Oz Perkins’ Films at Neon Face Critical Decline, Raising Questions About Creative partnership
The trajectory ofโ director Oz โPerkins’ โคfilms as signing with Neon โhas drawn increasing scrutiny, โคwith โคhis latestโค release, “Keeper,” receiving โขlargely negative reviews-aโฃ stark contrast โto the โacclaim that initially followed โhis work.Perkins, โpreviously lauded for atmosphericโ horror films โคlike “The โขBlackcoat’s Daughter” and “Gretel & Hansel,” has seen hisโ criticalโ standing diminish with each subsequent Neon-distributed project,โ prompting industry observers to questionโข the โขviabilityโ of โthe ongoing collaboration.
This โขdownturn is significant for both Perkins and Neon,โ a distribution company known for championing auteur-drivenโค cinema.โค While โขPerkins โretains a dedicatedโข following fromโ earlier work, the consistent negative reception risks damaging his โขreputation and โNeon’s โbrandโฃ as โa tastemaker. The future of their partnership, andโ Perkins’ career path, now hinges on whetherโ they can reverse โthis trend or if a โฃseparation is unavoidable. โ
“Keeper,” starringโ Tatiana Maslany and โRossif Sutherland, premiered in theaters this โmonth and has been โคmet with widespread disapproval fromโฃ critics. The film’s performance โขfollows โa pattern established by Perkins’ previous Neon releases, “The Bride” (2023), which also garnered unfavorableโ reviews. โPriorโค to partnering with Neon,Perkins’ films โreceivedโค positive attention withinโข cinephile โคcircles. “The Blackcoat’s Daughter” โค(2015) was praised for its slow-burn tension andโฃ unsettling atmosphere,while his adaptation of “Gretel โ&โ Hansel”โข (2020) โoffered โa visually striking โand โคunconventional take โon the classic fairy tale.
Despite the recentโ critical setbacks,โข some industry voices suggest Perkins โฃpossesses the talent to regain his footing.Theโฃ director still has at least one film remaining under his Neon contract, โขoffering an โopportunity toโฃ potentially course-correct.However, the mounting pressure and diminishing โreturns โraise concerns about whether a continued partnership willโ ultimately benefit either party.
From Neon, Ozโ Perkins’ “keeper” isโข currently โคin theaters.