The Skeleton Key

Horror movies have become a dime a dozen in the past few years. The watchable ones seem to fall into two categories of late: misguided psychological thrillers headlined by a consummate actress (witness Naomi Watts in "The Ring 2" or Jennifer Connelly in "Dark Water") or over the top slasher/gore-fests with serious kitsch value (witness Romero's enjoyable zombie flick "Land of the Dead" or Rob Zombie's sadistic "Devil's Rejects"). All of the rest have pretty much been unbearable cliché-ridden hack jobs ("White Noise," "Darkness Falls," etc...)

Oddly enough, "The Skeleton Key" doesn't fall into any of these categories and it comes across as a breath of fresh air, an old-fashioned throwback to the traditional Gothic mystery thriller, where a pretty female outsider (Kate Hudson acquitting herself rather nicely here as the hospice nurse traveling deep into the Bayou to care for an apparent stroke victim) moves into a big old house/castle that just might be haunted. The director and screenwriter start things slowly, and do a nice job of creating a realistic setting before letting all the mumbo-jumbo slowly and effectively creep in. Gena Rowlands and John Hurt (immobile and mute for most of the film) are fairly good in their respective roles as the married couple with more than just skeletons in their closets. We've seen this stuff all before, but it's done fairly well here with no sense of flash or pretensions, and as silly (and potentially offensive) as all this Hoodoo in the Bayou stuff is, the audience is treated to a twist ending that makes perfect sense in the context we have been given. This isn't a twist ending for twisting sake, but a fitting conclusion to the story.

"The Skeleton Key" tries to remind people of classics like "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Others." It may not ultimately hold a candle to those films, but it's a very entertaining way to spend a few hours.

Here is One that is Not Let Down by its PG-13 Rating Because this is All Superstition and Such, All in the Mind of the Believer. It is a Swampy, Cajun Atmosphere of Dried Herbs and Bones with Rhythmic Chants and Rituals.

Kate Hudson is Fine as a Hospice Worker that Overcompensates for Not Helping Her Father Cross to the Other Side and Enters a World Where Medicine is Replaced by Potions and Doctors are Replace by Ju Ju, or Hoodo to be More Precise.

Peter Sarsgaard and Gena Rowlands Add a bit of Gravitas to what's Going On and You Have to Pay Attention to Know what that is. The Movie is Creepy Enough and Old Worldly and Other Worldly Enough to Keep You a bit Mesmerized.

Overall, Worth a Watch for its Twist Ending, that You Might Not See Coming, and for a Low-Key Atmosphere that Never Goes Over the Top, Just Up to the Attic a Few Times. You Might Want to Sprinkle Some Brick Dust About Before Viewing.

The ending to this movie which I won't spoil is truly one of the best I've encountered in a horror movie. Throughout the runtime I was trying to figure out what the inevitable twist will be but there is no way I could've predicted the wild turn of events that unfolds. The conclusion is what made me raise my rating from a 7 to and 8. Ending notwithstanding it is still a very decent and atmospheric horror movie. I love movies set in New Orleans/Louisiana and am always on the lookout for more and this was a major reason why I watched this. I love it when a Louisiana movie embraces the swampy setting so that you can feel the humidity radiating from the screen. Skeleton Key has a lot of great scenes that establish the setting and showcase the culture and myths of the area. Some say the movie is a bit tame but that's not a problem for me. There are some horror movies that are let down by a PG-13 rating but this is not really a movie that needed an R rating as I can't think of many things that it would have changed apart from adding some unnecessary gore. Additionally, the performances are good but the direction could've maybe been improved to give it more of a creepy vibe as there weren't many actual scenes that had me scared. All in all it doesn't matter too much as Skeleton Key is a very decent and rather underrated horror movie that relies on atmosphere and setting rather than cheap thrills and gore.

I am an avowed fan of horror films but I must confess that films with haunted houses are so common that it gradually became uninteresting. Still, there's nothing like giving new material a chance. That's what I did here. And I was reasonably satisfied: its a film that knows how to build atmosphere and tension and a pleasant mystery, even if its not capable of frightening.

