The Skeleton Key (2005)

Featured Audience Ratings

• John M

  
  Creepy movie with some nice twists.

• Alexander D

  
  A great, superior horror flick. [FULL REVIEW: COMING SOON.]

• Melvin W

  
  Violet Devereaux: We've been waiting for you, Caroline.  "You Will Believe" The Skeleton Key is a pretty creepy and completely atmospheric supernatural thriller. I wouldn't say it is all that scary, but it definitely has it's moments. One thing it always is… More
  Violet Devereaux: We've been waiting for you, Caroline.  "You Will Believe" The Skeleton Key is a pretty creepy and completely atmospheric supernatural thriller. I wouldn't say it is all that scary, but it definitely has it's moments. One thing it always is though; is interesting. The movie has a really cool and interesting premise.  Caroline takes a job as a hospice worker in the deep south, where she isn't from. She's from New Jersey; The Garden State. An old married couple require her services. One of them, Ben, just had a stroke and can't move or talk. The other, Violet, is a grieving wife who is about to lose her husband. Another character who Caroline meets is the couples lawyer, Luke. He's a pretty friendly guy who seems to take an interest in Caroline. The story really starts when Caroline notices some weird things in the house, such as a Hoodoo room. Also, there are no mirrors in the house and Violet will not allow her to put one up.The story takes some unexpected twists and turns as it comes to a pretty cool and satisfying conclusion in my book.  It is a movie that I think most will either love or hate and from the reviews it seems that way. I really love this movie though. It has a really fun premise and remains completely engrossing the entire time. The cast is pretty good too. I always like Peter Saarsgard and he's pretty good here, with his down South accent. Kate Hudson is passable in the lead role. But Gena Rowlands really steals the show as Violet and John Hurt gives a pretty good performance as a man that doesn't even talk, except for one exception.  What really wins this movie over for me is the atmosphere. The setting is in a old creepy looking house in the swamps of Louisiana. The mood throughout the whole movie is heavy and dark and justifiably so. This may not crate new standards for the thriller or horror genres, but it did manage to be a thoroughly enjoyable ghost story.

• Steven C

  
  "The Skeleton Key" is certainly goofy and the various filters and morphing effects used to create 'creepy' images add a high level of camp, but the story itself is so interesting it helps pull the film through. The Hoodoo storyline is fun and the ending is suitably… More
  "The Skeleton Key" is certainly goofy and the various filters and morphing effects used to create 'creepy' images add a high level of camp, but the story itself is so interesting it helps pull the film through. The Hoodoo storyline is fun and the ending is suitably dark. The performances are serviceable with Kate Hudson delivering a believable turn. "The Skeleton Key" is rather straightforward when it comes down to it, but it has small, moody moments that make it slightly better than the rest.

• Anthony L

  
  Iain Softley did well to get such a good cast for The Skeleton Key but quite frankly Gena Rowlands, John Hurt and even Peter Sarsgaard are better than this. Although that's not quite fair of me to say, as I'm always saying that if you want to make a good horror film you need… More
  Iain Softley did well to get such a good cast for The Skeleton Key but quite frankly Gena Rowlands, John Hurt and even Peter Sarsgaard are better than this. Although that's not quite fair of me to say, as I'm always saying that if you want to make a good horror film you need good actors and that certainly is the case here. The films main fault really is the slow pace of the first two-thirds, it's riddled with cliches and is more than a little dull. Where The Skeleton Key really redeems itself though is at the end, the twist is very satisfactory and breath of fresh air compared to the majority of waste of time horror films of the last decade. It's more thriller than horror though really and nothing like The Ring as it tries to suggest. Still worth a watch though!

• Conner R

  
  Such a cool movie and I love the inclusion of Hoodoo into the plot. The story and characters are so interesting on their own, but given the New Orleans backdrop it's even more effective. Sure it plays like a traditional mystery, but the final outcome is completely original and… More
  Such a cool movie and I love the inclusion of Hoodoo into the plot. The story and characters are so interesting on their own, but given the New Orleans backdrop it's even more effective. Sure it plays like a traditional mystery, but the final outcome is completely original and one of the better twist scenarios. Kate Hudson pulled of a serious lead without any effort and Gena Rowlands was extremely creepy and bizarre.

• xGary X

  
  A young care worker takes a live in job looking after an elderly lady's ailing husband but comes to suspect that she is the one responsible for his condition. As the DVD cover screamed "FROM THE WRITER OF THE RING"!!!! I was pretty sure what to expect from this film,… More
  A young care worker takes a live in job looking after an elderly lady's ailing husband but comes to suspect that she is the one responsible for his condition. As the DVD cover screamed "FROM THE WRITER OF THE RING"!!!! I was pretty sure what to expect from this film, but it actually doesn't really fall into the generic J horror category at all. Having some of the feel of the "enemy within" Hitchcock thrillers such as Suspicion and Rebecca, it also has a some nice local deep southern colour, the photography is quite atmospheric and although it isn't exactly full of surprises, there are enough twists and turns to keep your interest. Not exactly a cornucopia of originality and invention but it is a decent piece of Twilight Zonery that's a lot better than the similar The Others.

