While many couples might find their relationships tested this year by secluded cabin getaways that expose their flaws, a genuinely new and chilling threat has emerged in the basement of one of those cabins.

IGN gave the movie a 5 out of 10, calling it just okay. They noted that Tatiana Maslany’s strong acting was a highlight, preventing the horror film from becoming completely uninteresting.

Keeper is straightforward and relies on common horror tropes, leaving director Osgood Perkins with little opportunity to offer fresh insights into troubled relationships. While Tatiana Maslany delivers a strong performance and the film has a good visual style, it doesn’t delve deeply enough into these elements. Rossif Sutherland plays the controlling boyfriend a little too obviously, and the script doesn’t give his performance the depth it needs to be truly impactful.

I just read a really harsh review of Osgood Perkins’ new film, Keeper, from IndieWire’s Alison Foreman. She didn’t hold back at all, actually calling it his worst movie so far! Even Tatiana Maslany, who’s usually fantastic, couldn’t rescue it from what Foreman describes as messy directing and a real lack of confidence. She gave it a D+ and really tore it apart.

This film is a disappointing turn for [Perkins], and arguably his weakest yet. It’s a remarkably boring story about falling in love, filled with predictable scares reminiscent of The Conjuring and flashy effects that don’t quite land. It feels like Perkins tried a lot of different things, but none of them really stick.

I’ve been seeing all sorts of reactions to Osgood Perkins’ new film, but if you’re curious to see what he did after directing Longlegs and The Monkey, his latest, Keeper, is coming out in theaters this Friday, November 14th. I’m definitely planning to check it out!

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2025-11-14 04:11