Keeper, everything you need to know: the folk horror that focuses on tension and ambiguity
Disturbing atmospheres and growing tension in Keeper, a 2025 folk horror film starring Tatiana Maslany. All information about the movie.
Keeper is a horror film that falls within the realm of contemporary folk horror, moving along restricted and conscious narrative coordinates. Directed by Osgood Perkins and written by Nick Lepard, the film builds its identity on a limited number of characters, a single central setting, and a narrative structure that proceeds by accumulation, working on tension and disturbance. Keeper received mixed critical reception in the United States, becoming a subject of discussion primarily for its formal choices and the protagonist's performance. Here's all the information!
The plot of Keeper: what is it about?
The story follows doctor Malcolm and painter Liz, who decide to spend a weekend in an isolated cabin to celebrate their first anniversary together. From their arrival, the atmosphere of the place becomes charged with ambiguity, starting with a cake found inside the house and presented as a gift from the caretaker. The apparent normality of their stay is soon disrupted by the unexpected arrival of Darren, Malcolm's cousin, and his partner Minka, whose presence introduces growing tension and a never fully explicit threat.
From this moment, the narrative progressively shifts to Liz's point of view, as she begins to be tormented by recurrent visions and disturbing figures linked to the history of the place. The narrative alternates moments of forced normalcy with increasingly unsettling episodes, until a secret emerges that is rooted in a remote and violent past. The film intertwines suggestions of body horror and an internal mythology that gradually takes shape, without immediate explanations, ultimately redefining the power dynamics between the characters and the very meaning of their stay in the house.
The cast of Keeper, the horror film
The film is led by the performance of Tatiana Maslany (also known for The Monkey, Stronger, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Orphan Black, Perry Mason), who plays Liz and also serves as executive producer. Her acting performance is crucial in maintaining the balance between emotional vulnerability and the character's progressive transformation. Alongside her, Rossif Sutherland (Orphan: First Kill, Possessor, King) plays Malcolm, an ambiguous figure whose apparent rationality is gradually called into question.
The cast is completed by Birkett Turton as Darren and Eden Weiss as Minka, characters instrumental in triggering and amplifying the narrative conflict. Around them moves a gallery of secondary figures who contribute to layering the film's atmosphere, without shifting the focus from the relationship between the two protagonists.
- Tatiana Maslany: Liz;
- Rossif Sutherland: Malcolm Westbridge;
- Glen Gordon: Malcolm (teenager);
- Birkett Turton: Darren Westbridge;
- Logan Pierce: Darren (teenager);
- Eden Weiss: Minka;
- Cassandra Ebner: Baghead;
- Tess Degenstein: Baghead / Maggie;
- Erin Boyes: Julia;
- Claire Friesen: Louise;
- Christin Park: Leslie;
- Gina Vultaggio: Francis.
The director of Keeper
With Keeper, Osgood Perkins continues a recognizable path in the recent horror landscape. After previous collaborations with Neon, the director confirms an interest in closed narratives and a controlled use of horror, more suggested than explicit. The direction favors extended timings and careful work on sound and cinematography, entrusted to Jeremy Cox, elements that contribute to building a constant sense of unease.
The soundtrack of Keeper
The soundtrack, composed by Edo Van Breemen, accompanies the film without ever overpowering it, working by subtraction and emphasizing moments of greater emotional tension. The result is a work that focuses on atmosphere rather than spectacle, in line with Perkins' approach to the genre.
When is Keeper released in Italy?
After its theatrical release in the United States and Canada on November 14, 2025, Keeper is expected in Italy on March 8, 2026.
The trailer for Keeper
The trailer introduces the film's tone through visual suggestions and editing that leaves room for ambiguity. Without explicitly detailing the central plot points, the images anticipate the climate of isolation and the protagonist's progressive loss of control.