Locked (2025) - Film Review

      Locked, 2025.

      Directed by David Yarovesky.

      Featuring Bill Skarsgård, Anthony Hopkins, Ashley Cartwright, Michael Eklund, and Navid Charkhi.

      SYNOPSIS:

      A burglar breaking into a luxury SUV discovers that he has unwittingly entered a complex game of psychological horror. Bill Skarsgård plays Eddie, an unfortunate everyman and unreliable father whose partner is growing increasingly frustrated with him. Despite this, Eddie genuinely cares for his daughter but often fails her while preoccupied with other aspirations, hoping to present himself as less of a deadbeat when he interacts with her. This includes his repeated inability to pick her up from school due to his broken car, leading him to a desperate place where he attempts to steal from an open SUV, which subsequently locks itself when he enters, resulting in the title, Locked.

      Directed by David Yarovesky with a screenplay by Michael Arlen Ross (adapted from the 2019 film 4 x 4 by Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat), the story serves as a blend of an extended Saw-like trap and themes of class conflict. Not only is there nothing of value to steal from the SUV, but Eddie soon realizes that he is trapped inside, with bulletproof glass windows that injure him when a bullet reflects off them.

      Shortly thereafter, the vehicle's computer system activates, introducing us to an irate and unhinged Anthony Hopkins as William, who seeks justice. He sounds like an irritable older relative disillusioned by modern times, lamenting generational differences and how, in the past, it was safe to leave homes and cars unlocked, whether it was for malicious intent or dire need. William shows little sympathy for the latter, blaming individual choices and promoting the idea that hard work without complaints has brought him success.

      Eddie must endure William’s tirade as William has the capability to remotely taze him whenever he swears and can manipulate the car’s temperature in extreme situations. The terror unfolds over several days, during which William uses the car’s security cameras to slip supplies to Eddie, such as water or bandages for his injury, without waking him, a potentially ridiculous aspect that goes unaddressed.

      This premise is restrictive, leading to moments where Locked feels repetitive in its themes and torture methods. When the two characters aren’t engaged in dialogue, Eddie is either searching for a way out or cursing in frustration. In the initial 40 minutes, he shows little willingness to hear William’s perspective, which is understandable but also aggravating since he has no viable alternatives. The film feels as though it is dragging before it truly begins.

      As the car moves, William’s increasingly erratic behavior creates a couple of tense moments, yet much of this feels like a waiting game for the character to lower his defenses, likely when Anthony Hopkins is on screen with a convoluted reason for being in the car. Although William is depicted as the antagonist, the film's politics seem to align with him, particularly when Eddie is revealed to have bought a winning scratch-off lottery ticket just before entering the SUV, suggesting that he deserves this life-threatening ordeal for a poor decision made during a weak moment. While this does not excuse stealing, it reflects a screenplay that seems to sympathize with some of William’s outdated beliefs regarding the rewards of hard work.

      At a certain point, Locked becomes too absurd to be taken seriously yet simultaneously maintains a serious tone, struggling to achieve the right equilibrium. It falls into clichés and predictable action sequences, only somewhat enhanced by its star power (where else can one see Bill Skarsgård using his real voice instead of heavy prosthetics or Anthony Hopkins channeling Jigsaw?). Ultimately, it fails to fully engage the viewer.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

      Robert Kojder is associated with the Chicago Film Critics Association, Critics Choice Association, and Online Film Critics Society. He also serves as the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews and follow my BlueSky or Letterboxd