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The Skeleton Key

Play trailer Poster for The Skeleton Key PG-13 Released Aug 12, 2005 1h 44m Mystery & Thriller Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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37% Tomatometer 154 Reviews 58% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Caroline Ellis (Kate Hudson), a good-natured nurse living in New Orleans, quits her job at a hospice to work for Violet Devereaux (Gena Rowlands), an elderly woman whose husband, Ben (John Hurt), is in poor health following a stroke. When Caroline begins to explore the couple's rundown Bayou mansion, she discovers strange artifacts and learns the house has a mysterious past. As she continues to investigate, she realizes that Violet is keeping a sinister secret about the cause of Ben's illness.
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The Skeleton Key

The Skeleton Key

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Critics Consensus

Thanks to its creaky and formulaic script, The Skeleton Key is more mumbo-jumbo than hoodoo and more dull than scary.

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Critics Reviews

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Nick Schager Lessons of Darkness A blundering New Orleans-set thriller under the spell of archaic stereotypes about Southern Bayou blacks. Rated: C Aug 26, 2005 Full Review Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com Blame screenwriter Ehren Kruger (Arlington Road). I can't tell if this hit-and-miss scribe is a remarkably talented guy who's unfortunately had a few misfires or if his few good scripts were just the result of a large amount of blind luck. Rated: 2/4 Aug 20, 2005 Full Review Richard Roeper Ebert & Roeper This is a moody, creepy thriller with some genuinely scary moments and a couple of twists that took me completely by surprise. Aug 15, 2005 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy The supernatural element extends beyond what's taking place on the screen, as it appears that Rowlands, delivering a performance of high camp, has been possessed by What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?-era Bette Davis. Rated: 2.5/4 Sep 17, 2021 Full Review Grant Watson Fiction Machine It is much more difficult to decide whether The Skeleton Key is mildly offensive or nicely provocative - or for that matter if it is dreadfully silly or actually quite smart. Rated: 6/10 May 8, 2021 Full Review Mark H. Harris Black Horror Movies Ever since The Sixth Sense, thriller "twists" have become increasingly lame and pointless, but in The Skeleton Key, it actually works quite well. Rated: 3.8/5 Jan 6, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Tasha L 100% underrated. Such a good watch if you’re in the right mood. The concept is pretty cool and it’s a good movie. Nothing crazy but definitely an entertaining watch with a few scares and a spooky atmosphere. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/09/24 Full Review Jonah M How is this movie considered to be rotten and the movie Get Out that is more recent which is a knock off of this movie is considered Fresh. These ratings don't really mean squat. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/30/24 Full Review Damian M Not bad, but slow and boring. Not enough life in the characters and it just felt underwhelming. Could've done more with the local Haitians and hoodoo, however, this is based on a book I haven't read so grain of salt. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 10/16/24 Full Review Susan M I agree with others that this film is underrated. I enjoyed the unique story line and found myself wanting to know what was going to happen next. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/15/24 Full Review Caroline M Doesn’t get enough credit this is a good psychological thriller! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/14/24 Full Review Caitlin M I thought the cast was terrific. The story kept me questioning and guessing what would happen next, and I love a bad ending. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/05/24 Full Review Read all reviews
The Skeleton Key

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Cast & Crew

The Skeleton Key

The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - It Doesn't Work If You Don't Believe The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - It Doesn't Work If You Don't Believe 2:02 The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - Ghost in the Mirror The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - Ghost in the Mirror 1:41 The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - Get Me Out of Here! The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - Get Me Out of Here! 2:47 The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - Crawling Away The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - Crawling Away 2:47 The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - The Body Stealers The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - The Body Stealers 2:15 The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - Chased by Conjurers The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - Chased by Conjurers 2:18 The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - Performing the Ritual The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - Performing the Ritual 1:47 The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - Dark Magic History The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - Dark Magic History 3:20 The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - Escaping the House The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - Escaping the House 3:30 The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - Hoodoo Attic The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - Hoodoo Attic 2:52 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis Caroline Ellis (Kate Hudson), a good-natured nurse living in New Orleans, quits her job at a hospice to work for Violet Devereaux (Gena Rowlands), an elderly woman whose husband, Ben (John Hurt), is in poor health following a stroke. When Caroline begins to explore the couple's rundown Bayou mansion, she discovers strange artifacts and learns the house has a mysterious past. As she continues to investigate, she realizes that Violet is keeping a sinister secret about the cause of Ben's illness.
Director
Iain Softley
Producer
Daniel Bobker, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher
Screenwriter
Ehren Kruger
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Production Co
Double Feature Films
Rating
PG-13 (Some Partial Nudity|Disturbing Images|Thematic Material|Violence)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 12, 2005, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
May 7, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$47.8M
Runtime
1h 44m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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