Plot: A hospice nurse working at a spooky New Orleans plantation home finds herself entangled in a mystery involving the house's dark past. The heroes: Young nurse who works as a caregiver. Although strong and seemingly cold, Caroline is one of those horror movie likable but also tough heroines who aren't dumb and will do everything they have to do to survive. Kate Hudson who does mostly romantic comedies, delivers very good performance and one can only hope she will appear in serious material more often.
The antagonists: The spirits of voodoo practitioners trying to go back into the world of the living.
What makes it so great? "Skeleton Key" is one of my all time favorite horror films - it has this dark, magical ambiance that was seen for the last time in "Angel Heart". Voodoo, rituals, creepy attics, rain, ghosts, candles...it really can't get any better than this. There is only a handful of good movies set in fascinating Louisiana and this is one of them. Plus Gena Rowlands' performance as Caroline's mysterious employer is honestly one of the most magnetic you'll ever see in a horror movie.
Best scene: The final ritual scene.
