User reviews

Locked (2025), the English-language remake of Argentina's 4x4, sets out with a chilling premise-a carjacker trapped inside a high-tech SUV turned psychological prison. Directed by David Yarovesky and starring Bill Skarsgård and Anthony Hopkins, the film delivers on claustrophobia and unease but falls short of leaving a lasting mark.

The plot unfolds as Eddie, a reckless thief, breaks into what he believes is just another luxury car-only to find himself ensnared in a twisted game of justice by a vigilante played briefly, but brilliantly, by Hopkins. While Skarsgård carries the majority of the film, shifting between fear and frustration, it's Hopkins' minimal screen time that lingers most-his voice alone lends gravitas the film sorely needs.

Technically, the film scores well-direction, editing, background score, and cinematography all pull their weight. But narratively, it's a slow-burner that doesn't quite ignite. The tension builds steadily, yet the climax arrives too suddenly and is followed by a rather muted epilogue, dulling the impact of the confrontation and its moral undertone.

In the end, Locked feels like a high-concept thriller that loses steam halfway. It grips, but doesn't quite throttle. A one-time watch, especially for fans of psychological tension, but not one that demands a revisit.

Rating: 3/5 A tense setup with strong performances, but the payoff doesn't quite justify the ride.

Anthony Hopkins must be in financial trouble to have taken on this major disappointment and waste of time. Even the free version of Copilot in Bing could've come up with a better plot and far better dialog.

The characters were so under developed they'd be blank if they had been traditional camera film in a photo lab. The dialog was so undercooked it should've come with a salmonella risk warning.

The movie attempted to be twisted but was annoying. It tried to be twisty but was predictable. It wanted to be suspenseful but was boring.

The audience is the victim locked in the theater suffering through a script that should've been locked away in the depths of a paper shredder.

My only advice for potential criminals who are reading this review is I would advise against breaking into a nice car lol. You will get locked in.

I caught the trailer and I was pretty hooked, went into this one open minded with zero expectation and it was a pleasant surprise.

Bill Skarsgård plays a really slimy character who at first I just wanted to see him suffer. But as the story progresses you start to feel for him, and start rooting for this guy.

Anthony Hopkins plays a narcissist rich man who is really sick and twisted. But you understand why he does certain things as you learn about his back story. His weapon of justice is a modified car that feels indestructible.

The suspense is great and I really liked the film's atmosphere and setting. There's never a dull moment and the pacing moves along really well. Twards the end I found Locked a little predictable but overall this is an enjoyable time at the theater. Go out and see it, at least watch it on vod when it comes out.

LIKES: The Concept The Acting The Dialogue Food For Thought Deep A Different Character Development Movie Summary: Locked looks like a movie about escaping, and in a way, it is, but the trailers mislead how much deeper this film is than a simple survival film. The concept is unique in that it takes a philosophy class and crams it into an interesting scenario that the movies serve to portray. Throughout Eddie's journey, he is forced to answer questions and undergo trials to test his morals, question choices, and study how rules apply. Within the movie is a lot of dialogue that blends reality with theatrical precedence, shaping a casual conversation into an artful debate that will push both players to wild behaviors. To think a car could prove to be such an extreme classroom impressed me, as Yarovesky and his team created a scenario that is intelligent and yet approachable on many levels. Such content manages to bring great thought wrapped up in an engaging package of horrific fights for survival in such a simplistic measure, yet is truly deep in causing the audience to perhaps self-reflect on this journey. Locked is a movie with a very unique character development method, but the story emphasizes character evolution in the most unlikely ways. And the acting is simply wonderful despite the limited cast involved in bringing this film to life. Cartwright's quick interludes are impressive for someone so young; she just needed more time to sparkle. Instead, the two leads grab the most attention, with Skarsgard, the headliner who continues to be so engaging in roles and comfortable with the dark material. He's raw and abrasive in this film, but it works to so many levels and is still contained without spilling into too much, a task not easy to achieve by any means. Hopkins's voice is well-suited for this role, a perfect antagonistic drawl that he has mastered and utilizes like a weapon to challenge the youthful urgings. The chemistry is fantastic, the bouts so sincere and maniacal that I felt a true kindred of animosity between these two parties.

