X
  • 2005
  • R
  • Universal Pictures
  • 1 h 44 m
  • 2005
  • R
  • Universal Pictures
  • 1 h 44 m

Summary This contemporary supernatural thrilled, set largely in the dark atmospheric backwoods just outside of New Orleans, stars Hudson as a live-in nurse hired to care for an elderly woman's (Rowlands) ailing husband (Hurt) in their home...a foreboding and decrepit mansion in the Louisiana delta. (Universal Pictures)

Directed By: Iain Softley

Written By: Ehren Kruger

  • 2005
  • R
  • Universal Pictures
  • 1 h 44 m
  • 2005
  • R
  • Universal Pictures
  • 1 h 44 m
The Skeleton Key
Metascore Mixed or Average Based on 32 Critic Reviews
47
User Score Universal Acclaim Based on 404 User Ratings
8.6
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Where to Watch

Summary This contemporary supernatural thrilled, set largely in the dark atmospheric backwoods just outside of New Orleans, stars Hudson as a live-in nurse hired to care for an elderly woman's (Rowlands) ailing husband (Hurt) in their home...a foreboding and decrepit mansion in the Louisiana delta. (Universal Pictures)

Directed By: Iain Softley

Written By: Ehren Kruger

Where to Watch

Top Cast

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 32 Critic Reviews
47
38% Positive
12 Reviews
47% Mixed
15 Reviews
16% Negative
5 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 32 Critic Reviews
47
38% Positive
12 Reviews
47% Mixed
15 Reviews
16% Negative
5 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
75
For anyone zombified by creaky thriller clichés, Skeleton is a fine little shot in the head.
By Scott Brown FULL REVIEW
63
The soundtrack is guaranteed to send chills where they'll be most effective, and the ultimate resolution is a real shocker. While it doesn't explain away everything that's happened, it comes deliciously close.
By Chris Kaltenbach FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

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User Score
Universal Acclaim Based on 404 User Ratings
8.6
86% Positive
347 Ratings
6% Mixed
24 Ratings
8% Negative
33 Ratings

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Universal Acclaim Based on 404 User Ratings
8.6
86% Positive
347 Ratings
6% Mixed
24 Ratings
8% Negative
33 Ratings

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
10
Assonance
May 4, 2021
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
Report
10
Prolific
Apr 25, 2021
□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□□■□■□■□■□■□■~♤♡◇♧♤♡◇♧♤♡◇♧♤♡◇♧♤♡◇♧°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
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63
One of those movies that explains too much while it is explaining too little, and leaves us with a surprise at the end that makes more sense the less we think about it. But the movie's mastery of technique makes up for a lot.
By Roger Ebert FULL REVIEW
50
After getting off to a decent, somewhat muted start, Skeleton Key just gets sillier and sillier and sillier until it's yet another one of those stupid, noisy thrillers where everyone's running around in a house, yelling and falling down, and you're mostly wondering why nobody bothered to call the cops.
By M. E. Russell FULL REVIEW
50
Neither scary nor thrilling, although it's reasonably entertaining despite an abundance of haunted-house clichés, the usual inexplicable scary-movie behavior and an almost-naked John Hurt.
By Connie Ogle FULL REVIEW
40
Hokey, slow-moving thriller.
By Maitland McDonagh FULL REVIEW
20
Wholly devoid of suspense or chills, The Skeleton Key simply bides its time until its big final plot twist, but the filmmakers don't seem to realize that a second-rate twist can't redeem a third-rate fright flick.
By Nathan Rabin FULL REVIEW
See All 32 Critic Reviews
10
Bask
Apr 23, 2021
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,------------------------
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10
Amulet
Apr 19, 2021
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
Report
10
Bisect
Apr 17, 2021
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
Report
10
Compendium828
Apr 15, 2021
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
Report
5
JLau
Nov 1, 2020
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
Report
See All 20 User Reviews

Details

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Production Company Universal Pictures, ShadowCatcher Entertainment, Double Feature Films, Daniel Bobker Productions, Brick Dust Productions LLC, MFPV Film
Release Date Aug 12, 2005
Duration 1 h 44 m
Rating R
Genres
Tagline It can open any door.
View All Details

Awards

Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
• 2 Nominations
Empire Awards, UK
• 1 Nomination
Fangoria Chainsaw Awards
• 1 Nomination

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