The Skeleton Key

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The Skeleton Key

PG-13

2005

1h 44m

Mystery & Thriller

Horror

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Popcornmeter

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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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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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

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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

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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

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William

I can’t believe this movie has such a low rating. We really enjoy it. It’s more clever with a real story and a spooky ghost story vibe versus just some slasher film. The story and characters are great and Gina Rowlands really steals the film. Love Kate Hudson in this its a film we revisit often especially around Halloween.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/19/25

Full Review

Rider W.

Loved the movie! Worth watch.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/13/25

Full Review

Chelsie G

Worth a watch if you’re looking for an atmospheric thriller. The New Orleans baylou setting is great. Storyline is above most modern day thrillers. I liked the voodoo witchiness of the plot but characters are never deep enough to get you fully bought in. Overall, I’d recommend watching it but probably not twice.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/29/25

Full Review

Karen R

Loads of darkened shots to supposedly add atmosphere but really a bit of a cop out with lighting folks... stuff is more scary with some light... Standout actor playing Ben ... the lawyer character is so obvious... but still an interesting watch which has stayed as good as it ever was over 20 years.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/05/25

Full Review

Mark C

Pretty entertaining and pretty twisted. There are obvious tropes like house being pitch black outside of a couple candles. The casting choice of Peter Sarsgaard somewhat tips the hand a little bit.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/16/25

Full Review

Kat L

Totally underrated horror movie that is basically copied by Jordan Peele's Get Out

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/13/25

Full Review

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Iain Softley

Director

Kate Hudson

Caroline Ellis

Gena Rowlands

Violet Devereaux

John Hurt

Ben Devereaux

Peter Sarsgaard

Luke

Joy Bryant

Jill

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

1:41

The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - Get Me Out of Here!

2:47

The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - Crawling Away

2:47

The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - The Body Stealers

2:15

The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - Chased by Conjurers

2:18

The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - Performing the Ritual

1:47

The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - Dark Magic History

3:20

The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - Escaping the House

3:30

The Skeleton Key: Official Clip - Hoodoo Attic

2:52

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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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