trublu215 Review of Locke

Locke (2013)

A heart pounding drama featuring one of the best performances of all time.

[10/10 · 20 April 2014]

I was lucky enough to catch an early screening of this before it officially hits the States theatrically and I must say, this was quite possibly one of the best films I've seen in the last 5 years. Locke pits Tom Hardy as titular character going through a life crisis in real time while taking a drive into the London nightlife. Locke features Tom Hardy in, what quite possibly may be, the best performance from an actor that I've seen in quite some time. The film does very little in giving the audience much eye candy, considering the entire film takes place in Locke's car as he drives through the night. What this film does, which not many films do anymore, it relies solely on Hardy's brawny shoulders. With very little in terms of a pay off regarding plot, Hardy's tour de force performance engrosses you with every minute that goes by. There was not one moment I can think of where I was looking at my watch or was at all bored with it. To think that an entire film taking place in a singular location, let alone it being entirely in a car, would be heart pounding even had me a little skeptical. Fear not, Locke will have you gripping the handles of your seat and will have you talking about it even after the end credits roll. Many people will most likely dislike the abrupt and ambiguous ending but at the end of the day there was no other way to end this night from hell for this man. Steven Knight writes and directs a taut, white knuckle thriller here that deserves to be seen by the masses. I still can't get over how great this film was, so much so that when it officially comes to theaters, I'll be racing back to see it again. Overall, this is minimalist filmmaking with a one two punch for a lead performance. If you're fans of Eastern Promises and Dirty Little Things, you will love Steven Knight's Locke. And even if you are not fans of those films, the film is worth seeing for Tom Hardy's performance alone. I highly recommend this film.