Before his satanic mystery Longlegs became the horror hit of 2024, director Ogood Perkins had made three films that belonged to an indie niche only enjoyed by horror aficionados who would actively seek out strange fare. His best is his debut, The Blackcoat’s Daughter, a playful and mournful midwinter boarding school tale, and while his Netflix-distributed I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House got some notice, his austere Brothers Grimm adaptation, Gretel & Hansel, fizzled out in 2020. These films are patient and airless, taunting you with simple, appealing horror premises that feel stretched and subdued under all the whispering, nasty atmosphere.
Perkins hit the mainstream with Longlegs and especially The Monkey, last year’s ridiculous horror farce. The Keeper, also released last year, was an overlooked return to his more subdued side, and is worth a second look now that it’s received a 4K Blu-ray release.
