On DVD: Skeleton Key

Kate Hudson stars as a New Orleans Hospice worker that cares for a dying man in a house with some dark secrets. While thin on premise and imagination Skeleton Key pays off in the end and manages to provide some decent creepiness.
Hudson moves into a house with an elderly couple to take care of the husband that’s dying of a stroke. Immediately Hudson fears there is something going on and becomes suspicious of everything around her. Of course her suspicions are correct (but she’s not supposed to know that) and all hell breaks loose.
Like most recent horror films there are plenty of red herring moments that include creepy characters that are apparently creepy because the Director told them to be. While this is expected, it is a little distracting when coupled with the pacing of the film.
Hudson jumps right in and starts poking around the house as soon as she arrives for no apparent reason, her instant inquisitiveness feels like someone hit the fast forward button on the DVD player. The thin back-story for why she is so determined to find the underlying cause of things barely works but it doesn’t take a lot away or keep you from enjoying the show.
While not the best horror or suspense on the shelf, Skeleton Key is enjoyable and interesting…..and a little scary.