Writer Ehren Kruger ("Scream 3", "The Ring", "The Ring 2") has become the Hollywood go-to guy for horror. He seems to specialize in films which maintain a level of spookiness throughout, but don't always add up at the end. In that way "The Skeleton Key", which capitalizes on the inherent creepiness of the Louisiana bayou in much the same way "Angel Heart" did, is a perfect addition to the Kruger canon.
"Skeleton" follows the spunky Caroline Ellis (the spunky Kate Hudson, an agreeable presence amid the freaky goings-on), a hospice worker with daddy-issues who takes a job caring for Ben, a stroke victim (John Hurt in a thankless, but effective, role) living in a huge house somewhere outside New Orleans. Caroline must share the house with Ben's wife, Violet Devereaux (yes, Violet Devereaux), played with scenery-chewing relish by Gena Rowlands. Violet can't abide by Caroline's snooping about. She feels this youngster won't be able to "understand the house" (don't worry, we'll never find out what she means by that). The house, it turns out, is the least of Caroline's worries.
Iain Softley ("Backbeat", "K-PAX") directs the film to within an inch of its life, but he keeps the suspense building admirably. There are plenty of scares at the requisite times; there's a creaky attic, a doll with eyes and lips sewn shut, even a hoodoo ritual shown in flashback. Amusingly, however, for a film based in Louisiana, there's not one southern accent to be heard.
The film builds to a final twist which is predictable only because, to Mr. Kruger's credit, it's exactly where the film should go. That, however, doesn't mean it makes any sense at all. The ending has an "a-ha!" high which lasts approximately the length of time it takes to leave the theater, at which time the plot begins to unravel and Mr. Kruger's red herrings become clear. There are moments in "Skeleton" which exist solely for the purposes of misleading or frightening the audience. Not that there's anything wrong with that, since after all "Skeleton" is being billed as a horror film. It's possible the audience is willing to be cheated in order to get a few cheap thrills. In the world of "Skeleton Key", you need only to believe in ghosts for them to be real. Mr. Kruger, on the other hand, firmly believes in the suspension of disbelief. Any audience member watching "Skeleton Key", better do the same.
