Psychological Thrillers are story-based and focus on character development, choices, and moral conflict. The most common concept is the dependence on fear and anxiety to hold the tension. Great films that come to mind when thinking of effective and truly prey on your mind are 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs and 1992’s Candyman.
Looking at The Silence of the Lambs for a moment, it starred Anthony Hopkins, who brilliantly portrays Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Known all over the world and the winner of countless awards for many of his performances, Hopkins is truly an amazing talent. There is, however, a rising star in Hollywood named Bill Skarsgård. Making his first appearance in the 2000 film Jarnganget (alongside his brother Alexander) in 2017, he really made a name for himself with the It franchise. From here, Bill Skarsgård has gone on to star in the 2024 Nosferatu, further establishing his ability to create a persona unlike any other.
This leads us to the new film Locked, in which Director David Yarovesky (Brightburn 2019, Nightbooks 2021) and Producer Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead 1981, Drag Me to Hell 2009) collaborate to create a masterpiece that brings Anthony Hopkins and Bill Skarsgård together.
Distributed by The Avenue (a Paramount Pictures Company) and released in theaters on March 21, 2025, Locked is a Psychological Thriller that takes a thief, Eddie (Skarsgård), on a tense and adrenaline-rush ride, pun intended. Eddie is a small-time thief who finds a luxury Dolus SUV parked and unlocked in a bad neighborhood. This luxury vehicle belongs to none other than the rich, high-class William (Hopkins). Once inside the vehicle, Eddie finds himself trapped in a sophisticated game of Psychological Horror.
Without food or water, Eddie begins to feel his reality is hopeless. With no service on his phone and a vehicle that is so soundproof that not even a scream could be heard from the outside, Eddie is trapped in a nightmare. With no connection to his daughter and no way to communicate with the outside world, he begins to unravel. His only form of communication is that of the owner, William. William explains to Eddie that he is tired of the cops not doing their jobs, and he has decided to take matters into his own hands and create this masterpiece of a vehicle.
With Tim Williams (Get Out 2017, Pearl 2022) handling the score for Locked, if tension from Skarsgard does not keep the audience on edge, the music definitely will. Altogether, Williams’ soundtrack drives this film. The acting is also masterful and keeps you engaged until the end. Granted, you would never suspect a film about a guy getting trapped inside a car could make for a full-length movie; the screenplay of Locked, written by Michael Arlen Ross, brilliantly strikes fear and a feeling of despair.
Overall, Locked is truly a tension-filled, mind-boggling, anxiety-wretched film. One of the better Psychological Thrillers in some time, Cryptic Rock gives it 5 out of 5 stars.
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