Rotten Tomatoes
Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Miniseries – The Keepers

Play trailer Poster for Miniseries – The Keepers May 2017 Documentary Crime Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
97% Tomatometer 32 Reviews 94% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Netflix's latest docuseries tackles the unsolved murder of Cathy Cesnik, a beloved nun and Catholic high school teacher in Baltimore. After disappearing on Nov. 7, 1969, Cesnik's body was found nearly two months later -- but to this day, the killer remains unnamed. In the '90s, the case returned to the spotlight after one of Cesnik's former students accused the high school's chaplain of sexual abuse, and claims that she was taken to Cesnik's then undiscovered corpse and threatened. Director Ryan White pieces together the story through conversations with friends, relatives, journalists, government officials and Baltimore citizens, hoping to uncover the truth.
Watch on Netflix Stream Now

Where to Watch

The Keepers — Miniseries

The Keepers — Miniseries

What to Know

Critics Consensus

The Keepers draws on riveting, real-life terror to expose long-buried secrets -- and tells a brilliantly assembled story along the way.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Craig Mathieson The Age (Australia) Aug 18, 2025
4/5
Netflix is a relentless producer of true-crime documentaries. The quality can vary greatly, but I’m not sure they’ve made one better than this still haunting 2017 series. Go to Full Review Inkoo Kang MTV Jun 16, 2017
Enter The Keepers, which has given me more to look forward to in the decades ahead than any other story in recent memory. As distressing as the documentary is, it's also ultimately hopeful and triumphant. Go to Full Review Daniel D'Addario TIME Magazine May 30, 2017
Not that The Keepers is immune to the tricks of its genre... But its story, metastasizing from a single act of violence to depict a warped school culture, is riveting and painful. Go to Full Review Andy Dehnart Reality Blurred Feb 26, 2020
It's so much to hold on to, and The Keepers is an excellent vessel to keep those stories-and people-alive. Go to Full Review Catherine Drake Den of Geek Jan 18, 2019
The Keepers has one of the most powerful endings of a documentary series, a passionate closing statement full of bravery and hope from one of the many victims who has been to hell and back. Go to Full Review Alan French AwardsCircuit.com Oct 10, 2018
3.5/4
Not only will this likely catch on with true crime buffs, but the series is perfectly timed to coincide with the women's movements occurring today. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Claudia O @caia_90 Dec 18, 2025 Great documentary about a nun that has been murdered and her students to get the truth on how it all happened. See more Oscar R. @Rottrokc Oct 17, 2025 Heart breaking, but worth watching. See more Dan R @RT99559382 Mar 28, 2025 Since it's release in 2017, The Keepers has been a top 5 documentary in my book. Brilliantly told with excellent production quality, the series tells an unsettling story through firsthand accounts of several Baltimore area women who attended infamous Keough H.S. in the late 1960s. There are many parts to this series and can be long, but if you're a true crime fanatic who enjoys an extremely thorough and detailed account of troubling events from the past, this documentary is for you. See more Morgan X @RT81723267 Sep 4, 2024 The first episode is so slow and repeats the few crumbs of details without explaining any of the potential motives. We meet our first of several mad armchair researchers digging around in his attic amongst piles of disorganised papers. Episode 2 lurches around hitting you with a bunch of suspects who all did it without picking apart any of the glaring contradictions. It uses insinuation and scant detail to imply what might have happened. I won’t waste another 5 hours getting to the end of this only to find out they don’t have a clue. See more Dec 21, 2020 First time reviewing a show here. I am unable to express what I felt watching it. Absolutely remarkable. I would say its a moral responsibility for us who have not been subjected to this kind of violence and abuse to hear these stories. See it. See more Jan 6, 2019 A deep dive into the depths of depravity and the abuse of girls by men in power, including the Archdiocese of Baltimore and local police departments. People still live in fear of being identified with there heinous crimes. Pulling the threads of this mystery will unravel the institutions in the Baltimore area. Kudos to the sainted women and their supporters. Well told by the series producers and director. See more Read all reviews
The Keepers — Miniseries

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING

Cast & Crew

View All

Cathy Cesnik

Self

Gemma Hoskins

Self

Abbie Schaub

Self

Ryan White

Director

Jessica Hargrave

Executive Producer

Josh Braun

Executive Producer

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired May 19, 2017 The Murder Two former students begin an investigation into the murder of Sister Catherine Cesnik, slain 1969 in Baltimore. Details Episode 2 Aired May 19, 2017 The School Grown survivors recall the sexual abuse at the hands of a predatory priest and ponder how those actions may have led to Sister Catherine's murder. Details Episode 3 Aired May 19, 2017 The Revelation In 1992, a survivor faces the abuse she suffered, disclosing the appalling threat that frightened her into silence. Details Episode 4 Aired May 19, 2017 The Burial Intimidation and resistance from the archdiocese result when two former students file charges against the priest in 1994. Details Episode 5 Aired May 19, 2017 The Suspects Compelling stories gathered from a tip line point the group's investigation to two more men who might have been involved in Sister Catherine's murder. Details Episode 6 Aired May 19, 2017 The Web As Catherine's younger sister gets involved, the group pursues straight answers from authorities and other possible suspects. Details Episode 7 Aired May 19, 2017 The Conclusion Survivors and victims' families seek closure, even as they face frustrating law enforcement bureaucracy and a fight with the archdiocese. Details

More Like This

View All
The Innocence Files 100% 91% The Innocence Files Watchlist Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter % 91% Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter Watchlist TRAILER for Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter Web of Make Believe: Death, Lies & the Internet 86% 33% Web of Make Believe: Death, Lies & the Internet Watchlist This Is a Robbery: The World's Biggest Art Heist 83% 66% This Is a Robbery: The World's Biggest Art Heist Watchlist TRAILER for This Is a Robbery: The World's Biggest Art Heist Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal 82% 69% Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal Watchlist TRAILER for Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All

The Keepers — Miniseries

The Keepers The Keepers The Keepers The Keepers View more photos

Season Info

Director
Ryan White
Executive Producer
Jessica Hargrave, Josh Braun, Ben Cotner, Jason Spingarn-Koff, Lisa Nishimura
Network
Netflix
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Documentary, Crime, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date
May 19, 2017
Join The Newsletter Join The Newsletter Cookie Settings