Out in the swamps things are done differently. The Skeleton Key thouroughly explores this through a slow paced but very intense story about the past, hoodoo, and the virtue of NOT opening other people’s doors. If your boss tells you to not do something, then don’t do it the first chance you get. Some work place etiquette for Pete’s sake!
People that work with the dying are on a whole other level. Their kindness and level of humanity are through the roof. When the main character finds an old dying man that needs help she heeds the call. Problem is, he lives with his wife in the middle of the swampy hicks! This is where they do things old-fashioned style. It’s a bit weird but she adjusts. Until she finds a hidden door and things start to go awry. Hoodoo mysteries, ghosts of the past, and a slow-burning horror await!
Do ya like jazz? If so then the soundtrack in this movie is above and beyond! If you also enjoy good actors, a very contained plot, and a great ending then Woah mama is this good! The Skeleton Key takes a pretty tired trope of doing horror with hicks in the middle of Swampton US without overly focusing on racist stereotypes or relying on morality. Instead, we get a fresh take on hoodoo culture, some sweet western hospitality, and some pretty good feelings of dread.
This is not a traditional movie that goes boo. Rather it filled me with a sense of things being off and a creeping sense of dread. It’s one of those movies that kind of sticks around in your head afterward. I cannot say that it was on par with Noroi trauma wise but it managed to stick in the forefront of my skull for a few days after the fact. All in all a very decent movie with some A-level acting and some good twists. I suddenly have a craving for some blues music. I wonder why…
