Locked (2025) - A Movie Review

Let this be a lesson to keep to your own cars.

Locked is a 2025 thriller about a thief who gets trapped inside a car. A game of cat-and-mouse begins as the car’s owner calls Eddie inside. He tortures the thief until they can work out a deal.

First Cujo (1983) makes you fear being stuck in a car by a rabid dog, and now Locked enhances that fear with the lesson to always stick to your own vehicle. Locked is a suspenseful thriller with intriguing story angles, though it should have stayed in its parking lot instead of taking a new road of over-the-top ideas.

Bill Skarsgard is on his way to an impeccable career in the movie industry. From Pennywise to Nosferatu, and now a thief named Eddie, Skarsgard is one versatile actor. His character, Eddie, is a typical deadbeat who knows he can be more. Skarsgard turns this role into something more, fully embodying this character and making him vulnerable.

Locked stars one other horror icon. Did you ever think you’d see Pennywise and Hannibal Lecter sharing the screen? Anthony Hopkins is mostly heard rather than seen over the car’s phone. Hopkins put charm into this role as William, who controls the vehicle from afar. William is not your typical villain, but you should listen when he warns you not to swear.

Skarsgard and Hopkins achieve excellent interactions. When it came to casting, director David Yarovesky wanted to cast against type. Like the actors' performances, he saw through to the character’s kindness, which is a subtle layer.

Yarovesky has directed films, commercials, and music videos since 2004. When Yaronovsky signed on to direct Locked, he immediately thought it was a great idea. I learned that it’s a remake of the Argentine film 4x4. Describing the film as more of a hard satire, Yaronovsky added a more sympathetic touch to the story.

Yarovesky did a fantastic job in his filmmaking, but went overboard in the storytelling to broaden the story to new levels. The film starts with all the elements of a trapped-in-one-location scenario, and honestly, the story is suspenseful. He treated the conversations as an action to keep the tension unpredictable. There’s a lot you can do in a locked car - to an extent.

Here’s the unrealistic territory - the story becomes reminiscent of Stephen King’s Christine (1983). With William’s auto-control, Eddie is taken on a hectic ride through the busy streets of New York City. Running red lights and nearly hitting people, there’s not a cop car around to chase after him.

Eddie also takes quite a beating throughout the film, but he recovers quickly. I’m surprised he still has his nose with all the beatings it takes. The climax also gets padded out and even becomes too much of a happy ending territory. It should have been more ambiguous.

Cinematically, Locked has style in its filming, racing edits of Eddie’s manic stress as he tries to escape. The film breaks new ground with unique shots. As the viewer, I have the freedom to walk around my home, but I felt like I was in the film’s claustrophobic setting.

Cars have a lot more scare factor than you think. When this movie ended, I made sure that I locked my car. With the electronic upgrades to cars, you don’t know what they’re truly capable of. Let this film be a lesson to stick to your own car.

Despite its scratch marks, Locked is still worth checking out. Horror fans with enjoy it. I will have to watch 4x4 and compare. Check out Locked because it’s something different.