The Skeleton Key

© 2005 Universal Pictures
Directed by: Iain Softley
Written by: Ehren Kruger
Starring: Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, John Hurt, Peter Sarsgaard, Joy Bryant
U.S. Theatrical B.O.: $43,779,225
cumulative critic score on Rotten Tomatoes: 40% positive (out of 132 reviews)

I’m about to totally ruin the movie so if you give a shit quit reading. OK nobody gives a shit. The Skeleton Key is either way subversive or way racist. If it follows the standard Hollywood convention in which the villain gets his just desserts, then it’s the story of mistreated slaves who avenge themselves on the arrogant New Jersey socialites of the world. If it follows the standard Hollywood convention in which the hot young actress is the default protagonist, then it’s the story of aryan Kate Hudson doing battle with the black soul at the heart of every white villain. That it follows both is why this movie is kind of atypically complicated. That it’s all embedded in the standard Hollywood convention of portraying African-Americans in New Orleans as ooga booga practitioners of voodoo or The Dark Other is why maybe I’m kind of sort of kidding.

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© 2005-06 Sinlechuga / Dan Hoy