Locked: Bill Skarsgård’s Torture Ride in a Booby-Trapped SUV

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In recent months, it’s clear that the wealthy exert their power ruthlessly over the less fortunate. It appears that the film Locked could potentially stir up the 99% and gain some attention in opinion pieces. Regrettably, it falls short of being both bold and enlightening enough for that purpose. The movie, which revolves around a small-time criminal who breaks into a high-end SUV only to discover it’s rigged with deadly traps by an unseen tormentor of immense wealth, seems more focused on inflicting pain on its protagonist than motivating the masses to protest. However, despite some effective techniques under the hood, this new release from director David Yarovesky falters and reaches a tattered, bloodied finish line.

The lead role is brilliantly portrayed by Bill Skarsgård (from “It” and “Nosferatu”), and he’s essentially the sole figure in the movie for most of its duration. His character, Eddie – a destitute thief – finds himself trapped within a lavishly customized vehicle designed to keep him in various states of hunger, thirst, cold or heat, pain, and entrapment. This is all done with great pleasure by an vindictive upper-class individual whose voice echoes through the car’s speakers (and is given a performance full of money-grabbing zest by Anthony Hopkins).

Sam Raimi (known for “The Evil Dead” in 2002 and “Spider-Man”) serves as a producer, but this doesn’t necessarily guarantee high quality. Similar to Brightburn and Locked, these films have intriguing premises that hint at deeper themes beyond action and gore. However, their insights on social issues like class division and inequality are as superficial as the shallow storage compartments in an SUV.

‘Locked’ Is About Wealth Inequality…and Torturing a Desperate Criminal

As a cinephile, I found the movie “Locked” to be an adaptation of the 2019 Argentinian thriller, “4×4”. Remakes of this film have since been produced in Brazil (“A Jaula”) and India (“Dongalunnaru Jaagratha”), reflecting how disturbingly relevant its exploration of social and financial disparities has become. For this American adaptation, screenwriter Michael Arlen Ross had a comprehensive guide to work from. However, he chose to simplify the story in stereotypically American ways, such as injecting a high-speed chase, more grisly deaths, and an ending that discards much of the original’s thoughtful commentary.

Yarovesky does not shy away from boldness, crafting grim, elaborately depressing cityscapes filled with dilapidated, littered, graffiti-covered streets inhabited by destitute vagabonds. In this bleak setting resides Eddie (Skarsgård), a small-time crook more preoccupied with pilfering wallets and being wrongfully accused of drug use than picking up his daughter from school or mending fences with his girlfriend.

In search of quick money, Eddie stumbled upon a posh, unsecured SUV in an open-air parking lot and decided to hop inside. However, as soon as the doors locked shut and he found himself unable to escape, Eddie was overcome with panic, his anger escalating dramatically. Director Yarovesky and the skillful cinematographer Michael Dallatore effectively capture this frenzy through swift, whirling camera movements. As Eddie wrestled with his predicament, growing increasingly agitated and bewildered, the vehicle mysteriously received a call from someone known only as ‘Answer Me’.

Bill Skarsgård Is Becoming a Bad Guy Supreme

Alexander Skarsgård showcases his versatility with his striking Scandinavian features and seductive smile that can switch from sly and cruel to vulnerable. He’s made a name for himself in bizarre, menacing roles like Pennywise in the hit horror movie “It” and Count Orlok in Robert Egger’s “Nosferatu.” However, his modelesque charm, reminiscent of Austin Butler, hints at a deeper side that transcends mere villainy. In the series “Locked,” he gets an opportunity to exhibit his full range, eliciting our disgust and, eventually, empathy. He handles both aspects skillfully.

At first, it seems like Skarsgård’s character, Eddie, doesn’t deserve our support. However, things take an unexpected turn when he picks up the SUV’s phone and discovers that the voice belongs to William (Hopkins), a wealthy doctor. His vehicle was previously robbed by six individuals, and Eddie turns out to be the unfortunate seventh. It appears that William wants to use his SUV as a means of delivering a unique kind of justice, typically associated with the rich and aristocratic, to Eddie.

Inside a car fitted with cameras but lacking cell service, William takes advantage of his situation to mete out a prolonged retribution against society’s undesirables, represented here by Eddie. William subjects Eddie to various torments such as shocking him with electrified seats, cranking up the heat for extended periods, and blasting polka music at high volumes. Throughout these ordeals, William shares his personal experiences that have led him to view society as broken and fear-inducing. The film maintains a gripping quality through William’s skillful mix of rewards and punishments; at one juncture, he offers to turn off the air conditioner if Eddie apologizes for swearing, and later compels Eddie to express remorse for his actions.

However, as William exhibits cruel behavior towards Eddie’s daughter, our allegiance switches, making a compelling dramatic shift. This transformation is far more potent than Eddie’s capacity to engage in intellectual debate, unless one believes that this character has miraculously read Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment”.

‘Locked’ Is the ‘Saw’ Series on Wheels

Absolutely, the word “Locked” evokes thoughts of the movie “Locke.” However, it’s not entirely accurate to compare it directly to movies like “Locke” (2013), “Buried” (2010), or even “Retribution” (2023), where characters are trapped in confined spaces. Instead, it seems more fitting to consider it a spiritual successor to the “Saw” series. In the “Saw” films, the deadly traps set by Jigsaw, a man suffering from cancer, were used as a means to force victims to reflect on their lives, which, let’s be honest, was often a flimsy justification for the filmmakers to depict on-screen torture.

The film titled “Locked” might feign deeper interest, but it fails to truly resonate with an era where help may not arrive for someone like Eddie in real life. Fortunately, it lacks the gruesome sadism of “Saw,” but could have maintained its intensity in less repetitive ways. When director Yarovesky introduces the concept of William controlling the SUV remotely and subsequently embarking on a prolonged mountain journey, the film loses momentum in a manner that is regrettably common among American remakes. In truth, “Locked” is too fixated on inflicting creative torment to make us rejoice at the downfall of a ruthless elite. However, given the current times, we’ll settle for what we can get.

On March 21, the movie titled “Locked,” co-produced by ZQ Entertainment and Raimi Productions, will hit the theaters, courtesy of distributor The Avenue.

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2025-03-20 07:32