The Keeping Room | Rotten Tomatoes

The Keeping Room

R

Released Sep 25, 2015

1 hr. 35 min.

Western

Mystery & Thriller

History

Drama

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List

75%

88 Reviews

Tomatometer

52%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

During the waning days of the Civil War, two Southern sisters (Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld) and a slave (Muna Otaru) must defend themselves against two Union Army soldiers.

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Critics Consensus

Aided by its spare setting and committed performances, The Keeping Room is just fascinatingly off-kilter enough to overcome its frustrating stumbles.

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isla s

This is a very tense and suspenseful Western featuring three women trying their best to look out for one another. It had me at the edge of my seat at times and I felt the cast did well in their roles, although it is undoubtedly slow to build up the plot at the start and thus it may not appeal to all. There is a distinct lack of dialogue at times but I still felt it was engrossing, with the main character, Augusta, being somewhat of an enigma. When the action really gets under way, its mostly set at night and is quite looming and bleak in tone and thus it has a reasonably good sense of atmosphere, although it also has a lot of shaky/wobbly camerawork, which may also frustrate people. I suppose it adds to the gritty realism of it but it may also seem quite distracting and may put people off, especially if you get motion sickness etc. There are some instances of poignant dialogue, which made me realise the characters were, perhaps, surprisingly thoughtful. Its undoubtedly a bleak and somewhat grim Western drama film, not an all guns blazing action film, Western or not - its not quite great but its certainly not bad either. I'd cautiously recommend this, esp. to fans of Brit Marling, who plays Augusta.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

jelisije j

A solid movie that deals with three southern women waiting for their men to return home from the civil war and are visited by two Union soldiers and must learn to survive or die.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

ronald h

In some ways, The Keeping Room reminded me of the early 70's Clint Eastwood film The Beguiled. But while that film had a male point of view, this one has more of a feminist slant. Interesting, because there wasn't a lot of feminism going on during the Civil War era, especially in the rural south. The female perspective in this film gives it a unique feel. And when these women get mad, buckle up. While their father and brother are away fighting in the Confederate army, sisters Augusta (Brit Marling) and Louise (Hailee Steinfeld) are scraping by at their simple country homestead, along with their slave Mad (Muna Otaru), who is actually treated like another sister. It raises the question: Is slavery a male enterprise? Two rogue Union soldiers (Sam Worthington and Kyle Soller) , who are passing through, getting drunk and killing civilians just for fun, spot Augusta when she goes to a nearby tavern to find medicine for Louise. They track their way to the women's home at night, along with their disagreeable, snarling dog. Augusta, who is almost never without her rifle, hears a commotion outside. It's the dog, munching on one of her goats. She shoots the dog, and let's just say that things get very unpleasant for the rest of the film. I got a kick out of watching these women outsmart the bad guys. Yes, there is violence. But the clear message is that women have an obligation to defend themselves against oppressive men. While the two bad guys aren't well-developed, all three of the female actors turn in highly believable performances. Marling's Augusta is empathetic but tough as nails. Steinfield's Louise is young and helpless. The most gratifying performance is by Otaru. She rises to the occasion, and she has good reason, as we learn later in the story. I suppose some will see the metaphoric aspect of this movie as hyperbolic and simplistic. Perhaps. But you will certainly pay attention. I've also read complaints that the film is too sympathetic to the southern cause and portrays the Union soldiers as barbarians. Wrong. This movie is not partisan. It's anti-war. The final scenes may be implausible, but that's forgivable because the symbolism is so rich. Advice to women viewers: If you're angry with your boyfriend or husband, you might want to wait until you're in a more forgiving mood before you watch this one.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Convincingly acted and thoughtfully staged little indie period piece taking place in Civil War America. Occasionally riveting and appropriately hard-edged.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

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Audience Member

Watchable, lots of tension, certainly passed the time. Not a lot of happiness in the film though.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

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andrei d

Nitel prea pe formula dar bine jucat

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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Daniel Barber

Director

Brit Marling

Augusta

Hailee Steinfeld

Louise

Muna Otaru

Mad

Sam Worthington

Moses

Kyle Soller

Henry

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The Keeping Room: Trailer 1

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Zeba Blay

Shadow and Act

Despite its few narrative flaws, The Keeping Room is a necessary addition to on screen depictions of the American Civil War...

Sep 13, 2022

Full Review

Kate Muir

Times (UK)

There are a few plot holes and some stiff acting, but the threesome is compelling as the gals get their guns and their revenge.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 24, 2016

Full Review

Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

The term "revisionist western" has been overused lately. However, this blend of slow-burning frontier feminism and taut home invasion thriller is probably the most authentically unorthodox take on the genre you will see for a while.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 19, 2016

Full Review

Olly Richards

NME (New Musical Express)

A Western that revolves around a trio of gun-wielding female leads, and has a clear and consistent feminist message.

Rated: 4/5

May 5, 2021

Full Review

David Bax

Battleship Pretension

The Keeping Room, the contemplative and assured new thriller from Daniel Barber, sets its odd tone from the first scene, a bleak, bizarre, violent and strangely beautiful bit of wordless cinematic table setting...

Jan 15, 2021

Full Review

Allen Almachar

The MacGuffin

The Keeping Room is competently made and has a distinct visual style that runs from beginning to end, but it's all aesthetics with little to show underneath.

Rated: C

Jul 14, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

During the waning days of the Civil War, two Southern sisters (Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld) and a slave (Muna Otaru) must defend themselves against two Union Army soldiers.

Director: Daniel Barber
Executive Producer: Gary Gilbert, Michael Sugar
Screenwriter: Julia Hart
Distributor: Drafthouse Films
Production Co: Wind Dancer Productions, Anonymous Content, Gilbert Films
Rating: R (Strong Violence|A Sexual Assault)
Genre: Western, Mystery & Thriller, History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 25, 2015, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 5, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $27.2K

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