The Skeleton Key (2005)

After a slightly slow start, 'Skeleton Key' develops into an original, evocative and at times genuinely scary occult thriller so Ehren Kruger has redeemed himself after his truly wretched script for 'Ring 2' . I am not going into spoilers, which would be extremely destructive for a film of this kind but there are very clever character shifts, achieving a wonderful tension lock for the last 40 minutes or so mainly because all the performances are so good. The use of props and flash-backs is also wonderfully rich. The setting is contemporary New Orleans and its surrounds but this is mythical south and none the worse for that. The mix of influences includes 'Turn of the Screw', 'Rosemary's Baby' 'Burn Witch Burn and a few other classics but that is to give nothing away for it absorbs them into something quite new. My only criticism would be there is something a little confined about the movie--especially at its start-- but its style and pace and excitement utilise this triumphantly by the end.

Fmovies: Character development was great, acting was excellent, well written, well directed and just an all around well put together movie.

A health care worker decides she can't provide the kind of care to her patients she wants to provide within the cold confines of the nursing home she's working in. She opts then to take a job caring for the husband of a very strange woman in their even stranger home. She soon discovers that this couple seemingly has a strong belief in hoodoo (a variant of voodoo), and as she investigates further the ailment afflicting her new patient, and the disturbing behavior of his wife, a series of terrifying events unfold. Great plot twists, and an unexpectedly original surprise ending. Highly recommended!

Having seen the lacklustre trailer for this film, I wouldn't have bothered to see it at the cinema if it wasn't for some very positive reviews here in the UK. It isn't the most original film and the ending, while good, isn't gob-smacking. But it is very well shot and has some strong acting performances in it. Kate Hudson is particularly good as the inquisitive nurse. Her character generally doesn't need to be told things twice and I liked the way her thought processes appeared logical. I felt like she was doing what I'd have done in her circumstances. I've never been to the Southern USA, but the sets and locations felt very atmospheric. I'm sure to folks from those parts it looked a bit hackneyed, but to a UK viewer it felt mysterious and brooding. Overall, a very enjoyable was to spend an hour and a half. See it in the cinema, as I feel that the pacing and atmosphere could be lost on a small screen in a living room.

The Skeleton Key fmovies. A young care worker moves from a hospice to the home of an elderly couple in New Orleans where the husband is apparently dying from the after-effects of a stroke. As you might guess, not all is as it seems...

A very atmospheric and cleverly worked out story, with some brilliant twists on horror films' usual supernatural conventions. The actors are all very convincing, particularly John Hurt in a role with almost no dialogue. In the final half hour the tension is ramped up beautifully, and the twists have a grimly humorous flavour.

I'm not always the best at understanding subtleties in film story lines but, apart from a few small plot holes, everything here made sense to me. I would say that posters here who say the plot didn't explain itself just need to watch and listen more carefully. I'm delighted to see that some filmmakers can still make a "horror" film that's intelligent, generally scary, and doesn't rely on gore and brutality. A great film.

In case you haven't seen "The Skeleton Key" yet, be very careful when reading any reviews... The less you hear, read or even know about this film the better, because I assure that you don't want to pick up any spoilers about this surprisingly original and ingenious horror-story. "The Skeleton Key" is an old-fashioned, powerful and – above all – well written haunted house thriller with great acting, macabre scenery and a shocking twist-ending that stands as one of the best I've ever seen in modern cinema. Beautifully set in the swampy region of New Orleans (morbidly enough, I saw this film shortly after the hurricane Katrina disaster), the story introduces a young nurse who moves into the ominous Deveraux mansion to look after its dying owner Ben. He had a nearly-fatal stroke in the dark attic of the house and, even though it looks like it was because of his old age, Caroline soon starts to suspect that something (or someone) nearly frightened him to death. Ben's wife Violet behaves very strangely and the old house's vicious history forces Caroline to investigate what could have happened. She discovers that the earliest occupants of the house practiced Hoodoo, which is a more spiritual variant of Voodoo... That's really all you can say about the story without giving away essential clues but, trust me, the rest of the film is definitely worth checking out yourself. Fans of atmospheric ghost stories (such as "The Others" or "Angel Heart") will particularly enjoy this film as it contains almost no graphic violence or gory monsters. Instead of blood, there's a wide collection of truly eerie set-pieces and subtle frights. Kate Hudson delivers a great performance, especially because she's not really familiar with the horror genre. She receives good feedback from Gena Rowlands, Peter Sarsgaard and – of course – John Hurt. The latter is always genius, even when he hardly has any lines. Highly recommended!

Part of the success of this type of movie is setting up and making sure its resolution lives up to its expectations. I must say that in this film everything seems to work, and yet... I'm not sure what spooked more: its ending or the nature of its ending.

The film deals with the adventures of a young care worker in the middle of Louisiana. The atmospheric surroundings, the haunting score, beautiful, spooky photography, and some very good acting by Rowlands and Kate Hudson raise the bar for upcoming "horror films". We're glued to the screen for nearly two hours, as things become more mysterious and intriguing. A few times we're treated to a jolt and a revelation, but what closes the film is bound to ruffle a few feathers.

Above all, this is a very good movie, with a script that doesn't cheat anyone and doesn't rely on silly gimmicks. Those factors should portend good tidings for its success in its original release, but it will probably become a classic of its kind. The heroine in distress manages to be smarter than the usual stereotype. She wants to explore the surroundings and solve the problem. The problem is she has no idea how bad the situation might be.

Gena Rowlands provides her character with nuances rarely seen in this type of film. She is a strange character and hooks up the audience from the very beginning. There is no really an archetype for what Rowlands brings to life. A few might find the previous statement questionable, but if you look closely to the development of her character, it is almost an original.

Kate Hudson makes a very strong impression in this film. She goes beyond the pretty actress to an accomplished performer who matches up to Rowland's intensity. She navigates the film with an ease rarely seen in today's roster of plastic pre-packaged pseudo celebrities. It is refreshing to see an actress make you care for the character that has so often been portrayed as an offensive stereotype. There no gratitude's screaming scenes here. The film reminds me of "The Others", a movie with substance and intelligence.

This is a film that I will highly recommend to my friends, particularly because I want to hear what they have to say about that ending.