Though it’s set during the Halloween season, Skelly has all the markings of a heartwarming holiday movie. It’s a film about family, reconciling with the past, and the community coming together with a similar goal in mind, in this case, to build the best haunted house that the neighborhood has ever seen. The film is a bit cheesy at times, but it’s a good alternative for families looking for a Halloween season movie that’s not all blood, guts, and gore. Heck, it would even make a good holiday movie, despite its autumn setting.
The always stellar Emmy Award-winning Brian Cox has a limited role as an eccentric grandpa. Though Cox’s role is minimal, he gives the film more gravitas than it would have had otherwise. His character also triggers the rest of the narrative because his eventual passing inspires the rest of the family to unify over a common goal, in this case, to build that haunted house. A lot of Cox’s scenes unfold via flashbacks, especially the relationship with his son, played by John Palladino. Grandpa obsesses over a board game that was popular in the 1930s called Skelly. It’s a game that kids played on the streets, and after his passing, Palladino’s character considers designing a Skelly game of his own to honor his old man.
Soon, however, Jonah (Jacob Saxton), the grandson, ropes his father and other family members into building the haunted house. At first, it starts out as a project that the neighborhood tweens and teens express interest in. However, because they’re young, they don’t have the necessary tools to make the best haunted house ever. That’s where Jonah comes in. He assists his son and his friends in designing the house, and horror fans should enjoy the amount of time the film spends on the actual creation of the haunt. It’s a lot of fun to watch and again lends itself well to the Halloween season, specifically for families looking for alternatives to the traditional slice and dice horror movies. There’s also a great autumn setting throughout the movie, be it the pumpkins on porches, the haunt props, or the cornstalks. The visuals really set the mood.
There’s also a rather strong plot thread regarding Palladino’s character’s struggle to process his grief and his sometimes strained relationship with Cox’s character. Though this subplot is sometimes a little too heavy-handed, it does serve to develop the character and strengthen the overall family bonds. It also underscores the importance of the haunted house and coming together to create something larger than oneself with the help of others. Meanwhile, the last act finally reveals the haunted house, and the walkthroughs look great. They’re well worth the wait.
Skelly does at times feel like a Hallmark Halloween movie. That said, movies like this are good gateway points to children who want to partake in watching seasonal movies but are a bit too young for the scary stuff. There are also some strong performances here, especially form Cox, Saxton, and Palladino. Skelly is certainly as sweet as candy corn.
