The Skeleton Key Review

It's a beautiful city but there is something inherently disturbing about New Orleans. Its bayous and rich history give the place an air of mystery and various movie makers have capitalised on this, giving films such as "Interview With The Vampire" and "Angel Heart" a chilling air. But how will British director Iain Softely fare as he tries to bring this modern day ghost story to life?

The film centres on Caroline (Kate Hudson), a young nurse who's still trying to come to terms with the death of her dad. Having grown disillusioned with the hospice where she works - they're not caring enough, apparently - Caroline takes a job as a personal carer for a man (John Hurt) who's suffered a stroke at his remote Plantation home. When she arrives Caroline immediately butts heads with his aging Southern Belle wife Violet (Gena Rowlands), but gradually the pair settle into a routine and Violet even gives Caroline a skeleton key which will open every room in the palatial house. But gradually Caroline starts to suspect that all is not well in the place and the discovery of a spooky room in the attic seems to justify her concerns.

Scripted by Ehren Kruger ("The Ring", "Scream 3"), "The Skeleton Key" certainly does conjure up a few scares. But they come too few and far between to create a palpable sense of tension. Hudson is decent in the lead and it's certainly refreshing to see her out of the romcom genre, while Rowlands gets to be grumpy and prim as the fading Southern lady. Hurt though is rather wasted as Ben, the character's stroke severely restricting his input to little more than the odd word and scared look.

Softely certainly captures the New Orleans spirit, from the blues and jazz which dominate the soundtrack to the film's fascination with Hoodoo, the mystical magic that thrives in the area. However "The Skeleton Key" doesn't quite live up its initial promise as the film descends into a chase around the house and its grounds, as the rain lashes down. The non-conventional ending helps a bit but you still feel "The Skeleton Key" could have unlocked much more.