The Keeping Room

Plot

Left without men in the dying days of the American Civil War, three Southern women—two white sisters and one African-American slave—must fight to defend their home and themselves from two rogue soldiers who have broken off from the fast-approaching Union Army. Moses, one of these "bummers" (soldiers sent in advance to forage for food, and find any deserters or survivors), warns Augusta, the elder sister: "Uncle Billy's coming, burning down everything in his path. Rest assured, it will be cruel."

Cast

Production

The film was first announced in October 2012. Hart's script was inspired by her learning that her friends had two skeletons dating from the Civil War in their backyards and wondering how they got there. Initially the film was to star Olivia Wilde; she later left and was replaced by Brit Marling. Sam Worthington rounded out the cast in April 2013.

Filming

Principal photography began in June 2013 in Bucharest, Romania, and ended on July 18, 2013.

Reception

The Keeping Room received mixed to positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 74% rating, averaging a 6.5/10 score, sampled from 77 reviews. The consensus states: "Aided by its spare setting and committed performances, The Keeping Room is just fascinatingly off-kilter enough to overcome its frustrating stumbles." On Metacritic, it has a score of 58 out of 100, based on 21 critics' reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".