Skeletons in the Closet

I hate to be overwhelmingly negative when it comes to my reviews, but unfortunately I don't have much positive to say about this one... so I'll try to keep it brief.

From the moment it started till the final scene I almost consistently wanted to turn it off. The script was poorly written and felt juvenile. The editing and CGI were hokey and surprisingly low quality. This movie was almost the antithesis of atmospheric and there was practically nothing scary throughout. Many scenes were over lit and riddled with stagnant wide shots making it feel very amateurish. Stylistically it was just all wrong.

The story was nothing particularly engaging or original either, full of unnecessary and inconsequential aspects such as the scarecrow, the mobsters and many others. The general quality of the picture was crisp and nice which often times was beneficial, yet at other points really detracted from any semblance of atmosphere. I didn't even realize that the acting was really quite good until about halfway through because even the best acting can be hidden under poor angles, clunky editing and a bad script.

There were some really solid performances here, particularly from the mom, her father, her husband and the husband's brother. It is obvious that they used the majority of their budget on casting and let other things suffer because of it.

I do not like to and very rarely give out 2s. I really wanted to round up to at least 3 with this one for the acting, but unfortunately it was too much of an overwhelmingly negative experience on multiple fronts. 2.5 rounding down to a 2, would not recommend.

But close enough, I could give it 2 small stars cause of an ok first half and good acting, but in the end it went down as a fat boy on a seesaw

Funny is the first review on this movie gave it 10 stars and a long story about how fantastic the director was,,, well that guy is on crack or he is the director, or perhaps both

It starts ok actually, little slow but not boring, the movie works it way up and in the middle the movie wins your attention, you have a hope now something good starts to grow , but right there when the action finally should kick in, the movie trips in a black hole and never comes back again,,,,

And that was the last time we saw skeleteons in the closet.

My guess is this was filmed in about 8-10 days at most. Most scenes are 1-2 takes. They probably got Cuba Gooding Jr. For 1 or 2 days. The plot is extremely simple, almost as if a child wrote it.

By about the 1 hour mark I really wanted to shut it off, but I endured. To get to the underwhelming finale that any novice film goer would expect.

I guess the biggest question is why did Terrence Howard do this project? Why? It couldn't have paid much, maybe just for fun? The plot is partially a flashback story, which the synopsis explains. There's just nothing here sadly. The first 25 minutes is Cuba and Terrence drinking at bars talking, usually in 1 take scenes.

Overall it's passable to put on if you're working or cooking or something, but don't dedicate your time to watching this. 4.4/10.

Great actors. Horrible director and script. Sallie Kirkland another pro, is so smooth. Horrible script! Poor Terrence Howard brings authenticity to this awful project. I can never get enough Cuba Gooding,jr so at least there is that.

Listen, if you have accomplished actors like this, take advantage! These 3 actors could have elevated the movie with just a little more work on the script. Finally, we have an awesome Udo Kerr. He's like the cherry on top. This could have been at least mediocre. Nope. What a waste of incredible talent.

SHUDDER: Try again. This time don't green light it until you're given a decent treatment.

I recently viewed Skeletons in the Closet (2024) on Shudder. The plot revolves around a family facing adversity, with a terminally ill daughter and a father who loses his job, making it challenging to cover medical expenses. The mother turns to a spirit from her past for help, but at what cost?

Directed by Asif Akbar (Clown Motel), the film features Terrence Howard (Crash), Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jerry Maguire), Udo Kier (Suspiria), Clifton Powell (Ray), and Michelle Wang (Ruthless).

Regrettably, this movie is a disaster. Despite a promising setup and realistic circumstances, the execution falls short. There are a couple of cool costumes, such as the scarecrow and voodoo skull guy, but even with a stellar cast, the acting consistently feels inauthentic, and the dialogue is inconsistent. The reactions to certain situations fail to evoke the intended impact, and Udo Kier's character and scenes could have been much better. The voodoo/seance subplot also misses the mark.

In conclusion, Skeletons in the Closet had potential in its setup but suffers from poor execution. There's little to appreciate here, making it unworthy of your time. I would give it a 2/10 and suggest skipping it.