Keeper (2025) Parents Guide

Keeper is Rated R for some violent content/gore, language, and some sexual references.

Ever wondered what it’s like to escape for a quiet weekend in a remote cabin, only to realize that the place itself might have more secrets than your partner? That’s the unsettling setup for Osgood Perkins’ latest horror outing, Keeper, a movie that teases terror at the edges of its story before finally letting it roar in the final act. And honestly? That roar comes late enough that you might find yourself tapping your foot, waiting for the real scares to arrive.

Keeper follows Liz (Tatiana Maslany) and her boyfriend of one month, Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland), as they retreat to his isolated cabin for a weekend getaway. On paper, it’s the perfect canvas for Perkins to paint his signature blend of dread and dark humor—something he’s done to chilling effect in films like I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House and Longlegs. But instead of a full-throttle horror ride, the movie spends a long time meandering, letting mood and atmosphere take the lead while the story ambles along.

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This is where the movie shines. Cinematographer Jeremy Cox, along with editors Greg Ng and Graham Fortin, turn the cabin itself into a character. The way rooms, windows, and staircases are framed makes the house feel alive watching Liz navigate the space is like peering into a living, breathing trap. The camera stays close, almost suffocatingly so, giving the sense that some unseen force is always lurking just beyond the edges of the frame. Cox’s eye for detail scars in the walls, subtle play of light through the trees turns what could be a forgettable set piece into a haunting presence. Meanwhile, Ng and Fortin’s dissolves, like Liz running her fingers through her hair only for it to fade into the surrounding woods, add an almost surreal, body-bound tension that ties her personal trauma to the environment itself.

But here’s the rub: for the majority of the movie, the horror barely lifts from the periphery. Strange noises, small unnerving moments, and odd behaviors build up slowly but the pacing often feels circular. Liz will hear a sound, investigate, find nothing, then experience a haunting dream, rinse and repeat. While repetition can be a powerful tool in horror, here it risks being more tedious than terrifying. Nick Lepard’s script, for all its care, sometimes traps the audience in the same loops the characters seem caught in, and it isn’t until the final moments that the film delivers genuine shocks. By then, it feels more like a release for the filmmakers than a payoff for the viewers.

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Thankfully, Tatiana Maslany is magnetic enough to carry the slow burn. Her performance captures the full spectrum of Liz’s emotional arc: hope, fear, frustration, and outright terror. We see her trying to hold onto a fledgling relationship while navigating a place that seems increasingly hostile, both physically and psychologically. Maslany makes every small gesture nervous smiles, fleeting glances, tense pauses feel meaningful, giving the film a heartbeat even when the story stalls. Liz’s journey also raises some thought-provoking questions: How much of yourself do you give up for love? How do trust and fear coexist? And, ultimately, can anyone “keep” another person when the ghosts of their past or of the house they inhabit are still present? Maslany sells all of this with nuance, grounding the supernatural in human vulnerability.

Visually, Keeper is gorgeous. The cabin, the surrounding woods, and the careful editing create an atmosphere that’s moody, layered, and unsettling. But narrative-wise, it’s a frustrating experience. Horror thrives on the unknown, yet Perkins’ film leans too heavily on exposition literally sitting characters down to explain the house’s history sapping tension instead of building it. The mysteries that might have kept you on edge are replaced by overt explanations, and while some viewers might appreciate the clarity, it robs the movie of the lingering dread that could have made it truly haunting.

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So who is this movie for? If you’re a fan of creeping, psychological horror and atmospheric filmmaking or if you just want to see Tatiana Maslany deliver a tour de force you’ll find things to admire here. But if you’re looking for a tight, twisty narrative or scares that arrive consistently throughout, Keeper might test your patience before finally rewarding you in the last ten minutes.

Detailed Content Breakdown for Parents

Violence & Intensity: The film builds suspense gradually, with increasing dread and unsettling visuals.  There are supernatural/horror elements, implied gore and intense moments of fear. The R‑rating warns of “violent content/gore.” The tone is dark and creepy rather than cartoon‑scary; younger children may find it more disturbing than expected.

Language: Strong language is indicated by the rating’s “language” mention. No widely reported use of extreme slurs, but the tone of the film is adult‑oriented and emotionally heavy.

Sexual Content / Nudity: Contains “some sexual references” per the official rating. The relationship dynamic is central, though explicit nudity is not heavily discussed in the public summary; the themes lean more toward emotional intimacy than overt sexual content.

Drugs, Alcohol & Smoking: There’s no major focus on drug use in the major visible summaries. Alcohol or smoking may appear (as part of adult characters) but not flagged as a major theme in published sources.

Parental Concerns: The horror elements are strong and may unexpectedly upset younger or more sensitive viewers.The pace is slow and the mood heavy, which could be frustrating or unnerving rather than fun.Some relationship themes are darker issues of control, abandonment or manipulation may appear implicitly; good for discussion but possibly troubling without context.Because it’s rated R and clearly adult‑oriented, it’s not appropriate for younger children or pre‑teens.

Best suited for older teens (16‑18+) and adults who enjoy atmospheric horror and psychological narratives.