Osgood Perkins’ new movie, Keeper, is set to hit theaters on November 14, promising to deliver his signature blend of eerie tension and unsettling horror. In exclusive preview screenings held earlier this week in New York and Los Angeles, both fans and journalists were left uncertain and intrigued by the film’s mysterious and haunting atmosphere.
Osgood Perkins’ Creative Approach and Artistic Discipline
Known for his intense focus on maintaining a clear and uncluttered creative mind, Perkins continues to channel his artistic vision without distraction. He compares sustaining his mental clarity to a rigorous form of self-care, explaining,
“If you’re going to be putting out, you’ve got to be putting in. It’s like eating well. Drinking less. You’re really cognizant about what you’re ingesting,”
Perkins shared.
“I try not to put a bunch of junk into my system. I don’t watch Netflix, I don’t have Netflix. Netflix is the opposite of what I do. I don’t watch bad movies. I don’t watch a lot of horror movies. I don’t really like them. I don’t really watch them. I read a lot. I play with my kids. I listen to music. I go to coffee shops and I watch people. That’s how I feed myself. I go to the museum. I read poems. I read comic books. And I try not to watch the news. I don’t have any social media. It’s taking care of your instrument. If I’m the vessel that the stuff pours through, I might as well keep it fairly clean.”
This disciplined approach has undoubtedly fueled Perkins’ ability to create distinct, thoughtful horror films that stand out in the genre.
From The Blackcoat’s Daughter to Keeper: Building a Distinctive Horror Career
At 41, Perkins debuted in feature filmmaking with The Blackcoat’s Daughter in 2015, garnering attention within the dedicated horror community. His rise to greater mainstream visibility came with Longlegs, featuring Nicolas Cage, which was released last year and made an impressive $127 million at the box office. This film, alongside this year’s Stephen King adaptation The Monkey, paved the way for his latest venture, Keeper. All three films mark Perkins’ continuing collaboration with distributor NEON, which has played a key role in building his suspenseful narrative style and marketing approach.
The premiere of Keeper followed a familiar pattern of secrecy reminiscent of Longlegs’ promotional campaign, which deliberately withheld detailed information to build anticipation. Perkins himself admitted to the audience at the sneak peek,
“I didn’t really know what we were going to be seeing,”
reflecting the deliberate and calculated mystery surrounding the film’s release strategy. This mystique encourages viewers to experience the stories unfiltered, heightening the intensity of his movies.
A Glimpse Into Keeper: Unfolding Scenes and Characters
NEON provided 30 minutes of select scenes from Keeper that revealed snippets of the story’s eerie fabric without giving too much away. The preview introduced the main characters: Liz, played by Tatiana Maslany, and Malcolm, portrayed by Rossif Sutherland, who are spending time in a remote cabin. The narrative briefly shifts as Liz’s obnoxious cousin Darren and his new girlfriend Minka arrive, unsettling the calm atmosphere. A strange encounter between Liz and Minka hints at an ominous undertone when Minka points to a wrapped package on the kitchen counter and bluntly remarks, Tastes like shit.
After Darren and Minka’s hasty departure, Liz and Malcolm share a tender moment, yet the mysterious package remains a heavy presence. Malcolm opens it to find a chocolate cake baked by the cabin’s caretaker, to which Liz reluctantly offers a dry remark: Tastes like shit. This cake becomes a recurring symbol, fraught with sinister implications as it connects to Liz’s unfolding nightmare.
Later, Liz wakes from disturbing dreams involving a bloodied head and what appears to be a gun pointed at her. Returning to the kitchen, she finds the cake untouched except for the slice she consumed, with a bright red cherry on top — a detail signaling the cake’s uncanny nature. Drawn irresistibly to it, Liz devours it greedily, suggesting the cake may have changed her in some way, possibly aligning with Minka’s earlier warning.
Dark and Haunting Imagery Reflects Perkins’ Signature Style
The preview’s unsettling visuals continue as Liz is shown alone in the cabin, seemingly stalked by a man wielding a meat cleaver. The scene is deliberately cryptic, featuring an eerie figure moving with a head barely attached, evoking the same chilling ambiance found in Perkins’ earlier films and comparable to the unsettling tone of works like Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. This glimpse hints at the otherworldly threats that dominate the movie’s atmosphere.
Exploring Fairy Tale Mythology and Survival Horror in Keeper
Further scenes suggest that Keeper intertwines dark fairy tale elements with its horror narrative. A forest setting, themes of eternal life, and ravenous creatures crawling throughout the cabin imply a mythic dimension reminiscent of Perkins’ previous work Gretel & Hansel, which reimagined classic folklore through a shadowy lens. The struggle between Liz and Malcolm against these inhuman forces forms the heart of the story’s tension.
While many details remain intentionally vague, the footage conveys a clear sense of urgency and danger. Liz finds herself trapped in a brutal fight for survival, culminating in her blunt, exasperated declaration, “What the fuck?” as played by Maslany in the final moments of the preview footage. This raw moment captures the film’s intense and anxious tone.
Keeper’s Anticipated Arrival and Perkins’ Continued Impact
Keeper is positioned to cement Osgood Perkins’ reputation as a major voice in contemporary horror, blending psychological unease with mythological storytelling and haunting visual design. His commitment to controlling every aspect of his creative process continues to resonate with audiences looking for distinctive and unpredictable cinematic experiences. As the film prepares for its November release, fans of Perkins’ previous work and new viewers alike can expect a unique, dark, and gripping narrative that once again defies easy categorization.
