Keeper (2025, 4K UHD Blu-ray) Review

[SRW1000]

Studio:  DECAL - NEON
Release Date: 2/3/2026
Rating:  R
Film Grade:  B

The Story:  Liz and Malcolm have been dating for almost a year, making it the perfect time for a quiet weekend getaway in his secluded woodland cabin.  Isolated, other than the nearby unit owned by his cousin, it offers the couple the perfect opportunity to make or break their relationship.  The evening starts off right with a romantic dinner, which is rudely interrupted by that obnoxious next-door cousin.  Once he finally leaves, the mood has been spoiled, not even to be rescued by dessert.

It’s not long after when Liz begins seeing disturbing visions, causing her to question what’s real, and leaving Malcolm puzzled as to what’s going on.

My Take:  Like his previous film, Longlegs, director Osgood Perkins has done a fantastic job creating an eerie setting that oozes with creepy atmosphere.  While that earlier entry was produced from his own story, this one was scripted by Nick Lepard, who avoids some of the short fallings found in Longlegs.  Details are slowly revealed as the story progresses, with various clues and flashbacks laid out for the audience to follow. 

Perkins directing style allows his two stars to act in a way that feels real and natural, despite the supernatural elements.  The movie is rooted in the back and forth between these two forty-somethings that have somehow never managed to find true love.  Tatiana Maslany gives the artistic Liz a free-spirited, but occasionally rough edge.  Sometimes prickly, other times charming, she’s not a simple heroine as she struggles with the life she’s chosen.  In contrast, Rossif Sutherland is the steadfast and mellow doctor, always trying to accommodate, as he tries to land the right woman.  The dialog weaves between the playful banter one would expect from two lovers to tense moments, usually resulting from Liz bristling at the slightest hint of Malcolm’s perceived dominance in their relationship. 

That wavering dialog between them adds an additional element to the movie that works surprisingly well within the overall story.  Not knowing how Liz’s mood will change combined with her weird visions keep one guessing as to what will happen next.  It’s a skillful interplay that rounds out what could have been a standard horror movie.

The movie isn’t without issues.  As is the case with other supernatural thrillers, the explanation for the events doesn’t feel fully developed, leaving unanswered questions and unfilled plot holes that are left dangling when extrapolating what will follow.  Sometimes, as in this case, those sins are mostly forgivable when paired with the right combination of characters, settings, and pacing.
   
Visuals:  Perkins once again teamed up with Jeremy Cox for the cinematography.  Like Longlegs, the movie is filled with atmosphere.  The camera moves about freely, often framing perspective shots by looking through doorways, peaking around corners or through stairwells, and mirrored reflections.  The effect adds a voyeuristic element to the movie, creating a sense of immediacy and intimacy as we eavesdrop.  A variety of techniques are used for Liz’s hallucinations and visions, but the most effective ends up being just old-fashioned fades and superimposed imagery. 

Comparing the 4K disc to the standard Blu-ray, the former offers brighter whites, and slightly more detail as seen in the cabin’s rafters and a found locket.  The Blu-ray looks good, but the 4K is noticeably better and more visceral when doing an A/B comparison.

Audio:  I found myself missing the advantages that an Atmos mix can offer.  The 5.1 DTS HD-MA mix is still engaging but could have benefitted by putting some of the many creaks, groaning floorboards, heavy footsteps, low humming/mumbling, and other environmental sounds in the top speakers. 

The score features suspenseful strings and occasional pulsating, low-bass rumbles to ramp up the creep factor.  The cabin also features an old hi-fi system playing some 50s songs like the memorable “I Don't Want to Play in Your Yard” by Peggy Lee and the haunting “Love is Strange” that plays over an opening montage.  They’re used to great effect both thematically and atmospherically.

Special Features:  Perkins’ commentary delves into both the story elements and production side of things and is worth a listen for anyone that wants to know more.

• Feature Commentary with Osgood Perkins
• Teaser
• Trailer

Final Verdict:  Despite some narrative flaws during the third act of the movie, Keeper captivated our attention from beginning to end.  Disturbing visuals that don’t rely on violence or gore, unsettling music, and an intriguing setup combine to create a compelling story that maintains tension as events unfold.

