Dir:
Iain Softley, US, 2005, 104 mins
Cast:
Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, John Hurt, Peter Sarsgaard, Joy Bryant
In this creepy supernatural slice of American Gothic, Kate Hudson stars as Caroline, a former hospice nurse who wants to leave behind the rigidity of the profession in order to be more effective to patients. She takes up a position as carer to an elderly stroke victim, Ben (Hurt), terminally ill and mute, living in a decrepit old mansion in the swamps of the deep south. Terror is palpable within Ben, and may have something to do with his wife, Violet (Rowlands) - her love is obsessive, one wonders, does it mask something more sinister. Rowlands puts in an unnerving performance as the woman who grows increasingly deranged, her motives begging question throughout the film.
Caroline is given a skeleton key that unlocks every door to in the house - except one. As Softley builds up the tension with a slow, sinister burn, the initially unbelieving Caroline discovers a hoard of 'hoodoo' artefacts, including shrunken heads and magic spells. It is clear that there is something beyond the realms of the natural world at play here, driving Caroline almost to the point of madness herself.
The Skeleton Key is in the tradition of atmospheric chiller rather than playing on sudden shocks, special effects or gore, and as such is akin to the equally creepily disturbing The Others , whilst the sense of place, and the menace inherent in the surroundings puts it in line with the early voodoo classic I Walked with a Zombie.
As one might now expect from films of this genre, there is a twist. Subtle, yet satisfying, with the tension having been wrought to an explosive climax, The Skeleton Key is an enjoyable supernatural and extremely spine-chilling movie, made even better by some excellent performances.
Alison Best
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