Osgood Perkins, the auteur who brought us last year’s Longlegs and, most recently, the sheer lunacy of The Monkey, has delivered us straight back into evil with Keeper.
After barely dating, Liz (Tatiana Maslany) agrees to join her boyfriend, Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland), at his remote cabin in the woods. It’s not really her style, but he seems very much in love with her; he even appears to appreciate her artwork, which he hangs on the wall immediately, lulling her in a sense of comfort to stay, even though everywhere she turns there are enormous red flags.
The tone of the film is set, which reaches new levels of discomfort when Malcolm’s brother, Darren (Birkett Turton), shows up unannounced, with his non-English speaking girlfriend, Minka (Eden Weiss). Surely that would be the ultimate decision-maker for Liz to jump ship, but she reluctantly decides to ride it out in the hope that this relationship with Malcolm is healthy enough to sustain.
The set design and location of the film feels claustrophobic and isolating, yet it plays with the notion of privacy and being over-exposed (none of the doors lock and there are no blinds or curtains). This, paired with the sound approaching dead silence at points within the film, really highlight its tension and fear. And there are plenty of jump scares throughout.
Both Maslany and Sutherland play their roles magnificently, and to a fault. There is something so desperate about Liz trying to make this relationship work, and there is something just so very off about Malcolm that you’ll be guessing his intentions through to the film’s climax. If nothing else, Keeper is a great demonstration of the difficulty of developing and sustaining healthy adult relationships – especially when you’re pretty sure you can hear something within your dwelling’s walls.
For those who have enjoyed Perkins’ recent films, Keeper is one that will undoubtedly be added to the list. However, this is not a classic ‘cabin in the woods’ horror. Some may find it slow-moving, confusing, and difficult to follow. You may reach the end of the film and wonder, what exactly was that? For this reviewer, Keeper is a work of art that shouldn’t be taken so literally. It is a beautiful film – visually and sonically – that further plays into the expected Perkins aesthetic.
THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Keeper is now screening in select theatres in Australia.
