"Skeleton Key," a southern gothic tale of suspense and horror, offers fine performances by Kate Hudson and Gena Rowlands, some vividly disturbing imagery, and an ending that is well worth the slowly paced and meticulously crafted set up. Not since the 1987 film "Angel Heart" has the premise of black magic and spiritualism been used with such chilling effectiveness. Hudson stars as Caroline Ellis, an idealistic hospice worker, who takes on the job of caring for a paralyzed, elderly man named Ben (played by John Hurt) in the decrepit old mansion in which he lives with his wife, Violet (Rowlands). On the occasion of Caroline's interview for the job of Ben's caretaker, she overhears an aside from Violet regarding her not 'understanding the house,' spoken to the family lawyer. The curiosity inspired by this remark and by the mounting idiosyncrasies of life inside the decaying mansion leads Caroline to unlock secrets hidden within that lead to horrific revelations.
Early on in her exploration of the old mansion's past, Hudson's character learns about the differences between hoodoo (African-Based control and healing magic, also called conjure) and voodoo (the religion of hoodoo practitioners). She is told that for hoodoo to work, the conjure subject must believe in its potency. The steps leading up to the final act present how Caroline, a practical, non-superstitious woman is ensnared into a potentially deadly belief in witchcraft. That we, the audience, come to believe as well is one of the saving graces of Skeleton Key. Layers of meaning and levels of understanding come to explain a heretofore hidden maze of logic and manipulation in the movie's final scenes.
Although not a classic thriller, Skeleton Key succeeds as an entertaining and ultimately satisfying diversion through seldom explored territory.
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