DISLIKES: Not Really Thrilling A Bit Drawn Out At Times Uneven Pace Anthony Hopkins's Backstory Is Dull Torture is a tad extensive The Language Gets Stale Quickly Summary: For this film, I did not find it as thrilling as I had imagined it would be. Sure, there are close moments and an ordeal that pushes Eddie to limits, but for most of the movie, I did not feel he was in danger (thanks to the trailers). Yet, the movie is missing a few elements to make the whole ordeal exciting, with only the end finally moving past that plot shield for me. Locked also felt very drawn out at times, the initial trapped in the parking lot concept a little too long when not supported by external stories that could have upped the intensity as it could have. The uneven pace leads to a rather slow middle part, which only becomes relieved when the car starts moving. Until that point, the torture components are the only "sport" for enjoyment and some of them are very disturbing given how real they are and the evil dialogue that taunts the victim. Such wickedness is hard to handle in such a setting, no matter how well it is acted. In regards to backstory, all the waiting proves to be somewhat worth it for Hopkins' character, but I felt there was a lot more to tell that was left on the cutting board. I didn't hate it, but I also didn't think it was quite up to snuff for how calculating William was. Yet, the worst thing for me was the cursing. No matter how accurate it might be, nearly ninety minutes of the F-bomb does little but bore me when that becomes much of the dialogue. The writers help this by giving Hopkins free rein over responding, but it still is not enough to get past what I call limited writing and thus was not my cup of tea. So, for those who do not like such excess in language, you've been warned in this movie.

The VERDICT: Locked in an engaging philosophy class in a horror-like package. A fantastic cast of two is the backbone to make much of the wit, material, and dialog excel, providing deep moral concepts to drive a character-centric plot. The engaging will to survive alone is an admirable concept, but to have such content reflect the audience is a level of film that is hard to balance. It's a much deeper movie than I anticipated, and for that, I give it higher props. Sure, the pacing is uneven, the thrills are minimalistic if you like something with more popcorn bite, and the story is lacking in some departments. In addition, the cursing is excessive, and the darker moments can be difficult to handle for those who have a low tolerance for such things. Still, Locked proves to be one of the more intelligently-written films I've seen in a while, and worth a watch or two. Is it theater-worthy? Tough call, but the movie's lack of conventional thrills might be better suited for a home viewing. By factoring everything together, my scores are: Horror/Thriller: 7.0 Movie Overall: 7.0.

I got back from the theaters a few mins ago

I thought this movie looked more like something I would watch on streaming, but since I have Regal Unlimited, I decided to go on a slow day at the office.

Long story short - the movie isn't good. You're better off waiting for streaming

The plot itself is bare-bones. Bill Skarsgard (who looks a little like Pete Davidson here) gets trapped inside a car, basically. And as a result, very little actually happens for most of the movie. What we get, instead, is about an hour and change of watching Skarsgard sit inside the car by himself, which gets dull very quickly. The movie simply doesn't have enough to maintain interest while Skarsgard is trapped. The dialogue between him and Hopkins isn't interesting: Hopkins' characters meanders on and on, and they seem to repeat themselves ("What do you want from me?" "I want you to understand" .. seriously, I feel that I heard that exchange at least 5 times). The little acts that Hopkins does to terrorize Skargard similarly become repetitive

The movie is basically a two-man show in Skarsgard and Hopkins, and neither one of them is likable. Hopkins' character is obviously too pyscho for the audience to like. And though the film tries to make Skarsgard appear likable by using his daughter as well as a scene where he randomly gives water to a dog, the basic truth remains that he's scum who steals people's money and belongings . There is no one here for the audience get behind

The movie takes a bit of a silly turn when Hopkins somehow controls the car remotely; the events that happen here become almost unintentionally funny. Some of the dialogue near the end (e.g. Dirty Harry references) become cringe

4/10.

