The Skeleton Key

"She Who Shall Not Be Named" and I went to see The Skeleton Key yesterday. I wasn't too up for it because the film had gotten so many bad and mediocre reviews, but she insisted and I'm glad she did. This was by far the best movie I have seen this summer.

Most of the complaints regarding Skeleton Key had to do with the narrative. Reviewers either found it too confusing (which shows they weren't paying attention), or too easy to figure out (if they were). Certainly there are plenty of clues thrown at you and the central concept, fully revealed only in the last few minutes, is one familiar to SF fans. So, the shock ending is not really that much of a surprise if you've been paying attention.

The other major criticism, articulated by teen-age horror fans. It wasn't scary enough, by which they mean there's not enough blood and gore, and few jump scares to get the adreneline pumping. In other words, it's a movie made for adults.

This is a movie about mood and character and its dominant mode is suspense, not horror or carnage. There's little action until the last half hour, when it builds to an overwhelming confrontation. But there is some fine acting, by Kate Hudson who has matured greatly as an actress, by Gena Rowlands who is magnificently malignant, and by John Hurt who conveys far more with his eyes than most actors do with their voices.

The cinematography is quite good, and the direction excellent, if a bit quirky. There is an oppressive claustrophobia to the production. It boasts a small cast and limited sets -- appropriate for a director who first made his mark in the theatre. There is some excellent editing, especially in the final sequences, and the technique is not intrusive.

The plot: It's one of those sudden reversal films in which the concluding scenes contain information that suddenly changes your perspective on everything that has gone before -- sorta like The Usual Suspects, or the Sixth Sense. I'm starting to get tired of that game, but audiences still respond to it. Kate Hudson finds herself sharing a creepy, isolated, old house with some very ominous characters. Weird things occur, her suspicions build, clues and red herrings abound, she (unlike most horror film heroines) takes decisive action to resolve things, and then there is the climax, which clears up a lot of dangling plot threads.

That's it -- and for me it's far more than enough. I liked this film, a lot! So did "She". If you are over the age of 25 I think you will too.