Skelly movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Skelly

This family-friendly Halloween movie is now available on Fandango at Home, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV.

RATING: PG

LENGTH: 1 hour 25 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: C+

SPONSORED PRODUCT:

The “Skelly” table that John Palladino’s character made is really cool and I wanted to know more about it. When I looked up “Skelly game”, I found out that “Skully” (different spelling) is a game that’s often played on the streets of New York City and other urban areas, with the same rules and board, often sketched on the street in chalk. I’m not sure why the name is spelled differently, but I was excited to find a tabletop game on Amazon in the form of a tablecloth so that you can play it at home! So fun!

Link: https://amzn.to/3YiQM5b

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.

THEMES:

Death
Grief
Family
Memories
Teamwork
Love and loss
Purpose of life
The importance of enjoying life with the ones you love

INTERESTING LINES:

“I think the mistake people make is that we ‘get through grief’…you know, we move through it and it’s behind us, when really, we’re always kind of going through grief.” – Mom (Torrey DeVitto)
“Though we can’t avoid loss or the pain it causes, you know, if we’re open to the possibility, we can experience an equally strong, though more elusive emotion: catharsis.” – Mom (Torrey DeVitto)
“Death and life are so intertwined in our experience, but the good stuff doesn’t have to just be for after.” – Mom (Torrey DeVitto)
“You’re being deceived by your own perceptions. Your brain is telling you one thing but reality is slightly different. What you need to do is turn off the caveman brain and start to see what is actually in front of you.” – Uncle Glenn (Andy Comeau)