The Skeleton Key
The first time I watched The Skeleton Key, I was simply too lazy to change the channel. I was definitely not in the mood for some bland PG-13 horror flick, but as I lay on the couch like a dying slug, I discovered that The Skeleton Key was more than just a simple Hollywood marketing ploy aimed at achieving the widest audience possible. It is a quality flick that tells a compelling story within the restrictive boundaries of a PG-13 rating, and even though it is PG-13, you never feel like the story is cut or simply wimping out to maintain their rating.
The Skeleton Key is about a woman that moves to a rural mansion in the surrounding bayou of New Orleans, Louisiana. She moves there because she has taken a job as a fulltime caregiver for a man that has had a stroke. While she is there she begins to get the feeling that not quite everything at the mansion is as it seems. What follows is a delicious piece of lush cinema that takes advantage of the seldom seriously treated phenomenon of Hoodoo mysticism, which culminates in one of the more satisfactory endings of recent cinema.
The film is directed by Iain Softley… a man known more for his garbage flicks such as K-Pax and Hackers than he is for the taut psychological thriller that he has created with The Skeleton Key. Softley puts together a fine film that has about as much gloss as any film in Hollywood. He manages to create a dark and brooding atmosphere, while at the same time capturing the lively atmosphere of New Orleans, which gives the film a type of credibility and realism that is seldom seen in most horror movies these days, as they are more intent on basing their stories in generic anywheres. The only hiccup on Softley’s direction comes from during the super-weak flashback sequences, which are a combination of black and white and color footage. I have the feeling that Softley was going for a disturbing, jaunty feel for the flashback sequences, but they simply felt cheesy.
The acting in the film is excellent. This is the first film that made me sit up and realize who Kate Hudson (Almost Famous, You Me, and Dupree) was, as her performance is outstanding and elevates the film from standard issue psychological thriller to a must see flick. The rest of the cast is equally amazing led by John Hurt (Alien, 1984)… who plays one of the most convincing invalids I’ve ever seen. I almost felt bad for his situation until I realized that he was just playing a character and not really fucked up. Peter Sarsgaard (Jarhead, Kinsey) and Gena Rowlands (Hope Floats, The Notebook) round out the rest of the cast and are certainly every bit as memorable as Hurt and Hudson.
The film truly shines in the story department as the plot unfolds and builds to a compelling climax that is amazing to behold. It may be a little predictable for some people, but others may fall for everything. Either way, the film is a pleasure to watch…and even if you think it sucks, you get to watch Kate Hudson run around in her underwear… nothing wrong with that.
Final Synopsis: The Skeleton Key isn’t the best movie out there, but it is pretty enjoyable in its own right. If you’re into psychological thrillers, this one is worth a watch.
RELATED POSTS:
- The Skeleton Key Trailer Kate Hudson branches out from her usual romantic comedies and does this...
- I Spit On Your Grave Remake Once again we are now reporting about a classic horror flick getting the...
- Hell Night Here is another underrated slasher film from the early 80's that I...
- Crypt of Gore lists the must see horror family movies for Halloween As the days are slowly leading up to the end of October, many people are...
- The Last Horror Movie With all the hype surrounding "Behind the Mask" last year a film that was...
- Burnt Offerings Review Checked this movie not knowing much about it and I wasn't impressed....
- Shannon Elizabeth Takes on Demons Shannon Elizabeth is set ot take on Demons in her new film Night of the...
- Cloverfield 2 Dead in the Water? Recently there has been a lot of buzz about a possible sequel to...
- Top Ten Haunted House Films Top Ten Haunted House Films 10. The Ghost and Mr Chicken (1966)– This...
- The Witch Who Came From the Sea Review I've got one word for this flick -- horrible. I never heard of this movie...
No Comments
No comments yet.
Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
