SNMR 1.7: "The Skeleton Key"

Tonight's SNMR feature is "The Skeleton Key" (2005, PG-13, 104 minutes) starring Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, Peter Sarsgaard, Joy Bryant and John Hurt. The film was directed by Iain Softley.

This is another in a long line of DVD's that I bought when it came out several months ago and hadn't gotten around to watching it at all until tonight. I bought it primarily because the box looked interesting and partly because I've enjoyed other movies Kate Hudson has been in.

From the DVD's dust jacket:

"Kate Hudson stars in The Skeleton Key - a supernatural thriller that weaves a tale of terror and suspense! When Caroline Ellis (Hudson) takes a job in Louisiana's bayous, she unlocks a deadly secret involving magic, conjure, and sacrifice that pulls her into a terrifying world of strange, frightening and unexplained incidents. The key to escaping may lie in a decrepit attic, but if she dares to believe in what she discovers, everything she fears will become real! Filled with endless suspense and bone-chilling scares, hold on for this terrific ride with 'one of the best twists since The Sixth Sense' (Melanie Moon, WB-TV)!

Here we have a delightful little spook movie that is good enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. The film runs along at a good pace and doesn't drag in many areas. The writing is decent but no real memorable quotes stick out. Kate Hudson is good in the lead role and the supporting cast is believeable. I didn't think the twist ending was as shocking as in The Sixth Sense, but it worked for me because it's not an ending that I was expecting. Overall, I'm not a huge fan of this genre of film (I don't scare easily) but I did enjoy this one. Because no horror/suspense movie is perfect, I'll give this film 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.