Drama

Horror

Mystery

Thriller

The Skeleton Key

Universal Pictures

MFPV Film

Double Feature Films

ShadowCatcher Entertainment

Daniel Bobker Productions

Brick Dust Productions LLC

Germany

United States of America

English

Kate Hudson

Gena Rowlands

Peter Sarsgaard

John Hurt

Joy Bryant

Marion Zinser

Maxine Barnett

Fahnlohnee R. Harris

Deneen Tyler

Ann Dalrymple

Trula M. Marcus

Jen Apgar

Thomas Uskali

Jamie Lee Redmon

Forrest Landis

Tonya Staten

Isaach de Bankolé

Christa Thorne

Ronald McCall

Jeryl Prescott

Lakrishi Kindred

Sabah

Joe Chrest

David J. Curtis

Tiffany Helland

Brian Ruppert

Dan Mindel

Iain Softley

Michael Shamberg

Louise Frogley

Ronna Kress

John Beard

Stacey Sher

Daniel Bobker

Clayton Townsend

Edward Shearmur

Ehren Kruger

Drew Boughton

Beauchamp Fontaine

Joe Hutshing

Scott Wilder

Joyce Kogut

Beth W. Crookham

Kia Kiso

Lorenzo P. Lampthwait

Karl Herbst

Miranda Garrison

Kathy Jarvis

Chad Randall

Gayle Hooker

Ralph W. Odum

Amanda Fernald Jones

Jann K. Engel

Ronald S. Baratie

Chuck Stringer

Jason Bedig

Gordon Ard

Laurel Frushour

John Lavis

Phil Pastuhov

Colin Anderson

Dave DeGaetano

Bob Stoker

June Brickman

Peter C. Clarke

Stephanie Higgins Frey

Thomas Gibson

Leo Lauricella

Tania Blunden

Susan Germaine

Kathryn Blondell

Brad Bell

Andrew M. Casbon III

Jason Hamer

Adam Harrison

Stephanie Pollard

Michelle Guish

Dale E. Anderson

Kimberly Sylvester

Patti Hawn

Kevin Cerchiai

Mick Cukurs

Lexi Shoemaker

Louis Dinson

Harry Cohen

Martin Bosworth

Robert Elhai

Chris Fogel

Fred Arbegast

Greg Etheredge

Gregory D. Hemstreet

John T. Connor

Bill C. Dawson

Greg Mitchell

Craig S. Jaeger

Wylie Stateman

Sean McPherson

Ryan Beadle

Dan DeLeeuw

Thom 'Coach' Ehle

Elizabeth Ludwick-Bax

Jen Woodhouse

Andrew P. Flores

Giselle Spence

William Davidson

Gary R. Wordham

William Jackson

Liisa Cohen

Mike Nami Jr.

Merrick Morton

Chris Winn

Ed Arter

Jimmy Ellis

Hiro Taniguchi

Buddy Joe Hooker

Hugh Waddell

Christopher Assells

Davis Reynolds

M. Gerard Sellers

Gary Marcus

Larry Cottrill

Zoila Gomez

_**The Louisiana bayou, an antebellum mansion, Hoodoo and Kate Hudson**_

A New Orleans hospice worker (Kate Hudson) takes a job at a dilapidated antebellum mansion in the bayou caring for a dying old man (John Hurt). His wife seems to be hiding something, however (Gena Rowlands). Peter Sarsgaard is on hand as the estate’s amiable lawyer.  

"The Skeleton Key" (2005) is a Southern Gothic supernatural thriller set in the Louisiana bayou à la “Cat People” (1982) and “The Reaping” (2007). It’s not as good as the former, but arguably superior to the latter or at least on par. Most of the film is an eerie drama taking place in and around the old Southern mansion, but the pace picks up in the final act with a quality surprise climax. Neither my wife nor I were able to anticipate the revelation, but it makes sense and hails back to earlier obscure horror flicks which I can’t name because I don’t want to give it away.

Kate is a highlight with her cute face and the director doesn’t fail to capture her beauty in a tasteful way, but she needed to gain about 12 lbs as her thinness is un-alluring. Really, the only negatory is that the setting/cast is one-dimensional, which makes the movie tediously mundane, but this is offset by the creepy supernatural element.    

The film runs 1 hour, 44 minutes, and was shot in Louisiana (Felicity Plantation, Vacherie; Bayou Gauche & New Orleans) with additional stage stuff done in Universal City, California.

GRADE: B/B-

The Skeleton Key Trailer

The Skeleton Key [Movie Trailer]

Best Movies

The Skeleton Key

Cast & Crew

Videos

Cast

Kate Hudson

Gena Rowlands

Peter Sarsgaard

John Hurt

Joy Bryant

Marion Zinser

Maxine Barnett

Fahnlohnee R. Harris

Deneen Tyler

Ann Dalrymple

Box office

More Like This

Dare the Devil

Return to Sender

Walking Tall

Scum

Ballast

Day of the Woman

Secrets from the Past

Our Shining Days