Review: Bill Skarsgård and Anthony Hopkins’ ‘Locked’ Is Loaded With Thrills

In the ’90s, engrossing thrillers dropped on a regular basis. The genre came alive, offering up a number of fan-favorite films that have stood the test of time and continue to be revered to this day. Brightburn director David Yarovesky’s Locked feels like it belongs to that special generation. It’s a heart-palpitating, non-stop thrill ride that has the audience white-knuckling the edge of their seats for 95 minutes. Mild spoilers for Locked to follow.

What is ‘Locked’ about?

Eddie Barrish (Bill Skarsgård) isn’t having a good day. He forgets to pick up his daughter, Sarah (Ashley Cartwright), from school, he’s short on the money to pay for the repairs on his van, and the mechanic (Michael Eklund) isn’t budging about releasing the vehicle without the full amount being paid. Eddie steals a wallet, but it doesn’t have enough cash inside to pay for the repairs. After trying to phone everyone he knows for help, he decides to see if there are any cars unlocked for him to take a look inside for potential valuables to sell.

Eddie believes he hits the jackpot when he spots an unlocked luxury Dolus SUV. However, when Eddie steps inside, he can’t get out. The doors are locked, the windows are bulletproof, and no one can hear his screams. Soon, he speaks to the owner of the vehicle, William (Anthony Hopkins), who informs Eddie that he’s going to pay for trying to steal from him.

‘Locked’ traps the audience in a living nightmare

Based on the Argentinian film 4×4, Locked doesn’t take too long to – ahem – lock you in. David Yarovesky and cinematographer Michael Dallatorre create an instant claustrophobic setting that swings the mood of the movie. Of course, the panic kicks in, as Eddie tries to escape a situation in which he knows he’s in the wrong, so there’s the added anxiety of him being trapped in a mess of his own doing and reacting before thinking. That isn’t the worst of it, though, as Eddie dehydrates and craves food in this metaphorical and literal “prison.”. His mind plays tricks on him, while he becomes more irritable to William, who watches on from another location and taunts and punishes Eddie throughout the ordeal.

Now, 95 minutes of seeing a person trapped inside a parked car could be stretching a concept, so Michael Arlen Ross’ script puts the story into drive at the right time. This is the part of the film in which Eddie discovers the extent that William is prepared to go to as he fashions himself as a righteous vigilante. Effortlessly, Yarovesky glides between horror and thriller here, demonstrating the never-ending nightmare that Eddie cannot escape from. Even though Locked doesn’t possess supernatural elements per se, it’s still reminiscent of John Carpenter’s 1983 adaptation of Stephen King’s Christine, as Eddie is never in control of the vehicle or what it does.

It’s essentially a two-man movie

Bill Skarsgård and Anthony Hopkins carry Locked for the majority of the running time. However, Hopkins’ William stays mostly off screen, communicating with Skarsgård’s Eddie via the Dolus’ phone. This means that Skarsgård’s physical acting becomes the centerpiece of scenes. It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that the Swedish actor knocks his performance out of the park, as he continues to establish himself as one of the best talents of his generation.

Skarsgård knows how to control and toy with the audience’s attention – whether it be through a simple look that says a thousand words or through a violent outburst that symbolizes the character at the end of his rope. In Locked, he runs the gamut of emotions that demonstrate his impressive range as an actor, essentially telling a pulsating and twist-turning story inside of a car.

In Hopkins’ case, his voice performance does the heavy lifting of his character work, as he carefully veers between a justice-seeking vigilante and full-blown psychopath. At times, there are traces of Hannibal Lecter in his tone, where he uses his voice to disarm or soothe his victim, leading Eddie to believe all will be fine, only to strike like a viper soon thereafter.

‘Locked’ is a must-see movie event

Hollywood cries about how no one goes to the cinema nowadays and helps studio executives to buy their villas in Mallorca, but who wants to if all that’s on offer is the 556th instalment of the MCU or a bastardized live-action adaptation of a Disney classic? Locked, though, proves that there’s still originality and excitement alive in Tinsel Town. It might not be coming from the so-called big studios, but it’s still there if you look hard enough and support it.

Without question, Locked is a riveting cinema experience that keeps its end of the bargain and loads up the thrills. Don’t be shocked when this film hits the number one spot on Netflix or other streaming services months from now too.