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Locke Movie Review

Locke is a 2014 independent psychological drama directed by Steven Knight and starring Tom Hardy. It’s a simple, but very well executed high-concept idea.

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“I want to know that I’m not driving in one direction“

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The life of a successful construction manager, Ivan Locke, takes a dramatic turn as he comes to know through a phone call that a woman with whom he had a one-night stand is in labor. This is not your standard one-location movie as most such films are thrillers while this one is evidently a drama for better and for worse. I missed some thriller elements, but for the most part this choice grounded the movie and made it relatable.

Who knows what really happens inside a car on the road? That is the idea behind this very clever film that depicts one such car, though obviously the developments inside this particular car are more dramatic and higher in stakes. The movie is definitely confined to its setting, but mostly it managed to sustain my attention due to its fantastic dialogue and great acting.

Tom Hardy has always been a great actor, but up until this point in his career he rarely got to really act in a strong role worthy of his talent. As Ivan Locke, Hardy felt very believable, nuanced and superb. His Welsh accent is quite memorable and the character’s calm demeanor despite all odds made him different and unique. A lot of emotions went through his face through the span of this movie and he really delivered one of the year’s greatest performances.

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Locke is very well written in its excellent, believable dialogue. There is a lot that happens throughout this movie and all of it was definitely easy to believe despite it being very pronounced in melodrama and heightened stakes. I personally prefer family drama over business one, so the whole concrete business issues felt less interesting to me, but the drama with his wife and his one-night stand being pregnant was very well explored. Ivan is not a moral or likable person whatsoever, but at least he tried to do what’s best in this particular circumstance, so it was quite moving following his actions on screen.