The director of Longlegs and The Monkey returns with Keeper, another slow-burn thriller that leaves a lot to be desired.
Osgood Perkins is quickly shaping up to be a divisive director. There’s no question about his talent for direction, but when it comes to his scripts, he usually has trouble sticking the landing, particularly in the third act. However in his newest film, Keeper, Perkins follows Nick Lepard’s script (the 2nd time Perkins isn’t using his own screenplay) and creates a slow-burning thriller that succeeds in atmosphere but is tepid in everything else.
Keeper follows Liz (Tatiana Maslany) and her boyfriend Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland) as they’re on their way to Malcolm’s secluded cabin to celebrate their one-year anniversary. It’s only them and Malcolm’s jerk cousin, Darren (Birkett Turton), next door for miles. But Liz starts to notice some odd things: the chocolate cake Malcolm insists she eats, the intense foggniess, the feeling that something is always behind her. These strange occurrences intensify once Malcolm leaves Liz alone in the cabin, and she discovers dark secrets hidden in this old house’s walls.
Empty scares.
Photo Credit: Neon
Lepard also wrote this year’s Dangerous Animals, an Australian thriller that wears its heart on its sleeve. From the first scene, Lepard tells you precisely what the film is going to be, allowing you to enjoy the ride instead of trying to find some underlying meaning. With Keeper, it feels like he wants to have his cake and eat it too by concocting a plot that tells you exactly what it’s going to be but also adds layers to it.
For how slow and pensive the film is, there’s really very little to say about it. Lepard tries to sprinkle in bits about being a woman in a relationship, but they don’t add up to a satisfying narrative, especially when the ending comes into play. And that really stinks because it could have been something special if there had been more than just women getting brutally murdered by men. Though considering that that was Dangerous Animals in a nutshell, it’s not that surprising.
Keeping up appearances.
Photo Credit: Neon
The weak script is mostly saved by Perkins’ direction, which creates an extremely tense atmosphere and a cabin that’s basically a character of its own. Maslany looks so small against the sharp walls and deep green trees, like she could get gobbled up at any second.
The creature design is also stellar, yet sadly underutilized. Blending practical makeup and CGI effects, the monsters—called The Children— don’t look like your typical demons. Their overall look is a blend of European fairy tales and Kabuki theater, with their deep black eyes doing most of the talking. Despite only having eight minutes of screentime, they’re the standouts and leave more of an impression than the rest of the film.
The bottom line.
Keeper has a lot of potential, but a poor script keeps it from being truly great. Perkins still has a lot of tricks up his sleeve, and whether you vibe with him or not, his love for horror has never been more evident. He might just need to keep a hand on his script next time.
Keeper is now playing in theaters everywhere. Watch the trailer here.
Images courtesy of Neon. Read more articles by Yasmin Kleinbart here.
REVIEW RATING
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Keeper - 6/10
6/10