A great Valentine’s Day treat for horror fans, it’s an easy recommendation.  For others, the acting and production values raise it above average for the genre, so you may want to test the waters.



Fun Quote:  "Malcolm's right, you know.  There's something special about you.  You're not like all the other girls."

My Review System:
JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
Elite Screens Sable Frame B2 117” Width with Infinitely Variable Height
Monolith by Monoprice HTP-1 16 Channel Processor with Dirac Live
Monolith by Monoprice 7x200 Watts Amp
Monolith by Monoprice 3x200 Watts + 6x100 Watts Amp
JBL Studio 590 for Left, Center, Right, Wides, and Rears
JBL Studio 580 for Side Surrounds
JBL Studio SCS 8 for Tops
JTR Captivator 1400 Subwoofer X 4
Panasonic DP-UB420 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
NVIDIA Shield Android TV - 4K
Xbox One X
HTPC Running madVR (work in progress)
Remote: URC MX-780
Mini DSP 2X4 HD controlling all subwoofers
APC S15 Power Conditioner with Battery Backup

[bmoney]

Thanks for the review. I’m
Warming up to these horror films

[SRW1000]

Thanks for the review. I’m
Warming up to these horror films

The thing with a lot of horror films is that they aren't dependent on huge budgets to get the story across, unlike action, sci-fi, and fantasy movies.  This allows the filmmakers to take bigger chances at lower risk.  

This is a good example of a low-budget movie that still has a good cast attached to it.

[Paul Heroy]

In general, when it comes to horror movies, I'm kinda like Craig and animated movies. Just not interested. Unless it's camp - humor is (almost) always something I make an exception for.

[SRW1000]

In general, when it comes to horror movies, I'm kinda like Craig and animated movies. Just not interested. Unless it's camp - humor is (almost) always something I make an exception for.

How do you define camp when it comes to horror?  Is it more along the lines of Plan Nine from Outer Space, where it's bad but not intentionally campy?  Or like Rocky Horror, where camp is the entire reason for its existence?  Where would Return of the Living Dead, Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil, and Shaun of the Dead fit in?

(Keeper doesn't fit in with any of those examples, for what it's worth.)

[David Vaughn]

In general, when it comes to horror movies, I'm kinda like Craig and animated movies. Just not interested. Unless it's camp - humor is (almost) always something I make an exception for.

Not really my genre either. Every now and then I'll find one that works for me, but they are few and far between. 

[Paul Heroy]

How do you define camp when it comes to horror?  Is it more along the lines of Plan Nine from Outer Space, where it's bad but not intentionally campy?  Or like Rocky Horror, where camp is the entire reason for its existence?  Where would Return of the Living Dead, Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil, and Shaun of the Dead fit in?

(Keeper doesn't fit in with any of those examples, for what it's worth.)

T&DVE was fun. That's in the vein with my favorite horror film (of the relatively small number I've watched), Army of Darkness. I loved that, and the followup TV series Ash vs Evil Dead. I didn't see RH for a long time, and it was fun when I finally did see it. I think I enjoyed SotD, but never saw Plan Nine or RotLD. Haven't seen any of the big horror films in years.

A lot of other horror gives me an "unintended comedy" type reaction because it just seems dumb in some way and I don't really get it I guess.

[SRW1000]

T&DVE was fun. That's in the vein with my favorite horror film (of the relatively small number I've watched), Army of Darkness. I loved that, and the followup TV series Ash vs Evil Dead. I didn't see RH for a long time, and it was fun when I finally did see it. I think I enjoyed SotD, but never saw Plan Nine or RotLD. Haven't seen any of the big horror films in years.

A lot of other horror gives me an "unintended comedy" type reaction because it just seems dumb in some way and I don't really get it I guess.

Thanks for the clarification.  I'll try to keep that in mind when writing horror movie reviews.  You may get a kick out of Return of the Living Dead (skip the sequels).  Plan 9 is a classic bad movie and unintentionally campy.  It's a must watch at least once.