Spooky voodoo on the bayou

British director Iain Softley has assembled a good cast for his supernatural horror set deep in the marshes of southern Louisiana.

Kate Hudson plays a carer looking after John Hurt's stroke victim as his odd wife (Gena Rowlands) looks on suspiciously and lawyer Peter Sarsgaard tries to calm things down.

There's something nasty in the attic, connected to voodoo rituals. Or is there just some hideous conspiracy afoot?

Softley proves an atmospheric film-maker but his screenplay leaves a lot to be desired. You don't employ Hurt, for instance, and then not give him a word of dialogue (though some might say he was lucky in the circumstances).

And you have to admire Rowlands, as she struggles bravely to put over lines such as: "You've gone and broken both my legs."

Because of this failing, the surprise ending looks merely tricksy and unconvincing. Not a bad effort, but not a very good one either.

The Skeleton Key
Cert: cert15