Locked Review: This “Locked in a Car” Thriller Rules!

PLOT: A thief breaking into a luxury SUV realizes that he has slipped into a sophisticated game of psychological horror.

REVIEW: Locked is my favorite kind of film: one that relies solely on its lead and an interesting concept to fill out the entire runtime. It never goes off the beaten path and breaks the promise of the premise, which would have been so easy to do. Instead, it executes the basic premise in a way that excites and thrills over its 90-minute runtime. Add in some fantastic performances and you’ve got the makings for one of the most entertaining thrillers of the year.

Locked starts with Eddie (Skarsgård) as he’s looking for an easy score. He seems to find it in the form of an unlocked SVU parked in a random car park. But when he gets in, he discovers that all the doors are locked, and he’s completely trapped. Despite carrying a gun with him, bulletproof windows make escaping impossible. To make matters worse, the owner of the car, William, calls and torments him, upset that his car has been targeted yet again. He claims the police won’t handle it so he’s taken matters into his own hands. What follows is a sick game of torture, all confined within the small space of an SUV.

Bill Skarsgård continues to be such a chameleon that the mere mention of his involvement is a signal of the role being interesting in some way. The man seeks out intriguing characters that have quite a large arc. Eddie is no different, putting short-term gains above the things that actually matter in his life. The situation can either break him or cause him to finally be the person his family needs him to be. It’s a nice sentiment and immediately has us rooting for Eddie, despite his criminal history. His stubbornness defines him and it’s beautiful all the ways that this manifests in the screenplay.

Not since Hannibal Lecter has Anthony Hopkins taken on such a psychotic role. Like Lecter, William uses his intelligence to get what he wants but there’s a more unpredictable side to him. He has a very fast cadence, going against his more measured delivery. It really works as it sounds like Hopkins is having a blast tormenting Eddie. Most of his role is just as a voice, so it’s easy to expect him to just coast along but he really puts his all into it. I loved the conflict between the two, and there are sure to be people on both sides. William clearly takes it too far, but the message of criminals not being properly punished is a salient point.

At one point, the film becomes Christine, as the car gets remotely controlled, putting Eddie in a slightly different environment. On the outside at least. William’s homicidal tendencies come through in his driving, with several people being the target of his road rage. This really helps to breathe new life into the film, and prevent it from ever feeling stale. I’ve never seen the Argentinian film 4×4, of which Locked is a remake of, but I’m extremely impressed with the narrative structure here. It’s all executed in such a logical but still entertaining way that it’s so easy to get invested. Shooting so practically also puts you in the car with Skarsgård, never properly breaking from the reality of the situation.

I had such a blast with Locked that I’m surprised I hadn’t heard of it sooner. Because this is the kind of film they should be marketing like crazy as it’s such a fun time, I can’t wait to experience it in a theater with a big crowd. Skarsgard and Hopkins have such good banter back and forth and the energy of the film always feels ramped up. There were moments of tension that nearly had me pacing, and an ending that bookends the story beautifully. This is one that you definitely don’t want to miss.

LOCKED IS AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL ON MARCH 21ST, 2025.

Locked

GREAT

8

The post Locked Review: This “Locked in a Car” Thriller Rules! appeared first on JoBlo.