Locked
A car thief picks the wrong target and finds himself trapped inside the vehicle, fighting for his life. That’s the core premise of this new thriller. But are Bill Skarsgård and Anthony Hopkins enough to draw you in?
🟢 Pros:
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The confined setting inside the car adds a great sense of claustrophobia.
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A clear B-movie with a smart concept.
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Bill Skarsgård (finally without heavy makeup) delivers a solid and engaging performance.
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Strong editing and some unique camera angles.
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Raises some compelling moral dilemmas.
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Anthony Hopkins. Enough said.
🔴 Cons:
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The ending felt weak and completely unrealistic.
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While the concept starts strong, it quickly slips into genre clichés and stretches a thin story too far.
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The film’s blatantly racist undertones (even if somewhat balanced) leave a bad taste—especially in today’s climate.
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Not particularly scary.
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Direction was lacking; stronger direction might have elevated the flawed script.
Dept Q
I do have a soft spot for the British when they make a crime series. I often start watching them, hoping to discover another little gem like Broadchurch, you know?
With that in mind, I decided to check this one out. And I’m so glad I did. The first episode is a bit all over the place, with a lot going on that seems more or less unconnected—at least on the surface. The threads do start to come together later, although some remain unresolved (which will clearly become part of the continuation of the series—hopefully they’ll give it another season).
An English cop—kind of a psycho, antisocial, with a superiority complex—lives in Scotland with his ex-wife’s teenage son, and having gone through a major trauma, he’s trying to cope the best he can. By chance, he ends up at the center of an investigation where nothing is as it seems, and a surprise hides behind every move.
The series has more in common with Scandinavian noir than with typical British crime dramas, which makes sense since it’s inspired by a novel from a Danish author.
It’s smart, has a plot with depth (I’ll admit I guessed the perpetrator or at least the motive for the kidnapping pretty early on, but there was at least one twist I did not see coming), originality, very strong performances, Scottish accents (a f*cking bonus!), very few clichés—which are the curse of most crime shows—and it’s very well directed.
Highly recommended!
