User reviews

I don't know about anyone else, but I keep wondering why they can't make scary movies anymore. The trend nowadays is to make the movie suspenseful and to have an ending that the person won't expect at the outset of the movie. This movie follows this trend nicely. The ending was somewhat cool, but I left the theater very disappointed. It just seemed a little formulaic of today's "scary movies." It is nothing special, so you can wait until it comes to a dollar theater or on DVD. If you've seen The Grudge, The Ring, or The Sixth Sense then you've already seen The Skeleton Key. If you want to see another Grudge, just set in Louisiana then go for it. Just realize that when you go into the theater, be prepared to see a mediocre film that doesn't try anything new to scare you.

I like this story, I like the script, I like the idea. However everything else can be flushed. The lead of this movie didn't have much depth to her acting ability. I saw two modes- looking for something in horror or being wide eyed in horror at what she's discovered. In general I wound up rooting for the bad guys because I was sick of this chick. THis is a story of a girl who comes to a house for a job but eventually discovers that the house came to her and by the time she figures out why, it might be too late! Muahahahah. Anyways, any tension is destroyed by the poor casting, I can see that this script has great potential but unrealized potential is what you scrape off the bottom of your shoes after walking through the wrong part of the park.

...and stays...hopefully forever. And hopefully this infantile story stays with her...hidden in a little room in the attic...locked away by this cursed Skeleton key. What a waste of time!

To start off, I'm not really a fan of the "horror" genre, and this movie was not good enough to change that. The movie's not nearly as cliché as some of the garbage that's shoved through theatres, but that being said, all of their attempts to surprise didn't actually surprise me all that much. You can tell that the folks making the movie knew that there wasn't all that much going for it either, thanks to the random half-naked shots of Kate Hudson to keep otherwise-bored male moviegoers interested... (insert eye-rolling here). It's got some fresh ideas, and if you're superstitious and into horror movies, this movie's got all the right things going for it... but don't bother otherwise.

Booooooo. How many edits did this go through? I saw a trailer for this about a year ago. Sufice to say that if you didn't find this predictable, you were probably asleep while watching it. Now for the breakdown of some of the problems. The movie is entitled The Skeleton Key -- I believe because somebody thought it would make a nifty title. So, when our heroine receives her skeleton key, there is an air of importance to this moment. Further watching proves that there isn't. It just gets us further along the cookie cutter story structure. I actually looked at my watch as soon as I spotted the inciting incident of the film. 11:33 pm. It was an 11:00 show. Just prepare yourself for a lot of setup and not a lot of payoff, and not just at the top of the film. This is the M.O. of the filmmakers. Not clever. Not scary. Not interesting. A lot of unnecessary scenes and unnecessary character introductions. Very predictable. Inconsistent in its own visual vocabulary. However, Kate Hudson looks great in her underwear.

I liken this movie to a joke without a punchline. A rabbi and a priest walk into a bar. They have a drink. One says, "I was thirsty." The other nods. They stare at each other.

I've seen it at a sneak preview here in Germany. I am not a big fan of horror movies, but i think that anyone should expect more than just some bounces in the music from a film that is supposed to be scary. The story was just silly, so silly that even the acting and the direction seemed to be a little better in comparison. K-Pax was not a masterpiece, but i didn't expected that the same director could made such a bad movie. At least some bad horror movies are funny, this is only simply boring. Why did two young (one talented too) actors take part in such a mess is a mystery (a more interesting mystery than the one of the plot) Definitely not suggest.

Pacing too slow... Conversations are dull... Nothing much happens, couldn't keep my interest. Filmed too dark so a lot of what mightve been going on, I couldn't see.

Yet, even though you have to be a complete idiot not to understand how the movie will end about 3/4 into it ( actually, you get pointers all the freaking way, ruining the experience ), it has it moments. I suggest you watch it if you have nothing better to do. It has no scare, it's an attempt to make an "intelligent" horror-movie, but fails completely in both horror and intelligence. Yet once again, Americans ruin a movie by giving away the ending midways in the movie. The ending might be "original" in some few peoples eyes...but we've all seen it COUNTLESS times before. Americans knows only 2 endings in a movie. Good or bad. And the buildup for this gives it away. And "the twist" in the end...it is not a twist. It's the most common ending. When the heck are you going to learn?! Thank you America, for yet again disappointing me. The Others at least was intelligent... I still haven't seen a scary movie originally from USA.

While not a horrible movie, "Skeleton Key" disappoints with its lack of a substantial plot and failure to use its setting to create a spooky atmosphere. The story felt like a rehash of the Oliver Reed-Bette Davis film "Burnt Offerings," except a lot more predictable. It's always bad to have the audience figuring things out ahead of the protagonist but in the case of this film, the big twist is apparent roughly fifteen minutes into the movie -- and Hudson is playing catch up for the rest of the running time. John Hurt is utterly wasted in the role of a paralyzed stroke victim -- which begs the question, why cast him? Aren't there any wonderful older stage actors who could have played it just as well? Why put a star in a silent part?

This was another sneak preview night at our local theater. You have no idea what you are going to see. This one took about 10 minutes before folks started walking out. Yep, it is pretty bad. Great scenery at the outset of the movie of the Bayou. Movie is standard horror flick type. Wait for the DVD. Kate Hudson tries a new role in this one but it doesn't work. Good cast but the script and story line are much in need. How can Hollywood keep putting out so much junk this year, this one goes right to the front of the pack in making films that must be made to fulfill contracts for the actors. Don't know the budget for this one but it was way to much.

(2005) The Skeleton Key HORROR/ MYSTERY/ SUSPENSE

Co-produced and directed by Iain Softley that has nurse, Caroline Ellis (Kate Hutson) leaving her old job so that she can work as a caretaker of elder man, Ben Devereux (John Hurt) but is instructed by the family lawyer, Luke Marshall (Peter Sarsgaard) to stay away from specific rooms. And of course, Caroline doesn't listen, since the audience too want to see what's behind some of the rooms she is not permitted to open, and not supposed to see. Attempts to be like a Hammer- like film, but fails to keep my interest as I thought it was predictable and corny.