The Skeleton Key (Also Known As: Der verbotene Schlüssel) is a horror mystery thriller film directed by Iain Softley and written by Ehren Kruger. It released on 12 August 2005 (USA). The film stars Kate Hudson, Peter Sarsgaard, Joy Bryant. A hospice nurse working at a spooky New Orleans plantation home finds herself entangled in a mystery involving the house's dark past.