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 IN THEATERS ON MARCH 21ST, 2025.

Locked

GREAT

8

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Car-jackers beware. Hannibal Lector himself is administering a new brand of punishment in the upcoming thriller from producer Sam Raimi. Locked is directed by David Yarovesky, who has collaborated with James Gunn on the film Brightburn and also directed the disco-centric music video for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 titled “Guardians Inferno.” Yarovesky directs from a script written by Michael Arlen Ross, who penned Turistas. The thriller is small-scale and only features Bill Skarsgård and Anthony Hopkins in the cast.

The official synopsis reads,
“From producer Sam Raimi (Evil Dead, Drag Me to Hell) comes a relentless horror-thriller where luxury becomes deadly. When Eddie (Bill Skarsgård) breaks into a luxury SUV, he steps into a deadly trap set by William (Anthony Hopkins), a self-proclaimed vigilante delivering his own brand of twisted justice. With no means of escape, Eddie must fight to survive in a ride where escape is an illusion, survival is a nightmare, and justice shifts into high gear.” Joining Raimi on the producing block are Ara Keshishian, Peter Jákl, Zainab Azizi and Sean Patrick O’ Reilly.

Meanwhile, Hopkins recently played King Herod in the biblical thriller, Mary, that’s directed by DJ Caruso, whose credits include Disturbia, Eagle Eye and the Vin Diesel actioner xXx: Return of Xander Cage. He joine newcomer Noa Cohen, who played the titular role. Cohen was chosen after a worldwide casting search and happened to grow up an hour away from where Mary was born in Israel. Watch our interview with them HERE.

Check out more stills from Locked and the official poster below. The film hits theaters on March 21st.

The post New poster and stills released of Sam Raimi-produced thriller, Locked, starring Anthony Hopkins and Bill Skarsgård appeared first on JoBlo.

Hollywood legend Anthony Hopkins is teaming with Top Gun: Maverick star Glen Powell for Locked, a remake of the Argentinian action thriller 4X4. David Yarovesky directs from a script by Michael Arlen Ross (Oracle), with the original written and directed by Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat. The project hails from ZQ Entertainment and Raimi Productions.

According to the synopsis for Cohn’s 2019 thriller, 4X4 revolves around a thug who breaks into a specialized car with a unique security system that keeps him trapped inside, with no one being able to hear him crying for help. Cohn’s film starred Peter Lanzani, Ailén Mazioni, and Dady Brieva. I recommend checking out the trailer for 4X4, as it looks intense, brutal, and prone to giving audiences a feeling of claustrophobia.

In Yarovesky’s version, Powell plays the thug originally portrayed by Lanzani.

“Dave Yarovesky so elevated the material on Nightbooks, and he was our first choice for this,” Raimi explained to Deadline. “The script was so good and he’s such a good communicator that we were able to interest Anthony Hopkins, who for my generation is just about the greatest actor ever. Glen’s character has got a soul to him that’s slowly revealed as the picture goes on. It seems as though he’s just a thief, someone that doesn’t care for others but as the film unfolds, you realize he has a wife and a child that he loves and he’s wronged, and this whole experience gives him a chance to reflect back on how he’s treated them, and how he’s lived his life relative to them.”

Raimi explained that the experience inside the car brings new focus to Powell’s character, adding, “Because his time is at hand. He’s told by Sir Anthony Hopkins’ character that this will be it for him, and so the self reflection is an element through the course of this adventure,” Raimi said. “But this is not an emotional piece as much as it is an action tension piece, a nonstop thrill ride with characters at the center you learn to care about. That will be a satisfying experience for the audience.”

I’m genuinely excited about this one. The original looks like a nail-biter, and I think Locked is the type of film to showcase Powell’s talents uniquely. Let us know if you’re interested in watching Hopkins and Powell act their pants off in Locked in the comments below.

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