Every once in a while, the cinematic world is graced with a film that defies established norms, pushes boundaries, and successfully presents audiences with an exceptional and innovative narrative. When this occurs in the realm of thrillers - a genre often reliant on familiar tropes and high-octane action - it's even more satisfying. Enter 'Locke,' a unique thriller that compels viewers to reconsider their expectations of the genre. It is exactly in this novelty and reinvention where we will delve into for our 'Locke' Movie Review.
Locke Film Themes: More Than Meets the Eye
The creative ingenuity of 'Locke' goes beyond its fresh narrative approach - it penetrates its thematic substance, reflecting a multitude of complex, deeply human themes. What separates 'Locke' from other thrillers is not necessarily what happens, but how it's presented and who it's happening to.
In the case of 'Locke,' the movie masterfully intertwines themes of responsibility, duty, familial commitments, and the intensely personal struggle of its protagonist into its structure. There's always an underlying tension, not from the threat of physical violence that is typical of thrillers, but from the emotional turmoil and high-stakes choices character Ivan Locke (Tom Hardy) has to make.
The majority of the movie being set inside a car speaks to its philosophical underpinnings - it's about the journey, both physically and metaphorically, and how the interactive dialogue, rather than action, takes centre stage. This materialises as the central motif of the film - life as a road, with its inescapable turns and junctions, where every decision leads to a series of consequences.
Locke Movie Review: Redefining Thrillers
'Locke' is a testament to the fact that less can be more. Taking place in real-time, its 85 minutes unfold almost entirely within the confines of a BMW, with Ivan Locke, the only visible character. While that may sound unexciting or even monotonous for some, the truth couldn't be further away.
From a filmmaker's perspective, there's a daunting challenge in keeping audiences engaged for the length of a feature film, utilising only one visible character and essentially a single set. Yet, 'Locke' executes this flawlessly, maintaining an unfaltering air of suspense that doesn't rely on grand actions scenes or an ominous soundtrack, but rather on the sheer force of human emotion and the gravity of Locke's situation.
What Makes Locke a Unique Thriller?
The overlying question in the course of our review is indeed: What makes 'Locke' such a unique thriller? To start, it's the suspense that originates from a place of authenticity. There are no imaginary monsters, no grand conspiracies or overblown narratives. The antagonist here is life itself, its shocks, its enormities, and its disappointments. It's about a character navigating around the mistakes he made and the deals he broke while trying to stay true to an ethical code that drives him.
Intrinsic to 'Locke's uniqueness is its writing. Director Steven Knight's quietly profound screenplay relays information strategically, progressively raising stakes with every phone call Locke attends. It delivers a narrative that is as intriguing as it is emotional, offering a look into the protagonist's life and choices without resorting to overly dramatic plot devices or extravagant special effects. In fact, 'Locke' suggests that even within the most minimalistic settings, epic narratives and complexities can exist.
The Unconventional Design of 'Locke'
The open innovation of 'Locke' in breaking the formulaic mould of thriller genre movies is an incontestable fact. It's a movie that offers much more to its viewer than boilerplate conventionalities. Instead, 'Locke' sways into an unsophisticated, bare-bones narrative. It's an existential thriller, a riveting drama, a psychological exploration all squeezed into the cockpit of a BMW.
Where most thrillers keep you on the edge of your seat with jaw-dropping stunts, spectacular chase sequences, or the tick-tocking countdown of a time bomb, 'Locke' hits the nerve with its subtlety. Here, the only ticking time bomb is the protagonist's life slowly spiralling out of control, his highly curated existence disrupted by a single phone call. The high-stakes tension is conjured not from physical threats but from emotional turmoils and moral dilemmas.
The claustrophobic scenario of a man making very tough decisions while driving down the motorway may not seem enough to paint a compelling thriller — but 'Locke' breaks that misconception.
Tom Hardy and His On-Screen Charisma
The success of 'Locke' stands largely on the shoulders of the powerhouse actor—Tom Hardy. His scintillating performance as the dutiful, workaholic construction manager Ivan Locke, who resolves to face the consequences of a past mistake, is awe-inspiring.
With the camera rarely straying away from his face, Locke (played by Hardy) is the only character in the movie seen on-screen. The entire 85-minute narrative revolves around his engaging phone conversations. His emotional outbursts, sombre confessions, and gleams of despair, all play out in confined spaces leaving audiences riveted and impressed in equal measure.
The Director's Touch
Steven Knight, the multi-talented writer and director of 'Locke', has crafted a film which never feels stagnant or monotonous despite its constrained setting. The masterful execution proves that an innovative approach to traditional storytelling is indeed rewarding. The dialogue-driven dramatic tension, sound design, cinematography, and adept editing all contribute to making 'Locke' an intense experience.
At every point, Knight subtly encapsulates Locke's escalating desperation, while the raw intensity of the narrative is interspersed with moments of surprisingly eerie calmness expressing Locke’s resilience and his determination to correct his past mistake.
If anything, 'Locke' is a testament to cinema's ability to derive high stakes from simple scenarios, progressively pushing against the artistic boundaries of filmmaking. Its unconventional design not only breaks the mould of typical thriller genre films, but it also churns out an unforgettable cinematic experience.
In Conclusion
'Locke' is an unconventional high-stakes thriller that challenges the viewing norms and subtly pushes the envelope of cinematic storytelling. The minimalist yet compelling narrative paved by the dire straits of its protagonist and the riveting performance by Tom Hardy makes 'Locke' a must-watch for audiences who appreciate the unconventional.
Some say 'less is more'. With 'Locke', this could never ring more true.