Director Osgood Perkins is set to release his latest film, Keeper, on November 14th, a horror movie that explores complex and unsettling themes. Starring Tatiana Maslany and Rossif Sutherland, the film centers on a couple whose anniversary retreat to a remote cabin devolves into a disturbing ordeal, reinforcing Perkins’ reputation for delivering intense and atmospheric horror.
Exploring Toxic Masculinity and Gender Dynamics in Keeper
Keeper delves deeply into the darker facets of masculinity, as Perkins described the film’s central theme during a recent conversation at San Diego Comic-Con. He bluntly characterized the story as a raw examination of “disgusting maleness,” equating it to concepts such as misogyny, toxic masculinity, and patriarchy. Perkins emphasized the importance of confronting these uncomfortable truths about men, offering:
“It’s the worst part of being male,”
he said.
“It’s a look at disgusting maleness. If you wanna call it the patriarchy, you wanna call it misogyny, you wanna call it toxic masculinity, whatever you wanna call it. It’s a depiction of our worst selves as men. That’s my answer to you. Sometimes we have to look and be like, ‘ew, gross.’ And I think that Keeper is a look at men, ‘gross.’”
—Osgood Perkins, Director
Maslany added her perspective on the theme, recognizing that the film also touches upon troubling aspects of femininity, though within the framework of patriarchal influence. She remarked:
“I would say, in some ways, it’s also a look at women, gross, if we’re gonna get super binary about it,”
and elaborated,
“But I do think it is the instincts that you ignore, or the ways you know something but have gaslit yourself. Which is obviously, I guess, patriarchy. That’s patriarchy. Never mind, it’s all about men. Men suck.”
—Tatiana Maslany, Actress
Innovative and Spontaneous Production Process
Keeper’s creation defied traditional filmmaking methods through a highly collaborative and improvised approach. Perkins revealed that rather than relying on a finalized script, the film’s story was developed concurrently with production. Screenwriter Nick Lepard penned the script in real time as the shoot progressed, allowing the film to evolve organically.
“It was sort of written in real time by our friend Nick Lepard as we were doing the movie,”
Perkins explained.
“So we were like, we need a movie in a house. Yeah, we need a movie in a house with two people. Go. And he would sort of do it. And then he would report in. And we would say, great. And then he would keep doing more. And so it was sort of the energy of the whole project was kind of what if we made it up as we went along-ish and kind of had all the departments doing their development at the same time. So I was meeting with Tatiana at the same time that Nick was writing the script at the same time as our producers were knocking on doors trying to find locations. And we had no money and no time. And we just sort of, it was like an expressionistic painting.”
—Osgood Perkins, Director
This simultaneous development across departments fostered a unique atmosphere, merging acting, writing, and production into one fluid creative flow. Despite limited resources and time constraints, the team embraced this method to capture a raw and expressive cinematic experience.
Osgood Perkins’ Ascending Career in Horror Cinema
Osgood Perkins, son of legendary actor Anthony Perkins, has steadily grown into a prominent figure in modern horror by crafting slow-burning, atmospheric films that linger in the mind. He first gained recognition with titles like The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel. In 2024, his film Longlegs became a commercial hit, grossing over $100 million worldwide and earning substantial critical praise.
Following that success, Perkins directed The Monkey, an adaptation of Stephen King’s work released in February 2025. The movie performed well at the box office, generating over $64 million globally and debuting just behind Captain America: Brave New World. While audiences enjoyed the film’s inventive kills, critical reception was mixed regarding its combination of bleak comedy and horror.
Keeper marks Perkins’ return to original material and reflects his ongoing commitment to pushing the boundaries of horror filmmaking. His collaborations with production company Neon continue to yield distinctive and thematically rich projects that challenge genre conventions.
Anticipation Builds for Keeper’s November Release
With eerie teaser footage already circulating and the film’s provocative themes coming to light, audience interest in Keeper is mounting. Perkins and Maslany’s insights at Comic-Con have only heightened curiosity about how the movie will address the deeply troubling aspects of human nature it promises to explore.
As November 14th approaches, horror enthusiasts can expect Keeper to deliver a challenging and powerful story that confronts toxic masculinity through an unsettling narrative set against the isolated backdrop of a cabin getaway. The film’s innovative production and thematic scope position it as a significant release within the genre.
