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Director: Iain Softley
Release Date: August 12, 2005
Rating: PG-13 (for violence, disturbing images, some partial nudity and thematic material)
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 A skeleton key is not what you use to open Castle Greyskull. Instead, a skeleton key is the term for the one key that is carried by the owner of a large house that can be used to open any room he wishes. It is the master key.
But there's much more to this movie than keys.
Kate Hudson plays Caroline Ellis, a hospice worker who's been caring for dying people in a hospital in New Orleans. After watching another person die and realizing that the hospital cares more about money than dying folks, she decides it's time for a new job that doesn't involve working for The Man.
And what location could be better than the Haunted Mansion from Disneyland? Not quite, but the four columns in the front and the constant moaning, banging, and other Halloween tape sound effects sure bring back memories.
An hour outside of New Orleans, Caroline comes to meet the cranky Violet Devereaux and her paralyzed husband, Ben. Ben had a stroke that left him with only the ability to give spooky stares and the occasionally groan. Violet is unimpressed and can tell immediately that Caroline didn't grow up in the South. Clearly, a reason to rule her out as a possible candidate for the job.
Luckily, the couple's lawyer, Luke, is there to greet Caroline and help convince Violet that she is more than just a city slicker from Jersey.
Eventually, Caroline moves into the house and prepares to spend her time feeding, drugging, and bathing Ben. In return, Ben stares at her with his spooky eyes. Caroline acquires a skeleton key. Sadly, there is no skull on it, but it does open all the doors in the house... or at least, that's what she was told.
All that is spooky is not gold
One night, Caroline is woken up to thunder and loud banging. She begins looking around the house to make sure everything is okay and finds Ben's room empty. Ben had managed to crawl onto the patio roof from the second floor. Upon rescuing the old man from a horrible fall, Violet decides it's time to double Ben's drugs.
Note to self: If a paralyzed man starts moving around, it's time to give him more dope.
Realizing that Ben is not as paralyzed as Caroline was originally told, she begins to investigate how Ben ended up in his vegetative state.
Them city-folk don't understand Hoodoo
The journey takes Caroline on a path of discovery into the house's history and the religion, Hoodoo - Voodoo's little-known bastard cousin. Her skeleton key opens all doors in the house except for the one door in the attic that tends to make loud banging sounds every now and then. But not to worry, not much happened in there except for a horrible story involving the lynching of two black servants.
Yes. The dumb white girl continues to work there after finding all this out.
Although not believing in anything "superstitious", Caroline searches the house and studies Hoodoo to hopefully figure out what happened to Ben. Although he's paralyzed, Ben is obviously scared of something in the house. Is he seeing ghosts? What caused him to have his stroke?
These questions continue to build until the climax of the movie. The movie kept me guessing as to which angle it was going to take on everything. Is the magic real? Or is it only real because people believe it's real?
Kinda cliche, yet kinda good
The movie is cliche to an extent. Following the tried and tested formula of any good thriller, it leads the viewer to an ending that isn't shocking, but is still solid.
The cast is an all-star one including Gena Rowlands, John Hurt, and Peter Sarsgaard. John Hurt plays the paralyzed man and has very few lines, but he is able to portray fear and sheer terror through nothing more than looks. Very impressive.
The Skeleton Key is worth checking out. It is a good thriller without all the gore we've come to love.
All in all, it's a solid movie with a solid ending. The climax ends with a twist that I only caught onto a few seconds before it was all revealed. Luckily, there is no cliff-hanger and I was very satisfied with the movie.
Related links:
Official website
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