Skelly

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about a boy who puts together a haunted house with his friends. When his grandfather dies, his father sends him on a journey to understand death. The film was written and directed by Matt Green-DeLanghe. THINGS I LIKED: It’s great to see Brian Cox in something again! As always, he does a great job. Some other actors you’ll probably recognize from popular TV shows are Judah Abner Paul, John Palladino, Torrey DeVitto , and Andy Comeau. The young cast is new at this but did a good job. A standout is Devin Trey Campbell who is a natural. I enjoyed the nonlinear style of storytelling, although it might confuse young children watching it with their families. It’s fun to watch how the effects for the haunted house are made and it’s cute watching a group of kids go through it. Even kids will understand the importance of family as the main theme for the film. While flawed, the film has a lot of heart. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: Most of the acting is pretty amateur. Some transitions are pretty rough. There are long lectures on grief that can be meaningful for adults, but will be boring and unrelatable for young kids. The montage scenes of construction are way too long. It feels and looks like a low-budget indie film because…it is. Kudos to the team for pulling this off. We learn about the game “Skelly” in the beginning of the movie, but then that piece of the story line is pushed back when the kids start working on their haunted house. TIPS FOR PARENTS: A teenager smokes cigarettes Parents and smart kids will be amused by the spelling errors. The haunted house has special effects that show a guillotine, people with fake blood, aliens dissecting a human, and other things that might scare young children.