Michael Mann’s The Keep (1983) is a cinematic “curate’s egg” that often leaves viewers with mixed feelings. In visual terms, this supernatural horror film with science fiction overtones, is both striking and innovative. The sound design and soundtrack by Tangerine Dream are compelling but at the expense of the dialogue, which is often muffled and difficult to hear. Narratively, it is confusing and rushed. The editing further compounds this. The novel by F. Paul Wilson, upon which it is based, blends elements of gothic horror and classic vampire themes and juxtaposes them with the horror of World War II and the evils of the Schutzstaffel (SS). Mann has removed the traditional cinematic trappings associated with the “undead” and instead presents us with a stylised, science fantasy story in which the antagonist is a supernatural entity that feeds on evil. However, due to The Keep having a troubled production and last-minute re-editing, much of the film’s dramatic and narrative substance has been lost along the way. What remains is intriguing but flawed.