Parents' Guide to Keeper

This surreal horror tale finds director Osgood Perkins at the height of his powers, using space and rhythm for maximum creepy impact; unfortunately, the script can't sustain the mood all the way. Perkins must have been attracted to the idea of the large, beautiful cabin in Keeper: It's all bay windows with views of the forest and a river, with odd angles, various levels, and walls and corners that don't seem to connect. Despite spending most of the movie inside it, it's impossible to know its geography. The director uses all of this space to constrict his characters (or sometimes to create unsettling empty spots behind them). Certain moments recall David Lynch at his most surreal, which isn't an easy feat.

The creepy things that lurk about are, indeed, spine-tingling; the creature design is inspired. Best of all is that there are two fine actors at the center, especially Maslany, whose Liz is often by herself, and is compelling in every second. (She proved on her series Orphan Black that she could play just about any type of character under the sun.) The movie's biggest issue comes, almost inevitably, during the third act, when it feels the need to explain everything that's happened so that not even a shadow of a doubt remains. It's a mood-killer. Fortunately, Keeper still manages to conjure up a zinger of an ending.