Emerging as an underdog among the dozens of horror movies released this year, “Keeper” is ultimately disappointing, focused on creating significant, shocking moments rather than a cohesive storyline. While the film’s performances and special effects stand out, I was left confused by its structure. However, these shortcomings are compensated by its powerful message about feminist empowerment.
The film begins with Dr. Malcolm Westbridge (Rossif Sutherland) bringing his girlfriend, Liz (Tatiana Maslany), to his cabin in the woods for a weekend trip. After Westbridge encourages her to eat a strange cake, Liz begins to have visions about bloody women and a pregnant woman identical to herself.
When Malcolm leaves for the day, Liz wanders the house and feels strange creatures following her around. She starts to see ghostly apparitions and a woman with a plastic bag over her head. The cinematography of these scenes makes reality and apparitions barely distinguishable. Once Malcolm returns, Liz confronts him about the eerie occurrences.
Malcolm reveals to her that 200 years ago, he and his brother, Darren (Kett Turton), shot a pregnant woman trespassing on their property in the leg. When she later gave birth, it was to the strange creatures that Liz had been seeing. Malcolm explains that, in return for granting both him and Darren immortality, the creatures demand that the brothers bring them women as sacrifices. Malcolm then locks Liz in the basement, where she is surrounded by the creatures and the woman with the bag on her head. They embrace her, laughing and screaming with her. When a newly aged Malcolm wakes in the morning, he is suspended upside down from a tree. Liz, who now has the creatures’ black eyes, feeds Malcolm the drugged cake and dunks his head into a jar of honey, leaving him to drown.
The film serves as both a traditional horror film and a psychological thriller, simultaneously focusing on the creatures’ haunting appearances and building suspense as Liz is plagued by apparitions and questions Malcolm’s suspicious behavior. The highlight of the film is in the effectiveness of the jump scares and special effects. The recurring flashes of Malcolm’s previous girlfriends being killed and the creatures in the shadows heighten suspense, creating a truly terrifying experience. Maslany’s portrayal of a haunted woman stands out, despite weak dialogue that limits her potential.
The film has a distinct lack of clarity; it is unclear if Liz’s resemblance to the woman who first trespassed the property was purely coincidental or if she is meant to be a reincarnation. Considering the genre, there doesn’t necessarily need to be an explanation, but the ambiguity hindered my ability to appreciate the movie thoroughly. Liz’s end was similarly puzzling — the creatures seem to accept her due to her resemblance to their mother, yet it is unclear whether they somehow make her one of their own or if something else led to her change in appearance.
Despite issues with the film’s structure, I found its themes of female empowerment and struggle create an interesting dynamic. As Liz is left on her own for the day, she must cope with her own vulnerability, triggering the psychologically horrific aspects of the movie. However, in her loneliness, she seems to foster a connection to the visions of the bloodied women. The repetition of her visions parallels Malcolm and Darren’s continued violence against the women. Though the brothers have succeeded in exploiting women for hundreds of years, Liz ultimately reverses the narrative by becoming one with the creatures and reclaiming her power by killing Malcolm. This final moment points to women rising against misogyny and establishing their own hierarchy. However, Liz is not truly herself anymore, becoming one of the creatures — hinting at the irreversible harm that physical and psychological violence can cause.
Despite minor flaws in structure and clarity, “Keeper” is a powerful movie that harbors undertones of patriarchal power structures while delivering a frightening supernatural drama.