A very unappreciated and underrated movie made in 2025, yes, cause many years will pass until people realize what a sociological gem 'Locked' is.

William so much reminded me of Judge Lawrence Wargrave in Agatha Christie's possibly best mystery novel 'And Then There were None'. Near perfect copy in a little similar limited situation.

The acting by Eddie is believable, the situations tense, the visuals and score on point and the flow marvelously paced.

What could I ask more for an unknown movie mostly set claustrophobically in a luxury car, which honestly looked great.

Well-done Anthony Hopkins and Bill Skarsgård who showed a more human and flawed facet of his personality, as well as bravo to little Sarah (Ashley Cartwright).

'Locked' has a tight, simple screenplay and I loved it.

• Screenplay/storyline/plots: 6
• Production value/impact: 7
• Development: 7.5
• Realism: 7.5
• Entertainment: 7.5
• Acting: 8
• Filming/photography/cinematography: 7.5
• VFX: 7.5
• Music/score/sound: 6.5
• Depth: 7
• Logic: 4.5
• Flow: 7
• Psychological/drama/thriller: 7
• Ending: 6.5.

Totally boring, implausible and pointless. Another disappointing flop featuring Skarsgård. It's not tense so much as just tedious. The back and forth moralizing of the protagonist and his captor seems like a stale attempt at courting the public discontent. The protagonist's complaint that laws serve to only protect the rich elicited a real groan from me. Fortunately this evaporates quickly, and never returns. However there's else here to captivate. All of the characters are ugly, and unlikeable. Save yourself the time and watch the 2000s classic 'Phone Booth' instead, which is much more thrilling.

Not since "Christine" or maybe "Duel" has a vehicle been the star of a movie.

However, in "Locked" the "Dolus" steals the show even from two really great actors.

The "Dolus" looks like a pimped up Bentley SUV, but it's actually a custom-built Land Rover Defender-based SUV.

It was designed and built especially for the film "Locked".

If you are really keen it's now on display at Volo Museum.

It's a one-of-a-kind vehicle with a full custom body design, intricate interior details, and eye-catching lighting.

Two "Dolus" vehicles were made: one for interior and hero shots and another for some serious stunt driving.

They were built at a staggering cost of 1.3 million USD.

I want one, but my Lotto balls just aren't dropping.

The other stars of "Locked" are Bill Skarrsgard ("Eddie Barrish"), one of the best of his generation IMHO.

Whilst Sir Anthony Hopkins ("William") even in his 80's is an absolute GOAT!

Full disclosure I'd watch any project either of these actors are attached to.

So, I was intrigued to watch them in this powerful two hander movie.

Put logic to one side for just over 90 minutes, because no one in their right mind is going to invest this much money in setting a trap for one random down on his luck, petty thief, deadbeat dad.

If you can handle torture porn movies then prepare yourself to listen to "Weggis Yodel Polka" from Switzerland at full volume.

It's worse than anything from that horror sub genre.

"Locked" is a sophisticated psychological thriller game about being trapped in a car.

There's plenty of food for thought in the dialogue between the trapped thief and the cars owner a very rich Doctor.

It's good to see the great Sam Raimi ("Evil Dead") finally producing something of substance.

"Locked" by director David Yarovesky ("Brightburn" & "Nightbooks") is a triumph in minimalist, claustrophobic entertainment that had me "Locked" into my movie seat to watch the horror unfold.

It was severely let down by the closing scenes for those of us wanting justice and that after all was the whole premise of this thriller.

I was able to catch a sneak peek of this movie and I must say it was better than I expected! The suspenseful buildup with Hopkins' character and Skarsgard's character! It was definitely intense! I didn't expect it to end that way, but glad it did! Bravo to the legend Anthony Hopkins and great job to Bill Skarsgard! The games and trickery were pretty on point! The unknowing of how they can keep the audience engaged with a man locked in a car deserves props! Hopkins will always be Hannibal Lecter to me so I was glad to see him in a role like this. Can't forget Sam Raimi either as his movies always stick to me even after I'm done watching them!

