Osgood Perkins is having quite the year. Fresh off The Monkey, his blood-splattered Stephen King adaptation that turned $10 million into $68 million, he’s already back with Keeper, a horror flick that’s somehow managed to unite James Wan, Guillermo del Toro, Bong Joon-ho, and Hideo Kojima in one big, glowing fan club. That’s like the horror Avengers giving you a slow clap.
The new trailer for Keeper showcases its endorsements from the greats. Fede Alvarez calls it “an experience of pure terror.” James Wan describes it as “a terrifying descent into madness.” Guillermo del Toro, never one for understatement, calls it “horror origami that skillfully folds into itself.” And then there’s Bong Joon-ho, who delivers the kind of line only Bong could: “Jesus … Perkins has a natural talent for discomfort that translates into fear.” You probably won’t find higher praise for a horror flick this year.
But let’s not pretend Neon’s marketing team isn’t playing this up like a ritual sacrifice to the horror gods. They’ve already pulled the “no wide critic screenings” card, claiming it’s to “preserve the mystery.” Sure, maybe. Or maybe they just know that curiosity, and the promise of Tatiana Maslany losing her mind in a cabin, sells better than any Rotten Tomatoes score ever could.
Maslany, fresh off She-Hulk and Orphan Black, stars as Liz, one half of a couple celebrating their anniversary at a remote cabin. Her husband Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland) makes a quick escape back to the city, leaving Liz alone to deal with whatever’s bumping around in the dark. Spoiler: it’s not Daredevil.
Perkins keeps it tight this time, both in setting and budget. The whole thing was shot in Vancouver over just three weeks, with a script by Nick Lepard (Dangerous Animals) and a budget reportedly under $8 million.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because Perkins seems to have found his groove in lean, microbudget horror. Between Longlegs, The Monkey, and now Keeper, he’s carving out a corner of the genre that’s all about slow dread and psychological unraveling.
Still, there’s always the danger of overhyping. Hopefully, Keeper can live up to the noise instead of being swallowed by it. Then again, when Bong Joon-ho, del Toro, Wan, and Kojima are all out here calling you the wizard of horror, maybe you’ve earned a little hype.
Keeper hits theaters on November 14, 2025, and if history’s any indicator, Osgood Perkins might just keep scaring the pants off everyone for a while longer.
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