Review: In 'Keeper,' a romantic getaway becomes as nightmarish as you'd expect

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A cabin in the woods.A handsome boyfriend who seems a little too perfect.

A stranger at the door.Osgood Perkins’ latest horror film isn’t just rife with clichés — it warmly welcomes them in like old friends, inviting the audience to savor tropes we’ve seen plenty of times before.But when they’re recycled with the enthusiasm and skill that Perkins brings to “Keeper,” they can still feel fresh.

At least for a little while.Perkins’ third release in the last 16 months shares similarities with both his 2024 standout “Longlegs” and his disappointing adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Monkey” that extend beyond their shared genre.“Keeper” recalls “Longlegs’” cunning precision and embrace of classic horror traditions while sporting the impish humor that defined (and diminished) “The Monkey.” And yet, this intimate chamber piece is its own confident flex, further proof that Perkins is a superb conjurer of old-fashioned dread, even if there’s little that’s memorable underneath.Tatiana Maslany plays Liz, a commitment-phobic artist celebrating her one-year dating anniversary with Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland), an older doctor who whisks her away from the city for a romantic weekend at his luxurious, rustic vacation home.

Liz finds herself out of her comfort zone in two ways — she’s not fond of nature, and a long-term relationship is a foreign concept to her — but she feels safe with Malcolm in the middle of the forest, despite a nagging suspicion that he may have a secret wife.Movies He has a famous father, “Psycho” icon Anthony Perkins.

But the director of “Longlegs,” a brooding serial killer film, has a sensibility that’s all his own.“Keeper” takes place largely inside Malcolm’s Architectural Digest-worthy cabin, with Perkins often filming Maslany from a distance, the gorgeous house surrounding her like a cage.Liz and Malc...