Directed by:
Iain SoftleyScreenplay:
Ehren KrugerCinematography:
Dan MindelComposer:
Edward ShearmurCast:
Kate Hudson, John Hurt, Gena Rowlands, Peter Sarsgaard, Joy Bryant, Isaach De Bankolé, David Jensen, Joe Chrest, Jeryl Prescott, Natalie McNeil (more)VOD (1)
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Caroline (Hudson), a live-in nurse, is hired to care for an elderly womans ailing husband in their home - a foreboding and decrepitGothic mansion in the marshy backwoods just outside of NewOrleans. Intrigued by the enigmatic couple and the dark and mysterious surroundings, Caroline begins to explore the old mansion. Armed with a skeleton key that unlocks every door, she discovers a hidden attic room that holds a deadly and terrifying secret. Caroline soon discovers that the mansion is haunted by a pair of century old spirits. The spirits are evil and are manipulating the living to fit their desires, and Caroline herself is at the centre of one of their sinister schemes. (Shock Entertainment)
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Reviews (6)
If any film has pleasantly surprised me lately and has truly brought me joy within its genre, it's the horror-themed The Skeleton Key. A smart film with the atmosphere of southern New Orleans, featuring black magic, mysterious rituals, mysticism, and African American animistic cults. It vaguely resembles the high-budgeted Angel Heart. Tension is gradually built, the acting is decent, and the twist ending is surprising. It's a film where the creators can play with the audience's expectations as well as traditional genre props and schemes. Furthermore, the twist ending is soaked in dark and corrosive humor. It's not a film that indulges in jump scares; rather, it's a horror thriller that genre connoisseurs will appreciate. Overall impression: 80%.
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Ehren Kruger obviously got his writing juices flowing during the remake of the first The Ring because the second film didn't feature much intelligence. The same can be said about The Key. It's not completely stupid, but it's punishingly hollow at certain points. Softley knows how to film dialogue to perfection, but the atmosphere eludes him - the protagonist wanders around the house while the more knowledgeable viewer suspects that there are no boogeymen in the attic. It gets a small bonus for the relatively clever point and a big one for Kate Hudson's nice ass.
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A decent horror film, reasonably suspenseful most of the time, but so stupid towards the end that it slams the door of the house. The voodoo theme is used here for a twist that is anything but clever. The casting of Sarsgaard, then, is somewhat by-the-book, given his typical roles.
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The Skeleton Key is a skilfully made horror flick, but in terms of its content, it’s long past it’s sell-by date. The identification with the female protagonist, which is supposed to lead to the crucial conclusion, is effective, but not so much so that it makes for a satisfying ending. It’s rather just surprising. This is a solid thriller without any obvious flaws, but it’s not as intense as it wants to be.
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For the ending, I give the film at least an average rating because it is still an interesting outcome, even though it takes quite a long time to reach it. At times, it is unnecessarily drawn out, which detracts from the atmosphere, and it ultimately relies mainly on the fact that the performances do not ruin the experience. Surprisingly, this is also true of Kate Hudson, whom I otherwise don't like at all.
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