The Skeleton Key (2005)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Iain Softley

Writer (WGA):

Ehren Kruger (written by)

Release Date:

12 August 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

It can open any door.

Plot:

A hospice nurse working at a spooky New Orleans plantation home finds herself entangled in a mystery involving the house's dark past.

Plot Keywords:

Hoodoo | Attic | Key | New Orleans | Voodoo

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Kate Hudson	...	Caroline Ellis
Gena Rowlands	...	Violet Devereaux
John Hurt	...	Ben Devereaux
Peter Sarsgaard	...	Luke Marshall
Joy Bryant	...	Jill
Maxine Barnett	...	Mama Cynthia
Fahnlohnee R. Harris	...	Hallie (as Fahnlohnee Harris)
Marion Zinser	...	Bayou Woman
Deneen Tyler	...	Desk Nurse
Ann Dalrymple	...	C.N.A.
Trula M. Marcus	...	Nurse Trula (as Trula Marcus)
Tonya Staten	...	Nurse Audrey
Thomas Uskali	...	Robertson Thorpe (as Tom Uskali)
Jen Apgar	...	Madeleine Thorpe
Forrest Landis	...	Martin Thorpe

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence, disturbing images, some partial nudity and thematic material.

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Brazil:14 | Hong Kong:IIB | Argentina:13 | Peru:14 | Taiwan:R-12 | Belgium:KNT | Switzerland:16 (canton of Zurich) | Malaysia:U | Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:12 | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #41757) | Ireland:15A | UK:15 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | Norway:15 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R13 | Australia:M | USA:R (original rating) | Sweden:11 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Czech Republic:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Bayou Gauche, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The swamp behind the Devereaux house was created with CGI effects. The actual house used in the film, Felicity Plantation, is situated inland in St. James Parish and is surrounded by farmland. The fictional Devereaux house was situated in Terrebonne Parish, which is coastal and swampy.

Goofs:

Continuity: Toward the beginning of the movie, Carolyn takes a shower and goes to sleep. She is awoken by a noise, Ben on the roof of the house. When she goes outside to save him in the rain, her mascara is dripping down her face, yet how can this be after she just awoke clean from the shower.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Caroline Ellis: [reading from Treasure Island] I lost no time, of course, in telling my mother all that I knew, and we saw ourselves at once in a difficult and dangerous position. Something must speedily be resolved upon, and it occurred to us at last to go forth together and seek help in the neighboring hamlet...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Andy Barker, P.I.: The Big No Sleep (#1.5)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Death Letter

still spooked by the ending

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.