Everything takes place in the swamps of the suburbs of the mysterious old New Orleans. In an old colonial house lives an elderly couple who hires Caroline, a nurse and elderly caregiver who goes to that house at the hand of the family notary in order to care for Ben, the family patriarch, very weakened by a stroke that left him disabled. But it doesn't take long for the young woman to discover that the house hides many ancient secrets and some of these secrets can really be a threat.

As a pure horror film its weak... but it has a satisfactory cast and a tense atmosphere that, coupled with a decent script, with the inclusion of witchcraft and vodoo themes (it's New Orleans, how could we not think in this?) helps the plot and serves as glue to everything we have here. I felt that the character Caroline is not developed properly and is poorly presented to the public, since we don't know much about her and that makes her a figure more than a character that we can feel and that touches us. Even so, it is a functional film that delivers more or less what it promises, despite not being able to scare or go beyond tension and some occasional chills.

The cast has several names of some weight. Peter Sarsgaard is the most resonant name, but he is guarded by a character who doesn't appear that much but guarantees him a minimum of presence. Kate Hudson is elegant and beautiful, and knows how to play her role, but does not seem to feel her character as she should, in some scenes that seem less well worked or well Gena Rowlands, in turn, is extraordinary and makes a character truly colossal.

Technically, I would like to highlight the quality of cinematography and the work of filming and editing, which gave the film a very important visual beauty to build the environment that the film requires. The scenes and landscapes of the swamps and the city are excellent and were used in the best way. The effects are minimal, but they fulfill their role, the sets and costumes, as well as the Swedish landscapes (with or without snow) increase the visual beauty of the whole set. The soundtrack does its job well.

Caroline (Kate Hudson) is a 25-year-old hospice nurse who cares for the ailing and the elderly, a job she chose to atone for ignoring her own dying father when she was a rock'n'roll manager. After her latest charge dies, Caroline takes a job in Louisiana , the Devereaux house is situated in Terrebonne Parish, which is coastal and swampy. As she is caring for stroke victim Ben (Sir John Hurt), who is bedfast and can't speak. Caroline becomes suspicious of the house, and Ben's cold wife Violet (Gena Rowlands, John Cassavetes's wife) dripfeeds hints about spirits that must be contained and away an attic room stuffed with mirrors and Hoodoo paraphernalia. Later on, a lawyer named Luke (Peter Saarsgard) fields the phone call from Caroline, and he sets up an interview with the family. It can open any door !. You will believe !. Fearing is believing !. What have we here -mind games, mumbo jumbo or creepy fact ?.

Set in in a Louisiana plantation house adding tension to the creepy atmosphere, this low key horror thriller draws on the local traditions of Hoodoo, a variation of the most known Voodoo. Nice performances from a great cast, such as: Kate Hudson gives a splendid acting as a hospice worker, she is an ordinary comedian actress and here revealing her serious side; John Hurt is the paralysed owner of the crumbling mansion; recently deceased Gena Rowlands as the prickly, suspect wife; Peter Sarsgaard as the rational state lawyer and Joy Bryant as Hudson's best friend. Strong interpretations fuse with atmospheric John Beard 's production design, also monochromatic and dark images from cameraman Dan Mindel, as well as Edward Shearmur's Southern-flavoured musical score. Nothing is forced least of all a sly conclusion that bubbles up from beneath the movie's shimmering surface.

The movie was professionally directed by Ian Softley. The motion picture failed to hit the box office, but was later reevaluated as a well-made horror film. Softley is a good craftsman, he was a member of the college's dramatic society, the Bats, and directed a number of highly-praised theatrical productions. He worked for Granada TV and the BBC before becoming a director of music videos and, eventually, movies. Ian often uses erratic black and white footage at key moments or flashbacks in his movies (Skeleton Key and Inkheart). His other films include Backbeat (1994), Hackers (1995), The Wings of the Dove (1997) in which he directed one Oscar nominated performance: Helena Bonham Carter , K-PAX (2001), and The Skeleton Key (2005). Rating: 6.5/10. Decent horror film that will appeal to Kate Hudson fans.