The premise of Locked is as basic as they come. Yet I found myself more engaged and entertained than most of the other movies I've watched in this extremely weak 2025. It gave me Phone Booth vibes (2002). And like Phone Booth, it hinges significantly on the lead giving a great performance. Colin Farrell succeeded. And so does Bill Skarsgård.

Additionally, Anthony Hopkins is a perfect choice for this voice performance. And his sadistic laugh repeatedly made me smile. He reminded me of a milder Jigsaw.

In many cases with a basic premise, it feels like the movie is stalling with filler because there isn't enough substance to move the story forward. But this is surprisingly fast-paced with things happening in the first 30 minutes that other movies would have stretched out for the entire runtime.

I doubt this will be anyone's favorite movie. But I think most will enjoy it.

(1 viewing, 4/24/2025)

A man, sick and tired of people breaking into his car, traps the next thief and extend his torture for longer than necessary by making his own justice. A man willing and capable to do anything, and a youngster at the wrong place.

I wasn't expecting the sound design to be so crunchy, or for it to be as gore-y as it was. The setup isn't particularly memorable, and most of the dialogue isn't that good. I enjoyed Collateral (2004) much more than this for that simple reason. But it takes its premise and goes places with it.. but not enough to fill in 90 minutes. Sadly, there's a LOT of "empty space" and the pacing suffers a lot because of its content. The acting is good, but not great.

Overall, it's okay.

You understand what it is doing/saying, and you know where it is going to go (more or less). The sad part is that there is no particular reason to watch this.

As expected bill and antony delivered well, acting no complain. The story is about a person with needs will do something bad out of necessity and survival. A father with bad luck and a father who wanted justice. The story is building up then unexpected turn, and at the end did not expect that, i thought of something to compromise between 2 fathers. But in the end a happy, a father's love to his child will really be topnotch. I think a good father's day movie? Maybe but some loopholes where are the police during one event. A good movie and the actors delivered what is expected, carpe diem......

At the beginning of the year, I would have never predicted that I would see two movies that mostly take place inside a car, let alone that I would see them within two weeks of each other. And yet, here we are. At SXSW I watched the premiere of Hallow Road, a harrowing, two-person thriller with some great twists and turns, and today I saw Locked, a somewhat tense two-person thriller with no twists or turns. In fact, for most of the movie, the car is parked.

Locked is the latest film by David Yarovesky, who directed the surprisingly fun and clever Brightburn, back in 2019. Locked, on the other hand, keeps things conventional, never quite leaning into the pulpy potential of its premise. There's a kickass movie in here that's unrealized due to a straightforward story with no surprises or revelations.

Bill Skarsgård plays Eddie, a street-smart, lovable guy who's in debt and forced to resort to petty crime to simply survive. He's a trope movie dad who loves his baby girl, and desperately wants to provide for her. A dad who adores his young daughter is movie shorthand for, "You see, deep down he's a sensitive guy despite his circumstances." Given how generic the character is written, Skarsgård brings his A-game and gives a strong, "what would you do?" solo performance.

In order to make some quick cash, Eddie attempts to break into cars and grab whatever he can. Unfortunately, he picks the wrong car, an expensive, fully custom luxury SUV that locks him inside. The vehicle is equipped with bullet-proof glass, a cell-signal blocker, six video cameras, and most importantly, a phone that allows the captor to communicate with Eddie.

And that captor is the unmistakable voice of Anthony Hopkins who is as terrific (as always) given what he had to work with. He plays William, a bitter and wealthy man who has designed this car as a trap to lure petty thieves into so he can teach them a lesson by torturing them. The car is rigged up with tasers that shock Eddie for any infraction and William can even blast polka music on the sound system when he really means business. Eddie has no food or water, so must comply with William's every demand in order to survive.

