I went in blind to Ozgood Perkins’ (Perkins’s?) Keeper for two reasons. 1. I knew it was from him so I knew I was going to see it and didn’t need any convincing from the marketing campaign. I’ve enjoyed all of his features up to this point. 2. I wanted absolutely zero spoilers. I know that is possible with trailers but it’s not a guarantee. Before I saw Longlegs, I learned that a certain someone was in it and I believe it would have been just a bit more fun if I hadn’t. (avoiding spoilers despite the strong likelihood that you know who I’m talking about already even if you haven’t seen it) As much as I love trailers (i may have mentioned that 1 or 1000 times), I have been burned too many times! For example, the trailer for Abigail absolutely ruins the fun and surprise of the story. Definitely skip the trailer and see it now if you haven’t. It’s not “elevated horror” or even S-tier, but it would be a TON of fun if you don’t know the twist before seeing it. And the trailer just gives it away. Baffling. I don’t blame the trailer makers. I worked in that industry for a few years in my younger days and have zero illusions as to who is really in charge when it comes to marketing. It’s the studios. If they say they want to give away this fun twist in the trailer, then the editor is going to put it in there or the client will drop them and go to a different trailer house. Enough rambling! Let’s get into it, shall we?
Liz is somewhat new to long-term dating. She’s really into Malcolm though. They’ve been dating for a year now and he has invited her to his rich guy cabin in the woods (uh oh) for a weekend getaway. Once there, she feels a little out of place. The creeks and groans of a rustic (though luxurious) cabin, the wind and forest noises outside, and the lack of window coverings and door locks are all weird to her. When Malcom’s neighbor, cousin Darren, shows up for a drink with his model date who doesn’t speak English it leaves a bad taste in Liz’s mouth. The vibes are way off but she tries to make it work for the sake of her love. But when Malcolm pisses off to the city for a work emergency and leaves her alone, she decides it’s time to get out. Unfortunately, she should have listened to her gut about the place. Now it may be too late for her.
Keeper is another one of Perkins’ slow-burn creepers. Tonally, it is similar to The Blackcoat’s Daughter or… actually all of his films with the exception of The Monkey. He is a master of eliciting fear with shots of dark corners and silhouetted figures. His camera lingers on inscrutable shadows and foreboding woods. The audience catches glimpses of movement in the periphery of shots. Each scene pushes the needle a notch farther up our internal anxiety gauges. It all comes to an intense head when the needle gets into the red at the climax. Liz’s terror is our own. Tatiana Maslany portrays her flawlessly. She brings us along on her journey from a woman with butterflies in her stomach over a relationship milestone weekend away with her first real long-term boyfriend; to a woman with a spidey-sense that something is askew; to a woman in an unfathomable nightmare situation. (i don’t know if semi-colons are right there – i majored in biology, not English!) If it sounds like Keeper is 100% atmosphere, you’re not too far off. But Perkins metes out some shocking incidents throughout the runtime to assure the audience that something awful lies at the end of this mystery and it will be worth our patience to see it through. And the film does take some patience, but the payoff is well worth the effort. I suspect that description lets folks know if this one is for them or not. If Perkins’ particular brand of slow-built weirdness has entertained you before, you know what you’re in for. If you are unfamiliar but like your scares delivered deliberately and effectively, then this is for you. If you’re a horror fan who just wants to get to the “good stuff”, then you probably already know that Perkins isn’t for you for the most part. But The Monkey might be up your alley!
The Final Cut: Keeper is an excellent slow-burn creeper from a master of slow-burn creepers. Maslany is superb as the fearful fish out of water.
No Real Danger 