A hospice nurse working at a spooky New Orleans plantation home finds herself entangled in a mystery involving the house’s dark past.

Credits: TheMovieDb.

Film Cast:

• Caroline Ellis: Kate Hudson
• Violet Devereaux: Gena Rowlands
• Luke Marshall: Peter Sarsgaard
• Ben Devereaux: John Hurt
• Jill: Joy Bryant
• Bayou Woman: Marion Zinser
• Mama Cynthia: Maxine Barnett
• Hallie: Fahnlohnee R. Harris
• Desk Nurse: Deneen Tyler
• C.N.A.: Ann Dalrymple
• Nurse Trula: Trula M. Marcus
• Madeleine Thorpe: Jen Apgar
• Robertson Thorpe: Thomas Uskali
• Grace Thorpe: Jamie Lee Redmon
• Martin Thorpe: Forrest Landis
• Nurse Audrey: Tonya Staten
• Creole Gas Station Owner: Isaach De Bankolé
• Creole Mother: Christa Thorne
• Papa Justify: Ronald McCall
• Mama Cecile: Jeryl Prescott
• Frail Customer: Lakrishi Kindred
• Luke’s Secretary: Sabah
• Paramedic: Joe Chrest
• Party Guest: David J. Curtis
• Party Guest: Tiffany Helland
• Party Guest: Brian Ruppert

Film Crew:

• Producer: Stacey Sher
• Set Decoration: Beauchamp Fontaine
• Original Music Composer: Ed Shearmur
• Costume Design: Louise Frogley
• Producer: Iain Softley
• Director of Photography: Dan Mindel
• Art Direction: Drew Boughton
• Producer: Michael Shamberg
• Unit Production Manager: Clayton Townsend
• Casting: Ronna Kress
• Production Design: John Beard
• Producer: Daniel Bobker
• Editor: Joe Hutshing
• Writer: Ehren Kruger
• Costume Supervisor: Joyce Kogut
• Producer: Lorenzo P. Lampthwait
• Steadicam Operator: Colin Anderson
• Carpenter: Leo Lauricella
• Sound Mixer: Peter J. Devlin
• Set Production Intern: Hiro Taniguchi
• Key Hair Stylist: Susan Germaine
• Gaffer: Adam Harrison
• Sound Designer: Harry Cohen
• Standby Painter: Andrew P. Flores
• Location Manager: M. Gerard Sellers
• Production Supervisor: Gary R. Wordham
• Visual Effects Coordinator: Stephanie Pollard
• Greensman: Ronald S. Baratie
• Key Grip: Thomas Gibson
• Craft Service: Chris Winn
• Stunt Coordinator: Buddy Joe Hooker
• Lighting Technician: Greg Etheredge
• Supervising Sound Editor: Wylie Stateman
• Construction Foreman: Chuck Stringer
• Painter: Andrew M. Casbon III
• Stunts: Liisa Cohen
• Transportation Captain: Louis Dinson
• Scoring Mixer: Chris Fogel
• Video Assist Operator: Greg Mitchell
• Special Effects Supervisor: Jason Hamer
• Thanks: Michelle Guish
• Post Production Supervisor: Tania Blunden
• Stand In: Lexi Shoemaker
• Digital Compositors: Sean McPherson
• Art Department Coordinator: Stephanie Higgins Frey
• Makeup Artist: June Brickman
• Set Costumer: Laurel Frushour
• Set Dressing Artist: Dale E. Anderson
• Propmaker: William Davidson
• Rigging Gaffer: Martin Bosworth
• Production Manager: Kimberly Sylvester
• Music Supervisor: Sara Lord
• Leadman: Jason Bedig
• Leadman: Brad Bell
• Grip: Gordon Ard
• Production Intern: William Jackson
• Transportation Coordinator: Ed Arter
• Set Designer: Mick Cukurs
• First Assistant Camera: John T. Connor
• Visual Effects Supervisor: Karl Herbst
• Script Supervisor: Elizabeth Ludwick-Bax
• Best Boy Electric: Larry Cottrill
• Production Coordinator: Zoila Gomez
• Still Photographer: Merrick Morton
• Special Effects Coordinator: Bob Stoker
• Editorial Production Assistant: Jen Woodhouse
• Foley: Craig S. Jaeger
• Dolby Consultant: Thom ‘Coach’ Ehle
• Art Department Assistant: Amanda Fernald Jones
• Sculptor: Fred Arbegast
• Aerial Director of Photography: Phil Pastuhov
• Orchestrator: Robert Elhai
• Visual Effects Supervisor: Dan DeLeeuw
• Construction Coordinator: Dave DeGaetano
• Seamstress: Giselle Spence
• Driver: Bill C. Dawson
• Property Master: Peter C. Clarke
• Publicist: Patti Hawn
• ADR Supervisor: Hugh Waddell
• Sound Effects Editor: Christopher Assells
• Assistant Art Director: Jann K. Engel
• Hairstylist: Kathryn Blondell
• First Assistant Director: Gary Marcus
• First Assistant Editor: Davis Reynolds
• Electrician: Jimmy Ellis
• Production Accountant: Gregory D. Hemstreet
• I/O Supervisor: Ryan Beadle
• Set Medic: John Lavis
• Visual Effects Producer: Gary Nolin
• Rigging Grip: Mike Nami Jr.
• Boom Operator: Kevin Cerchiai
• Casting Associate: Courtney Bright
• Stunt Coordinator: Tom Bahr
• Stunts: Conrade Gamble
• Stunts: Annie Ellis
• ADR Mixer: Jeff Gomillion
• Camera Production Assistant: Alex Scott
• Storyboard Artist: Richard K. Buoen
• Assistant Location Manager: Marco Umana
• Graphic Designer: Zachary Fannin
• Set Decorating Coordinator: Matt Center
• Special Effects Technician: Douglas Calli
• Second Second Assistant Director: Tyler Romary
• Swing: Randy Severino
• Second Assistant Camera: Lisa Lengyel
• Foley Artist: James Moriana
• Assistant Editor: David Bilow
• Colorist: Jon Rocke
• Second Assistant Director: Jon Mallard
• Set Painter: Joey Genitempo
• ADR Recordist: Philip Rogers
• Digital Colorist: Mark Sawicki
• Best Boy Grip: Alex Cruz
• Dolly Grip: Larry Sweet
• ADR Voice Casting: Caitlin McKenna
• Negative Cutter: Gary Burritt
• Key Costumer: Richard Schoen
• Camera Loader: Brandon M. Cox
• Assistant Property Master: Selma Kora
• Costumer: Valerie T. O’Brien
• Title Designer: Lori C. Miller
• Digital Color Timer: Anthony Harris
• Digital Intermediate Producer: Bruce Lomet
• Location Casting: Craig Fincannon
• Key Accountant: Lisa Jean Felski
• Payroll Accountant: Andrew Jablonski
• Production Secretary: Annie Jablonski
• Location Production Assistant: Matthew D. Miller
• Supervising Music Editor: Daryl B. Kell
• Assistant Chief Lighting Technician: Christopher Prampin
• First Assistant Accountant: Ted M. Davila
• Music Programmer: Bryan Carrigan
• Local Casting: Robin Batherson
• Chief Lighting Technician: Bruce McCleery
• Compositing Supervisor: Edwin Rivera
• Location Assistant: Martha Bryan
• Pyrotechnician: Brad Manis
• Assistant Production Coordinator: Barrett J. Leigh
• Extras Casting Assistant: Dawn Dowdle
• Production Assistant: Michael Betz
• Pilot: Robert ‘Bobby Z’ Zajonc
• Second Assistant Accountant: Rudy Coblentz Jr.
• Key Production Assistant: Mollie Stallman
• Key Rigging Grip: Rick Rader
• Dialogue Editor: Laura Harris Atkinson
• Stunts: Scott Wilder
• Casting Assistant: Beth W. Crookham
• Assistant Camera: Kia Kiso
• Choreographer: Miranda Garrison
• Stunts: Kathy Jarvis
• Stunts: Gayle Hooker
• Stunts: Ralph W. Odum
• Stunts: Chad Randall

