10 Bleakest Endings In Horror Movies
5. The Skeleton Key
This mid-2000s horror movie stars Kate Hudson as Caroline Ellis, a hospice nurse who is hired to work at a large plantation house in Louisiana. She is hired by the lady of the house; Violet Devereaux to help care for her elderly, paralysed husband Benjamin. Benjamin apparently suffered a stroke which has left him completely dependent on others for aid.
As the film progresses however, she becomes suspicious that Benjamin may not actually be paralysed and may in fact be trying to escape the house. She soon finds herself trying to communicate with Benjamin and determine what exactly is going on.
The film takes a sharp turn when it is revealed that there is actually powerful hoodoo at play and that Violet Devereaux is actually possessed by a hoodoo practitioner known as Mama Cecile. In the film’s climax, Mama Cecile is able to perform the same body swap ritual which initially put her in Violet's body. This time placing herself in the nurse’s young body and trapping Caroline in Violet Deveraux’s dying body. The film leaves the viewer with a feeling of helplessness as Caroline is left unable to save herself whilst the villain stands victorious.