Horror movies come and go, but only a few are able to live on through the absolute terror they bring to viewers.
Whether you enjoy a good scare or not, you’ve got to admit that when it’s done well, it’s an experience that can last for years.
There have been droves of movies full of so much suspense that it impacts the daily lives of those who had the misfortune of watching.
Like Jaws’ ability to single-handedly stop a generation of people from entering the beach. Or Final Destination, which continues to force individuals from living life freely and going in swimming pools, lifts and tanning beds.
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But it’s this spooky horror starring the one and only Kate Hudson which takes the prize.
After a poster on LADbible's Facebook group, Netflix Bangers, said: "I won't rest until i find a horror movie that will traumatize me for eternity," people knew immediately what to suggest.
This 2005 thriller is enough to put the most resilient of people on their edge of their seat.
The movie is called The Skeleton Key, and is about a hospice nurse working at a spooky New Orleans plantation home who finds herself entangled in a mystery involving the house's dark past.
Not only does it feature the classic mystery elements and investigative vibe, but there’s a secret weapon it deploys to ramp up the spookiness.
And that is Hoodoo.
No, not Voodoo. Hoodoo is a set of spiritual practices that were created by enslaved African Americans in the Southern United States from the Antebellum period onwards from the 16th to the 19th centuries.
It’s not typically something many people outside of the believe system know about, but it’s inclusion in The Skeleton Key plot heavily influences the feel of the movie.
From visiting Hoodoo shops to researching its roots in the slave trade and African culture, the tradition is more than a scare tactic.
It’s something that seems as though it’s real enough to cause you damage just by watching a film about it.
With a measly 58 percent rotten tomatoes score, it’s a surprise that many people didn’t appreciate a twist so big it left me feeling uneasy for a week.
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But thankfully, as terrifying as the movie is, there are those who appreciate its roots in American history and plantation atrocities.
One person wrote: “Ever since The Sixth Sense, thriller 'twists' have become increasingly lame and pointless, but in The Skeleton Key, it actually works quite well.”
Someone else said: “That old black magic is back in theaters this summer, bottled up in a frightful delight that just might rattle your bones.”
It’s safe to say that if you don’t believe in Hoodoo, watching this flick might change your mind and leave you looking over your shoulder.
Don’t have Netflix? You can watch the documentary with a 30-day free trial of Sky and Netflix here.
Britt Jones