Review of The Skeleton Key (2005) by Leah G — 27 Oct 2008

The Skeleton Key is set in old Louisiana just outside of New Orleans deep within the bayou, with creepy old houses and Hoodoo thick in the air. The story line is quite original; I can't think of another movie I have seen that has the same plot.

It's the story of Caroline (played by Kate Hudson), a New Orleans hospice worker who takes a live-in job in an old mansion out in the middle of the swamps to care for Ben (played by John Hurt), an old man that has suffered a stoke and is unable to say a word or move an inch.

She soon discovers that everything is not what it seems when she realizes just how strange the wife of the crippled old man really is. The wife, Violet (played by Gena Rowlands), is in so many ways, the character who sets the stage for the eerie supernatural thriller.

There is something about her that is extremely cold and creepy. She gives Carolina a skeleton key, which gives access to all the doors in the mansion except for the attic. Caroline can't resist trying to find out what's inside the mystery room and why so many strange things are happening around the house.

Caroline soon realizes that Ben is extremely frightened by something in the old house, and goes snooping around until she uncovers stashes of old Hoodoo artifacts in the attic. Caroline, who seems to have never had any experience with Hoodoo and is not a believer, doesn't really grasp what is happening in the house until things get stranger and stranger, then she starts to believe.

Eventually she finds herself right in the middle of all the spells and has to learn about Hoodoo to try to get herself out of the situation that she seems to have gotten herself stuck in. The Skeleton Key is definitely an atmospheric film.

It relies upon the belief in Hoodoo and the beliefs of the audience to get the tension set. It is complete with ghost, black magic, a huge haunted house, and a scary old lady. Kate Hudson is wonderful in this movie, but Gena Rowlands seems to have stolen the stage.

The story twists and turns, and each time you think you have figured out what's going to happen, the movie takes a turn that you never expected. The ending is definitely a surprise, and I won't ruin it for you this time, but I promise, you won't seen it coming.

This is definitely a rental, but not a buy.