It reminded me a little of the setup for the Saw films where we mostly only hear the Jigsaw killer as he places more and more sadistic demands on his victims. In both that series and Locked, the "bad guy" is driven by a moral code, a certain degree of vengeance. In the case of Saw, we end up siding with Jigsaw because his victims are bad people. It's a fun dynamic, causing us to examine our own biases about good and bad. In Locked, William is basically a grouchy old man who is bitter at the state of the world and how New York has become a haven for criminals. Ho-hum.

I desperately wanted there to be some sort of twist, something a little deeper to explain William's need to punish this one petty criminal. But the film plays it straight. Yup. Just a bad guy. No nuance, no intriguing motivation. And Eddie is a good guy (remember, he has a really cute daughter he adores). Plus he's ruggedly handsome lol.

I wonder how long it took WIlliam to design and build this vehicle? It seems like a huge amount of time, money, and effort to just use it to mess with this one guy. I love suspending disbelief, but everything that happens in Locked seems to fall just a little too neatly into place, including what might be a possible escape plan. Oh yeah! I remember, in the opening scene Eddie tells someone he's "good with cars".

The film touches on themes of wealthy privilege and the struggles of common people, but never explores these in much depth, and in the third act we're left with a run-of-the-mill action thriller that strains plausibility. (I guess l knew all along that car would have to move at some point.) Oh, did I mention William is even capable of causing harm to Eddie's sweet baby girl? No doubt about it, now we know he's a bad guy.

Oh, and immediately after the film, I actually Googled if an action Eddie takes at the end would have been possible. (Seems dubious.) Without giving a spoiler, I was a little stunned by a lack of understanding as to why he couldn't have done this earlier in the movie.

As a horror fan, I kept thinking about Hannibal Lecter, the deliciously nuanced villain Hopkins portrayed in Silence of the Lambs. Locked could have been a fantastic psychological thriller if we could have learned more about its villain.

Locked is a competent film that could have been a heart-pounding, claustrophobic psychological thriller if it had been willing to dig deeper into its characters. It's never boring, and it'll likely work fine as a casual streaming pick. But ultimately, its solid performances are weighed down by a script that never dares to surprise.

A film about being trapped in a car? Ironically fitting, because watching Locked feels exactly like that-stuck, suffocating, and desperate for an escape.

Bill Skarsgård does his best with a script that insists on making him both a victim and an idiot, while Anthony Hopkins delivers lines with the air of a man who signed on for a better movie. What is he doing in this mediocrity of a film is honestly beyond me. The tension fizzles out early, leaving a predictable, boring, and frankly annoying ride to nowhere.

If you're after a claustrophobic thriller, watch Buried instead. At least that film knows how to keep you gasping for air.

Drawing strong parallels to films such as 'Phonebooth', 'Locke', the narrative delves into similar themes of a hostage with a dubious past and a captor driven solely by a desire for revenge.

Whilst the motivations behind captor's actions may not come across as clearly or as articulated as the creators might have intended, the script still offers us moments of intensity and drama at regular intervals.

Not to mention, seeing Anthony Hopkins and Bill Skarsgard engage in a battle of wits over the phone, and then later face-to-face, is undeniably captivating.

For those who like fast-paced, single-location thrillers with a limited set of characters, 'Locked' will indeed entertain you!

This was a good movie, nothing great, but not bad at all. When i first sat down to watch it, i was getting the vibe, this might be a cheesy movie, a B movie ,but after a few minutes that vibe disappeared. When you hear of movies where it's pretty much in one location, you worry can they pull it off. I thought they did a good job pulling it off, a loser who is not the best dad, sees a rich man's car sitting in a parking lot, door is open so he gets in. The owner of the car had his car broken into a few times...so he decides to do his own justice and play some mind games on the loser now locked in who is going to learn a good life lesson. The movie had some slow moments, but picks up to a fair conclusion....a life lesson. If you get triggered by some political statements be warned, nothing major but obviously the conversation goes into some political talk ,going into the blame game, it's the rich eating the poor, or the rich man looking down on the struggling folks the thought how some people who just had some bad luck in their lives are all bad people, you know the story. Anyway not a bad movie, a good one time watch.