Movie Reviews:

• Wuchak: _**The Louisiana bayou, an antebellum mansion, Hoodoo and Kate Hudson**_
• A New Orleans hospice worker (Kate Hudson) takes a job at a dilapidated antebellum mansion in the bayou caring for a dying old man (John Hurt). His wife seems to be hiding something, however (Gena Rowlands). Peter Sarsgaard is on hand as the estate’s amiable lawyer.
• “The Skeleton Key” (2005) is a Southern Gothic supernatural thriller set in the Louisiana bayou à la “Cat People” (1982) and “The Reaping” (2007). It’s not as good as the former, but arguably superior to the latter or at least on par. Most of the film is an eerie drama taking place in and around the old Southern mansion, but the pace picks up in the final act with a quality surprise climax. Neither my wife nor I were able to anticipate the revelation, but it makes sense and hails back to earlier obscure horror flicks which I can’t name because I don’t want to give it away.
• Kate is a highlight with her cute face and the director doesn’t fail to capture her beauty in a tasteful way, but she needed to gain about 12 lbs as her thinness is un-alluring. Really, the only negatory is that the setting/cast is one-dimensional, which makes the movie tediously mundane, but this is offset by the creepy supernatural element.
• The film runs 1 hour, 44 minutes, and was shot in Louisiana (Felicity Plantation, Vacherie; Bayou Gauche & New Orleans) with additional stage stuff done in Universal City, California.
• GRADE: B/B-