The Skeleton Key (PG-13) ★★

The Skeleton Key has all the makings of being a real creep fest: dilapidated old Southern mansion with history, Louisiana black magic. But unfortunately, there are more starlet-expectedly-turns-around-to-loud-sound-effects thrills than the hurt-the-moviegoer-sitting-next-to-you variety. The real suspense may lie in seeing how well horror suits Kate Hudson, who's coming off a succession of box-office duds.

Story

Caroline (Hudson) is a hospice nurse who goes from one terminally ill patient to another. The Devereauxs--stroke victim Ben (John Hurt) and his supposedly caring but overprotective wife Violet (Gena Rowlands)--are her next case. It all starts off innocently enough, with Caroline seeing Ben's misfortune as a means to pay for her nursing school tuition. But once she arrives at the foreboding house, a manse set on a bayou in the boondocks surrounding New Orleans (as if N'awlins isn't inherently spooky enough, we have to contend with the city's desolate outskirts?), it's clear that this place comes with history. Seems the former owners' black servants used to practice ''hoodoo''--a local folk magic--way back when in the attic and were strung up for it. Now, their spirits could still be up there. So when Caroline hears noises emanating from above, the (conveniently) curious houseguest investigates. Ben, too, seems spooked. Despite being deemed bedridden by Mrs. Devereaux, he's escaping out of windows. Caroline believes someone--or something--may be tormenting him (you think?), and she searches for the answer, which may or may not be lurking in the attic.

Acting

How The Skeleton Key does at the box office is pretty important for Hudson. Coming off her stellar, Oscar-nominated turn as the groupie with a soul in Almost Famous, the young actress hasn't been able to pull off the same magic since. Each of her last three films --Alex & Emma, Le Divorce and Raising Helen--have been under-performers. So she needs Skeleton to work and, thankfully, as the doggedly inquisitive Caroline, she holds up her end of the deal. Hudson refreshingly doesn't scream or over-emote like so many horror heroines have done before her--but her cutesy demeanor does rear its pretty head on occasion. Oh well, can't win them all. Film veteran Rowlands puts on a fine show as the matriarch with something malevolent brewing behind the fading Southern belle routine. And poor John Hurt, who is relegated to being tormented one way or the other as Ben. You can't help but feel badly for his character, whose plight takes on a cartoonish form at times, made even worse by the fact the esteemed actor has virtually no coherent dialogue throughout the film. And then there's the indie darling Peter Sarsgaard, who plays the Devereauxs hands-on lawyer, who's maybe a little too hands on. Although his screen time is limited, he still adds a nice element to the proceedings.

Direction

Director Iain Softley's films, up to and including this point, are as disparate as can be: the underrated Beatles dramatization Backbeat; Hackers, computer-lovers' cult favorite that gave Angelina Jolie her first big role; the critically acclaimed period drama The Wings of the Dove; and finally 2001's other-worldly K-PAX. Now, with Skeleton Key, it's ghost stories, and Softley makes a critical decision not to reveal any sort of monster. The decision to only hint at something wicked without showing it, in a summer full of the same tired, gory special effects is a gutsy choice that pays off, for the most part. It unequivocally leaves room for the audience to use their imagination--and Softley wants our collective imagination to run rampant. But even with this technique, the scare factor still seems to be lacking. It's only at the very end do we feel any tangible danger--and that's a long time to wait.

Bottom Line

The Skeleton Key is the appropriate metaphor for the movie's shortcomings. It opens every door but one, and behind that single door lies the real suspense, the real mystery.