Keeper

Keeper
Starring Tatiana Maslany, Rossif Sutherland, Birkett Turton, Eden Weiss
Directed by Osgood Perkins

Osgood Perkins is a master director of horror, giving delights like "Longlegs," "I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House," "The Monkey" and "The Blackcoat's Daughter," so getting two horror movies from him in one year seemed like a treat. In February he directed the Stephen King classic "The Monkey" which forced him to step out of his more well-established slow-burn horrors and give a "Final Destination" type goofy horror comedy, but got to return to his roots in November with "Keeper." While he maintains his slow burn style, ultimately the movie runs a bit longer clouded by repetitive scenes that dragged the movie along before it's rushed, seemingly unfinished conclusion. 

Liz (Tatiana Maslaney) and Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland) have been dating for a month before he invites her to his secluded cabin in the woods for a romantic weekend away. Having no neighbors besides his cousin Darren (Birkett Turton), the two try to enjoy the weekend, but Liz is haunted by terrifying dreams of women screaming, and Malcolm begins acting weirdly, especially trying to make her eat a chocolate cake seemingly made by the caretaker, though Liz doesn't like chocolate. She's inexplicably drawn to the cake and devours it, and the visions start getting more intense. Soon Liz starts hearing and seeing things in the cabin, and after Malcolm has to head into town leaving her alone, she's haunted by something even more terrifying that threatens to kill her.

"Keeper" is an odd movie in that both its strength and weakness lies in its pacing. Perkins excels at establishing mood and tension with long shots and slow momentum, but when he does it over and over it becomes a bit exhausting. We can only endure so many scenes of Liz wandering the cabin hearing noises and seeing things around corners before it becomes mundane. Yet, the work behind the camera makes it more easily digestible, as Perkins utilizes his allies to keep the tension high.

Cinematographer Jeremy Cox and editors Greg Ng and Graham Fortin supply the tension that Perkins asks for, and does so with expert precision. The cabin itself feels like a character, breathing with the characters and hiding its own secrets, yet also exposing itself due to its numerous windows with no shades that allows anyone on the outside to see in - or on the inside to see out. The house itself is an anomaly, shot in a way that confines it to an immeasurable scale. We don't know how big it really is, as Liz traverses the stairs and hallways framed in a way that's so tight it's almost claustrophobic. We know something is there, but we hardly see it - and when we do, it's in the shadows without the cheap harp string being strung to illicit a response. It makes it all the more creepier.

Tatiana Maslany carries the heavy lifting as our heroine Liz, a woman who is haunted by the visions of the house and the events that've happened in its history, giving the movie the mysterious feel Perkins aims for. We don't know all the secrets, and neither does Liz, but once the truth is revealed it's honestly baffling. It's almost like Perkins forgot he was filming a horror movie and ramps the ending to eleven, throwing in truly terrifying ghouls (both CGI and practical) that finally alleviates the tension we've felt from the start.

While it excels at crafting tension and giving an unforgettable denouement, there seems something unfinished about "Keeper" that doesn't make it a keeper in the annals of Osgood Perkins' filmography.

The Score: B+