Grade: B- | Genre: Drama Summary: The Skeleton Key is definitely creepy and throws its fair share of chills at you. It plays out like a classic Southern ghost story filled with aberrations, voodoo and overhanging shadows of slavery. The Skeleton Key is the latest Hollywood fright fest, trying to scare up some box office dollars during the sultry summer months. It also serves as the newest vehicle for Kate Hudson to downplay her talent as she drifts ever further away from her Oscar nominated turn as Penny Lane in Almost Famous. Where oh where did our "Tiny Dancer" go? Why does she keep starring in these tepid features (Raising Helen, Le Divorce, Alex & Emma) instead of sinking into a meaty and challenging role? Just one of those riddles for the ages I guess. Her latest turn in Skeleton Key is as a hospice worker that comes face to face with the brewing voodoo expelled out of the mosquito thick Louisiana Bayou. There are plenty of chills and thrills even if the mediocre script leaves a little to be desired.

Caroline (Hudson) is a hospice worker driven to her profession by a lingering guilt over not being there when her dying father needed her. She tries to comfort all her self-made father figures as they enter the great beyond. He forever haunts her, and this is her penitence. After becoming fed up with the hospital hospice system that lacked compassion, she answers an ad for an individual care position on the outskirts of New Orleans. This monstrous house looks like something that would be featured on the Travel Channel's five haunted plantations of New Orleans. Does common sense ever hit any of our horror film protagonists to say, " you know maybe this isn't the smartest idea I've ever had?"

The Skeleton Key Starring: Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, Peter Sarsgaard, John Hurt & Joy Bryant Director: Iain Softley, Daniel Bobker & Stacey Sher View the Trailer (Quicktime) Related Articles The Ring Two A Love Song for Bobby Long High Tension Email this article to a friend NETFLIX - Rent Movies Only $11.99 a month. No Late Fees. Over 40,000 Titles. Free Trial. www.netflix.com Curves Duluth Discover a Gym Where Women Can Change their Lives 30 Minutes at a Time CurvesDuluth.com Curves Buford Discover a Gym Where Women Can Change their Lives 30 Minutes at a Time www.curvesbuford.com

The questions keep building her tower of intrigue as she comes to discover there is more to this old couple than what meets the eye. She uncovers that the families' slaves were lynched on the property at the turn of the century. They practiced voodoo and remnants of their witchy ways drape over the place like the Spanish moss. Caroline slowly learns of their customs and their rituals to unlock the secrets of Ben's mysterious stroke. She thinks she is safe as long as she doesn't buy into the belief of this voodoo nonsense, but what happens when she does?

This film is definitely creepy and throws its fair share of chills at you. It plays out like a classic Southern ghost story filled with aberrations, voodoo and overhanging shadows of slavery. Unfortunately, it's not as taut and doesn't lunge for the throat like it should. We need a stronger anti-hero for us root against. Peter Sarsgaard's talent is completely wasted in his one-dimensional character. I guess even our indie stars have to do a paycheck film every so often to feed the kidlets. Also, this film tries too hard to feel like authentic New Orleans and instead comes off like a tourist guide through the spooky haunts. Although a few of the plot twists stand out like a sore thumb, the ending is a clever turn of play that really helps to make this film experience more satisfying that it might have felt moments before. Looking back over the fabric of the story, the turn holds up pretty well, leaving only a few shaky holes.

The Skeleton Key isn't a 'hide under your bed' scary movie, but it has enough creepy charm and pent up suspense to get you occasionally jumping out of your seat. What it really needs is to firm up this plot and make these characters more interesting instead of relying on stereotypical Hollywood prototypes. The long and the short of it is if you are looking for something to scare the bejesus out of you film, rent the Exorcist. If you are looking for a tame horror flick with a hint of New Orleans flavor, the Skeleton Key should fit the bill quite nicely.