By Romey Norton - October 29, 2024
If Hallmark made scary movies, it would be this! Director Matt Greene-DeLanghe brings the sidewalk board game Skelly to life in the thriller-drama Skelly. Starring the notable Brian Cox, Torrey DeVitto and John Palladino. The film explores themes surrounding death, grief, mortality and embracing fear. Don’t worry, it sounds deep and heavy, but the film is more lighthearted and heartwarming than I first expected.
After the loss of his beloved grandfather, Jonah’s father sends him on a poignant journey to understand mortality. Together, they construct the annual haunted house for the neighbourhood with Jonah’s friends, intertwining a quest for understanding with the tradition of embracing fear.
The film opens explaining the famous sidewalk game, and a sweet, wholesome family putting up Halloween decorations. Jonah is an adult, with his family, reading them his new book about his experience as a child making the haunted house. The film's use of flashbacks to when Jonah was a child, now compared to him being an adult, isn’t overbearing or annoying. Jonah’s voice is used to take us through his story, moving the narrative along.
The acting is cutesy, simple and believable. Sometimes it’s a little cheesy, but this film isn’t going for the Oscars, it’s here to tell a story of love, loss and loving again. The kids do well with their comedic timing and chemistry. The most memorable is Devin Trey Campbell who steals scenes through his charm and charisma. I was fully invested in this real-life haunted house being created, and these kids making it the best one anyone has ever seen. The uncle character is very funny and I wanted a lot more of him.
Death is something we all face in life, and when it happens at such a young age it can be hard to understand. This film does incredibly well in showcasing the fear, anxiety and acceptance of losing a loved one through a child's perspective, as well as adults. We see how Jonah’s dad struggled to make things after the passing of his father, so building this house with his son is not just to help Jonah but to help himself.
Towards the end we see the haunted house in all its glory - its certainty one I would visit. Skelly has an emotional ending, with everyone screaming letting out all their bottled up emotions, and plans to keep the haunted house family tradition alive.
Overall, Skelly is a heart-warming experience, filled with love and positivity. It’s the perfect family movie to watch this fall. The film has a sweet message that we don’t get through grief, we’re always going through it, and that’s okay.
SKELLY IS AVAILABLE NOW ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS
留言