• MisterYoda ?

  
  2 stars

• Jeff "

  
  The Skeleton Key is a superb film with a terrific story. Having low expectations before watching this film, I thought I would be disappointed once the film would be over. To my surprise, it was a disappointment at all. Though not flawless, the film is better than most horror films… More
  The Skeleton Key is a superb film with a terrific story. Having low expectations before watching this film, I thought I would be disappointed once the film would be over. To my surprise, it was a disappointment at all. Though not flawless, the film is better than most horror films released nowadays, and in the end it is one of the better horror films of this decade. Considering that most Hollywood studios want to remake classic horror films, The Skeleton Key offers a breath of fresh air for fans who seek decent horror. Personally I thought it was a superb film simply because of the solid story. Kate Hudson delivers her second best performance of her career, the first being Almost Famous. The Skeleton Key is a creepy film, but overall it's a fresh new take on a tired out genre where remakes dominate cinemas. Skeleton Key is the type of film that you either love it or hate it. I loved it and I thought it was an original horror film long overdue.

• Tim S

  
  It had an interesting ending, but that's about it.

• _kelly .

  
  This is a fun movie that pays tribute to the Voodoo horror subgenre. A slightly cheesy and racially exploitative little thriller with some very nice cinematography.

• Wahida K

  
  Skeleton Key is one of the greatest Mystery/Occult Movies I think.

• Jason O

  
  The story and even the magic and horror work to perfection in this gem

• Clintus M

  
  This is a mildly entertaining though predictable Southern gothic haunted house flick. I liked the atmophere, and the cinematography was excellent. They tried a fresh spin with the Hoodoo angle, but it wasn't enough to elevate this film out of the mediocre range. John Hurt was… More
  This is a mildly entertaining though predictable Southern gothic haunted house flick. I liked the atmophere, and the cinematography was excellent. They tried a fresh spin with the Hoodoo angle, but it wasn't enough to elevate this film out of the mediocre range. John Hurt was expressive, given no dialogue to work with. If you're interested, see BURNT OFFERINGS too. The plot is similar, and overall, better done.

• Emily A

  
  I really liked the ending to this film, but it was a long time in coming. I probably liked this film because I don't usually like Kate Hudson's comedies and I found the tone of this film a refreshing change. It's a much better use of the actress. The story is a good… More
  I really liked the ending to this film, but it was a long time in coming. I probably liked this film because I don't usually like Kate Hudson's comedies and I found the tone of this film a refreshing change. It's a much better use of the actress. The story is a good one, and it's probably easy to make a scary movie if it's set in the Bayou. This movie also gets mad props for coming up with a genuinely inventive and new twist ending, something lacking in the horror field as of late. Really interesting movie.

• familiar s

  
  Nice supernatural thriller with a great twisted ending. Not many will agree, but IMO, "A MUST WATCH".

• Wildaly M

  
  Bitch. That's the only thing I could think of as the credits rolled. I felt like I hated this movie. And since it inspired such strong feelings of hatred about the characters in it (especially the one played by the actor... Saarsgard is it?) and about how the whole thing turned… More
  Bitch. That's the only thing I could think of as the credits rolled. I felt like I hated this movie. And since it inspired such strong feelings of hatred about the characters in it (especially the one played by the actor... Saarsgard is it?) and about how the whole thing turned out, I actually think the movie wasn't that bad at all. Suspenseful but couldn't help thinking it was filled with some cheap scares.

• Jens S

  
  Set in the swamps outside of New Orleans this voodoo horror film actually creates a pretty good atmosphere to built its story on. And although nothing terribly exciting happens for a while the audience is still starting to wonder what's going on in the old house in which Kate… More
  Set in the swamps outside of New Orleans this voodoo horror film actually creates a pretty good atmosphere to built its story on. And although nothing terribly exciting happens for a while the audience is still starting to wonder what's going on in the old house in which Kate Hudson is taking care of John Hurt. It all culminates in a pretty exciting finale and a quite unusual solution for Hollywood standards. Had the potential to be a bit more scary but is definitely worth checking out for fans of the genre. And Kate Hudson is rather nice to look at too.

• Lady D

  
  A pretty unique touch on the subject of voodoo, a pretty good story with an unpredictable ending

• Lewis C

  
  I was very pleasantly surprised by this film. My very favorite kind of ghost story.

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