Skip to main content

Locke (2013)

Locke is about a construction manager who makes a few phone calls during a midnight drive to a certain destination.

Steven Knight took a lot of risks in writing and directing a movie like this. Because it's a single location film the direction can take a few steps back and rely on the acting and storytelling. It was good that the film was able to keep the attention of the audience when the idea is so basic. He made construction site drama actually interesting. This sort of writing makes me excited for his next movie World War Z 2. I kinda hope that's not the title but whatever.

Tom Hardy is the only person you see throughout the film and it's his expressions and behavior that really sell him as the lead only actor. Sure there are voiceovers for people that he's talking to, including Tom Holland. The frustration he has when dealing with work and the calmness that he musters during the conversations he has with his son are just spot on. The surprising thing is that Hardy only spent six days on set to film the movie and each shot was in a single take. I doubt there are many actors out there that could pull off a film like this in only one take.

There's a movie that just released a trailer coming out that stars Tom Hardy and has Tom Holland in it called Venom and it reminded me that this film also had those two. Even if the trailer isn't up to stuff at least this film will rest your mind on Hardy being a good actor. Side note, did you know that Hardy chose to do this film in exchange for Knight being the writer of Hardy's show Taboo?

Result: B+ (While other people might get bored because there are no explosions, the film stands on its own two legs)


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

One Night Only (2026)

One Night Only is a romantic comedy written by Travis Braun , creator of T.O.T.S. , that ultimately turns out to be something very different from what its marketing suggests. The trailers present it as a lighthearted Valentine's Day romance, but the film quickly pivots into a dystopian story that blends elements of The Purge with overt political commentary. Whether that shift works will largely depend on the viewer's expectations, but I found the bait-and-switch frustrating. The political messaging is so persistent that it frequently overshadows the romance at the center of the story. Despite that, the direction from Will Gluck is surprisingly strong, with confident staging and solid pacing that keep the film engaging even when the screenplay becomes heavy-handed. Gluck did Anyone But You and the romance really felt similar to the point I couldn't help but think of the film even though I had forgotten he had done the film back in '23. Another distraction is the amou...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Dink (2026)

The Dink is a sports comedy centered around the world of pickleball, a premise that will probably turn away a good number of viewers before they even press play. Fortunately, director Josh Greenbaum understands exactly how ridiculous that sounds and wisely leans into the absurdity instead of trying to make the sport seem more important than it is. The film is self-aware from beginning to end, never taking itself too seriously. It's also easy to see why this skipped a theatrical release in favor of streaming. This feels like the kind of movie that will naturally find a larger audience on Apple TV+ than it ever would have in cinemas. Jake Johnson , known for New Girl and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse , stars as the film's lead. While Johnson has proven to be a likable comedic actor in the past, he never quite generates enough laughs here to carry the movie on his own. Sean Clements , known for Workaholics , delivers the type of humor that reminded me why that series never...
Post a Comment
Read more

I Can Only Imagine 2 (2026)

I Can Only Imagine 2 continues the story established in the original film, but it relies too heavily on manufactured drama to justify its existence. Rather than allowing conflict to arise naturally, the screenplay feels like it's throwing darts at a wall, pulling together different events simply to create another emotional character arc. Director Andrew Erwin once again proves he can get the most out of his cast despite the weaker material, doing his best to elevate a script that often undermines the growth established in the first film. Unfortunately, much of the character development that made the original so effective feels lost here, making this sequel a noticeable step down. John Michael Finley returns as Bart , but his portrayal leans far more into melodrama this time around. While it's understandable that the screenplay wants to give its protagonist another emotional journey, it comes at the expense of believable character progression. After everything his character e...
Post a Comment
Read more