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The Skeleton Key

  • 20052005
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 1h 44m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
113K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,537
752
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
The Skeleton Key (2005)
Watch {VideoTitle}
Play trailer2:18
2 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Drama
  • Horror
  • Mystery

A hospice nurse working at a spooky New Orleans plantation home finds herself entangled in a mystery involving the house's dark past.A hospice nurse working at a spooky New Orleans plantation home finds herself entangled in a mystery involving the house's dark past.A hospice nurse working at a spooky New Orleans plantation home finds herself entangled in a mystery involving the house's dark past.

IMDb RATING
6.5/10
113K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,537
752
  • Director
    • Iain Softley
  • Writer
    • Ehren Kruger
  • Stars
    • Kate Hudson
    • Peter Sarsgaard
    • Joy Bryant
Top credits
  • Director
    • Iain Softley
  • Writer
    • Ehren Kruger
  • Stars
    • Kate Hudson
    • Peter Sarsgaard
    • Joy Bryant
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 442User reviews
    • 179Critic reviews
    • 47Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 5 nominations

    Videos2

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:18
    Official Trailer
    The Skeleton Key
    Clip 0:54
    The Skeleton Key

    Photos138

    Gena Rowlands and Kate Hudson in The Skeleton Key (2005)
    Kate Hudson and Peter Sarsgaard in The Skeleton Key (2005)
    Kate Hudson in The Skeleton Key (2005)
    Kate Hudson in The Skeleton Key (2005)
    Kate Hudson at an event for The Skeleton Key (2005)
    Kate Hudson at an event for The Skeleton Key (2005)
    Kate Hudson at an event for The Skeleton Key (2005)
    Gena Rowlands and Kate Hudson at an event for The Skeleton Key (2005)
    Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson at an event for The Skeleton Key (2005)
    Chris Robinson at an event for The Skeleton Key (2005)
    Chris Robinson at an event for The Skeleton Key (2005)
    Chris Robinson at an event for The Skeleton Key (2005)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Kate Hudson
    Kate Hudson
    • Caroline Ellisas Caroline Ellis
    Peter Sarsgaard
    Peter Sarsgaard
    • Luke Marshallas Luke Marshall
    Joy Bryant
    Joy Bryant
    • Jillas Jill
    Gena Rowlands
    Gena Rowlands
    • Violet Devereauxas Violet Devereaux
    John Hurt
    John Hurt
    • Ben Devereauxas Ben Devereaux
    Maxine Barnett
    Maxine Barnett
    • Mama Cynthiaas Mama Cynthia
    Fahnlohnee R. Harris
    • Hallieas Hallie
    • (as Fahnlohnee Harris)
    Marion Zinser
    • Bayou Womanas Bayou Woman
    Deneen Tyler
    Deneen Tyler
    • Desk Nurseas Desk Nurse
    Ann Dalrymple
    Ann Dalrymple
    • C.N.A.as C.N.A.
    Trula M. Marcus
    • Nurse Trulaas Nurse Trula
    • (as Trula Marcus)
    Tonya Staten
    • Nurse Audreyas Nurse Audrey
    Thomas Uskali
    Thomas Uskali
    • Robertson Thorpeas Robertson Thorpe
    • (as Tom Uskali)
    Jen Apgar
    Jen Apgar
    • Madeleine Thorpeas Madeleine Thorpe
    Forrest Landis
    Forrest Landis
    • Martin Thorpeas Martin Thorpe
    Jamie Lee Redmon
    Jamie Lee Redmon
    • Grace Thorpeas Grace Thorpe
    Ronald McCall
    Ronald McCall
    • Papa Justifyas Papa Justify
    Jeryl Prescott
    Jeryl Prescott
    • Mama Cecileas Mama Cecile
    • (as Jeryl Prescott Sales)
    • Director
      • Iain Softley
    • Writer
      • Ehren Kruger
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Nurse Caroline Ellis quits her job to take care of elderly Ben Devereux who had a stroke and can't talk. When she gets to his house in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, she meets Ben's wife Violet, who acts suspicious and creepy. The family's lawyer, Luke Marshall, convinces Caroline to stay. She goes to the attic and finds a secret room there full of spells, hair, and bones used to practice Hoodoo, but Violet says she has never seen this secret room. Caroline wants to help Ben, thinking that Violet has put a spell on him. She knows Hoodoo can't hurt someone who doesn't believe in it. Can Caroline save Ben, or will she end up being the one who needs to be saved? —amberbrigman
    • southern gothic
    • hoodoo
    • bound and gagged
    • soul transference
    • surprise ending
    • 283 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • It can open any door.
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • Horror
      • Mystery
      • Thriller
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated PG-13 for violence, disturbing images, some partial nudity and thematic material
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The swamp behind the Devereaux house was created with CGI effects. The actual house used in this movie, Felicity Plantation, is situated inland in St. James Parish, and is surrounded by farmland. The fictional Devereaux house was situated in Terrebonne Parish, which is coastal and swampy.
    • Goofs
      Violet rides up in the elevator when all power is out.
    • Quotes