The best movie villains always have been, and always will be, the ones that you can relate to. You don't necessarily have to agree with their methods or what they're doing, but sometimes just seeing where they're coming from is enough. There are very few movie villains who I have related to as much as Anthony Hopkins character in 'Locked'.

I always think the real test of a single-location thriller like this is whether it feels like it's starting to drag. Spreading this concept to 95 minutes would be no easy feat. And yet I was never bored for a moment. I loved every minute of it and if it had gone for another 30-40 minutes I suspect I would've enjoyed that as well. 9/10.

NOTE: It is 2025. Can we please get a trigger warning before the film for fingernails being ripped out backwards? It ruins my day.

I've got no problem with scenarios mostly taking place in a single setting. See Daddio (2023), for example, which is also car-based only and which I also enjoyed.

I almost didn't recognize Bill Skarsgard and, given that I'm used to seeing him in different kind of roles, I think he made a good job portraying his character. I was actually rooting for his escape as the story progressed..

The level of violence is not as high as I was expecting from a psycho-like game, but it was entertaining enough for me to follow the movie without being bored.

Also I don't know why I was subconsciously expecting a more twisted ending, but I didn't mind the actual one.

David Yarovesky's Locked delivers a claustrophobic and intensely gripping thriller that lives up to its intriguing premise: a Saw-esque nightmare confined entirely within the luxurious, yet deadly, confines of a car. Starring Bill Skarsgård and Anthony Hopkins in a chillingly effective two-man show, Locked takes the familiar cat-and-mouse game and twists it into a pressure cooker of desperation and moral ambiguity.

The film wastes no time in plunging us into Eddie Barrish's (Skarsgård) desperate situation, a relatable struggle that quickly spirals into unimaginable terror. Skarsgård masterfully portrays Eddie's descent from a well-meaning but flawed father to a trapped and tormented victim. He captures the raw panic, the fleeting moments of defiance, and the ultimate desperation of a man fighting for his life against an unseen and seemingly omnipotent tormentor.

But the true brilliance of Locked lies in Anthony Hopkins' performance as William, the car's vengeful owner. Hopkins delivers a masterclass in controlled menace. His voice, often calm and almost clinical, carries a chilling undercurrent of grief and righteous fury. He isn't just a sadist; he's a broken man seeking a twisted form of justice, and Hopkins imbues him with a disturbing complexity that keeps you both repulsed and morbidly fascinated. The phone conversations between Eddie and William are the film's backbone, a psychological battle of wits and wills that crackles with tension.

Yarovesky expertly utilizes the limited setting to amplify the suspense. The Dolus SUV becomes a character in itself - a sleek, modern prison filled with hidden dangers. The camera work effectively conveys Eddie's claustrophobia, highlighting the small confines and the ever-present threat lurking within the car's sophisticated systems. The "games" William subjects Eddie to, while less overtly gruesome than the Saw franchise, are psychologically brutal and designed to break his spirit.

Locked isn't just a gimmick; it's a well-crafted thriller with strong performances and a genuinely unsettling atmosphere. Bill Skarsgård proves his versatility, and Anthony Hopkins delivers yet another unforgettable performance as a villain who is as intelligent and articulate as he is terrifying.

This was quite honestly one of the most painfully bad movies I have seen in a while. With the two stars leading the bill I thought it would be a can't miss.

Simply the most contrived, preposterous story ever and if I am being honest, not either of these two great actors best work.

One an aside, it probably didn't cost too much to film, other than the costs to hire these2 actors, since it shot mostly inside a vehicle parked inside a paid parking lot.

A couple of guys got a paycheck to act averagely in a bad story and yes, I could not unsee Pete Davidson most of the movie from the way he talked to the way he looked and was acting.