The Skeleton Key

I am an avowed fan of horror films but I must confess that films with haunted houses are so common that it gradually became uninteresting. Still, there's nothing like giving new material a chance. That's what I did here. And I was reasonably satisfied: its a film that knows how to build atmosphere and tension and a pleasant mystery, even if its not capable of frightening.

Everything takes place in the swamps of the suburbs of the mysterious old New Orleans. In an old colonial house lives an elderly couple who hires Caroline, a nurse and elderly caregiver who goes to that house at the hand of the family notary in order to care for Ben, the family patriarch, very weakened by a stroke that left him disabled. But it doesn't take long for the young woman to discover that the house hides many ancient secrets and some of these secrets can really be a threat.

As a pure horror film its weak... but it has a satisfactory cast and a tense atmosphere that, coupled with a decent script, with the inclusion of witchcraft and vodoo themes (it's New Orleans, how could we not think in this?) helps the plot and serves as glue to everything we have here. I felt that the character Caroline is not developed properly and is poorly presented to the public, since we don't know much about her and that makes her a figure more than a character that we can feel and that touches us. Even so, it is a functional film that delivers more or less what it promises, despite not being able to scare or go beyond tension and some occasional chills.

The cast has several names of some weight. Peter Sarsgaard is the most resonant name, but he is guarded by a character who doesn't appear that much but guarantees him a minimum of presence. Kate Hudson is elegant and beautiful, and knows how to play her role, but does not seem to feel her character as she should, in some scenes that seem less well worked or well Gena Rowlands, in turn, is extraordinary and makes a character truly colossal.

Technically, I would like to highlight the quality of cinematography and the work of filming and editing, which gave the film a very important visual beauty to build the environment that the film requires. The scenes and landscapes of the swamps and the city are excellent and were used in the best way. The effects are minimal, but they fulfill their role, the sets and costumes, as well as the Swedish landscapes (with or without snow) increase the visual beauty of the whole set. The soundtrack does its job well.

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!

A young woman takes a job caring for a stroke victim in his creepy, dilapidated home in New Orleans. She begins to get suspicious that something more is at play. Stars Kate Hudson.

I love the plot and also the location and it's quite creepy. It's not brilliantly put together somehow but overall it's a decent supernatural thriller (more than a horror) and worth a watch.

The ending to this movie which I won't spoil is truly one of the best I've encountered in a horror movie. Throughout the runtime I was trying to figure out what the inevitable twist will be but there is no way I could've predicted the wild turn of events that unfolds. The conclusion is what made me raise my rating from a 7 to and 8. Ending notwithstanding it is still a very decent and atmospheric horror movie. I love movies set in New Orleans/Louisiana and am always on the lookout for more and this was a major reason why I watched this. I love it when a Louisiana movie embraces the swampy setting so that you can feel the humidity radiating from the screen. Skeleton Key has a lot of great scenes that establish the setting and showcase the culture and myths of the area. Some say the movie is a bit tame but that's not a problem for me. There are some horror movies that are let down by a PG-13 rating but this is not really a movie that needed an R rating as I can't think of many things that it would have changed apart from adding some unnecessary gore. Additionally, the performances are good but the direction could've maybe been improved to give it more of a creepy vibe as there weren't many actual scenes that had me scared. All in all it doesn't matter too much as Skeleton Key is a very decent and rather underrated horror movie that relies on atmosphere and setting rather than cheap thrills and gore.

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.