      Violet Devereaux: Child, I believe you broke my legs.

    • Crazy credits
      There are no opening credits.
    • Connections
      Featured in The Making of 'the Skeleton Key' (2005)
    • Soundtracks
      Do Whatcha Wanna
      Written by Keith Frazier, Philip Frazier and Kermit Ruffins

      Performed by ReBirth Brass Band (as The Rebirth Brass Band)

    User reviews442

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    They Do that Hoodoo that they Do so...eh, Relatively Well
    Horror movies have become a dime a dozen in the past few years. The watchable ones seem to fall into two categories of late: misguided psychological thrillers headlined by a consummate actress (witness Naomi Watts in "The Ring 2" or Jennifer Connelly in "Dark Water") or over the top slasher/gore-fests with serious kitsch value (witness Romero's enjoyable zombie flick "Land of the Dead" or Rob Zombie's sadistic "Devil's Rejects"). All of the rest have pretty much been unbearable cliché-ridden hack jobs ("White Noise," "Darkness Falls," etc...)

    Oddly enough, "The Skeleton Key" doesn't fall into any of these categories and it comes across as a breath of fresh air, an old-fashioned throwback to the traditional Gothic mystery thriller, where a pretty female outsider (Kate Hudson acquitting herself rather nicely here as the hospice nurse traveling deep into the Bayou to care for an apparent stroke victim) moves into a big old house/castle that just might be haunted. The director and screenwriter start things slowly, and do a nice job of creating a realistic setting before letting all the mumbo-jumbo slowly and effectively creep in. Gena Rowlands and John Hurt (immobile and mute for most of the film) are fairly good in their respective roles as the married couple with more than just skeletons in their closets. We've seen this stuff all before, but it's done fairly well here with no sense of flash or pretensions, and as silly (and potentially offensive) as all this Hoodoo in the Bayou stuff is, the audience is treated to a twist ending that makes perfect sense in the context we have been given. This isn't a twist ending for twisting sake, but a fitting conclusion to the story.

    "The Skeleton Key" tries to remind people of classics like "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Others." It may not ultimately hold a candle to those films, but it's a very entertaining way to spend a few hours.
    helpful•196
    47
    • WriterDave
    • Aug 14, 2005

    FAQ13

    • What is 'The Skeleton Key' about?
    • Is "The Skeleton Key" based on a book?
    • What is Hoodoo?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 12, 2005 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Germany
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Chìa Khóa Xương Người
    • Filming locations
      • Bayou Gauche, Louisiana, USA
    • Production companies
      • Universal Pictures
      • ShadowCatcher Entertainment
      • Double Feature Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $43,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $47,907,715
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $16,057,945
      • Aug 14, 2005
    • Gross worldwide
      • $93,983,911
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 44 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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