The Keep

Set in Romania's Carpathian mountains during the Second World War, The Keep follows a German army unit that occupies an old stone fortress to guard a mountain pass. The soldiers make the building their barracks, ignoring warnings from locals that the place is cursed, and two of them remove a stone block from a wall. What they release preys on the garrison night after night, killing some men and twisting others. A Gestapo officer arrives to investigate the deaths and turns on the villagers, while a Jewish scholar who understands the fortress and a mysterious traveller are drawn toward it.

Michael Mann directed and wrote the film, the second he made, following Thief in 1981. The cast includes Scott Glenn, Alberta Watson, Jürgen Prochnow, Robert Prosky, Gabriel Byrne and Ian McKellen. Produced by Hawk Koch and Gene Kirkwood, it was made for about 6 million dollars and returned roughly 4 million worldwide. On IMDb it holds 5.7 out of 10 from nearly 14,000 votes, on TMDB 5.6 from 336 votes, and film critics rated it 4.1 out of 10 across 18 reviews.

The blend of horror and fantasy elements has drawn a mixed response from audiences, and the critical rating sits noticeably lower than the viewer scores, with critics less receptive than the general public. The film remains a distinct early entry in Mann's filmography, arriving between his debut and Manhunter.