MOVIE REVIEW: KEEPER

 

A wife becomes isolated in a secluded cabin and has to fend off an unspeakable evil.

Director: Osgood Perkins

Cast: Tatiana Maslany, Rossif Sutherland, Claire Friesen, Christin Park, Erin Boyes, Tess Degenstein, Birkett Turton, Eden Weiss, Eden Weiss

Release Date: November 14, 2025

Genre: Horror

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

Runtime: 1h 39m

Review:

Osgood Perkins’ latest, Keeper, is a slow burn, more experimental approach than his recent films, which isn’t going to be for everybody but for those looking for steady dose of folk horror and fans of Tatiana Maslany will find a perfect showcase here.  Perkin’s visual style makes the self-confined, claustrophic setting unsettling from the start and rarely letting up before the central reveal occurs.  He provides plenty of visual foreshadowing that makes more sense once the full scope of the story is unleashed with a cornucopia of horrific images and well places sounds.   The well-worn trope of the cabin in the woods immediately illicit the feeling that something’s off about this romantic getaway between burgeoning lovers.  Rossif Sutherland and Tatiana Maslany make for a fascinating onscreen couple as their understated early interactions give way larger displays of their relationship fraying at the seams.  Sutherland brings an unsettling undercurrent to his overly kind and empathetic Malcolm who feels off almost as soon as he appears onscreen.  This film, however, belongs to the incredibly talented Tatiana Maslany whose character is put through the emotional ringer during the course of the film.  Maslany is a study in subtly as her character is slowly revealed to be emotionally rundown but hopeful when we meet her.  As things get progressively stranger and more off kilter, she brings the kind of energy required to carry the film single handedly. She is more than game for everything thrown at her although the story starts to fall apart in the final act with the final reveal coming off as undercooked.  The conclusion feels overly rushed which keeps it from delivering a truly satisfying conclusion since you’re left with more questions than answers before Keeper's abrupt rather ending.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: NEVER LET GO

 

When an unspeakable evil takes over the world, the only protection for a mother and her twin sons is their house and strong bond. Needing to stay connected at all times -- even tethering themselves with ropes -- they must cling to one another and never let go. However, when one of the boys questions if the evil is real, the ties that bind them together are severed, triggering a terrifying fight for survival.

Director: Alexandre Aja

Cast: Halle Berry, Percy Daggs IV, Anthony B. Jenkins, Matthew Kevin Anderson, Christin Park, Stephanie Lavigne

Release Date: September 20, 2024

Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller

Rated R for strong violent content and grisly images.

Runtime: 1h 42m

Review:

Never Let Go's dark fable offers up a fascinating morality tale which is carried by a strong central performance from Halle Berry paired with surprisingly impressive turns from her young costars Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins.  Director, Alexandre Aja, delivers a beautifully crafted film that makes great use of sound design and setting to create a foreboding atmosphere throughout.  Aja made his name in the horror genre by being someone who's willing to push the boundaries of blood and gore but here he shows a solid level of restraint as he makes judicious use of the grotesque imaginary which works in the film's favor.  He's smart enough to set the table and let his cast do the rest.  Halle Berry is fully committed from the moment she appears onscreen as she gives her character a palpable sense of protective motherly energy with a crazed, off kilter undercurrent during every interaction.  There's a subtly to her performance that adds so much more tortured depth that might have been lost in the hands of lesser actress.  Her young costars, lead by Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins, prove to be more than capable of holding their own onscreen with Berry.  Daggs IV and Jenkins bring an easy naturalism to their performances that's rare for such young performers.  Jenkins gives the eldest son an unflinching belief in his mother's teaching while Daggs IV's is more inquisitive and open to question her.  The trio of performances elevates the script which doesn't offer the kind of surprises you'd hope for especially for such an intriguing set up.  The turn is telegraphed fairly on which makes the final act feel more perfunctory than revelatory even as Aja tries to leave things a bit more ambiguous.  Still, it doesn't keep Never Let Go from leaving a solid impression due in large part to a strong turn from its director and cast.

B+