Skeleton Key

The Skeleton Key (2005) was written by Iain Softley and Ehren Kruger, and stars Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, John Hurt, and Peter Sarsgaard. This supernatural thriller is set in the rainy, humid, eerie bayous of southern Louisiana, and makes excellent use of its New Orleans and Terrebonne Parish locations. A compassionate hospice nurse named Caroline (Kate Hudson) moves into the isolated, spooky New Orleans plantation home of Violet (Gena Rowlands) and her invalid husband Ben (John Hurt), who is mute and disabled by a recent stroke. Caroline soon finds herself entangled in the mystery of the home’s dark past, which is shrouded in secrets and plagued by superstition, as she soon discovers the source of the mystery.

A skeleton key can open any door. The day that Caroline starts work at the plantation, Violet gives her a skeleton key that opens every room in the mansion. Caroline soon finds that it opens every door except for a small room hidden in the attic, which is where Ben had his stroke. Caroline manages to get into the room without the skeleton key and finds all kinds of bizarre objects including magical objects and a full-size voodoo doll. Violet tells Caroline that the room once belonged to two black servants, Mama Cecile and her husband Papa Justify, who had lived in the house during the 1920’s. The two were lynched by the owner of the house in the presence of their children for practicing black magic. Caroline dismisses the story as superstition, but then begins to sense that Ben is uncomfortable in the house and is desperate to escape as more and more strange events occur. Caroline soon discovers that Violet is working harmful spells on Ben, and seeks advice on how to protect Ben from harm from a local hoodoo practitioner. Caroline also seeks the help of the family’s lawyer, only to find that he is helping Violet.   

After a more than a few toe-curling moments, Caroline finds herself in the ritual room with Violet, who confronts her again as the climactic ending of the movie nears. If you want to find out how it ends you’ll just have to get the movie! Visit www.theskeletonkeymovie.com to watch the Skeleton Key movie trailer (PG-13) and buy the DVD. You’ll also want to check out the DVD bonus features including interviews with the cast and behind the scenes chatter. This is a great movie that will leave you with bated breath at every turn, totally eerie and mystifying. You may want to watch the ending more than once so you’re sure to catch everything that happens in this suspenseful thriller.   

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