Locked Down - Where was this movie last year?

 

Stream it on HBO Max 

    Not too long ago, I was contemplating writing an article complaining about the overabundance of streaming services. With the incredible amount of entertainment readily available to us, it is easy to long for the days of only needing a few streaming platforms, secure in the knowledge that other entertainment forms are out there and easily accessible. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have found myself subscribing to at least six different streaming services, with the latest acquisition being HBO Max: a service I was originally adamantly against purchasing until circumstances encouraged me to give it another try. Having finally seen one of their original films, Locked Down, I am thoroughly glad that I did and am now officially advocating that my readers sign up for this wonderful service if you have not yet done so. Because in addition to HBO Max proving itself to be a worthy addition to the streaming world, Locked Down is an exclusive film that makes the subscription well worth it. Or at least worth signing up for the free trial.  

    Set in London during the initial wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the story follows a dysfunctional couple: a professional van driver named Paxton (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and the CEO of an American goods company named Linda (Anne Hathaway). The two of them have been trapped together in lockdown shortly after they had intended to break up. However, in addition to being stuck with each other, the pandemic has given them both plenty of time to think about their places in life. Then, just before circumstances cause them both to lose their sanity completely, a turn of events causes them to consider a small criminal act that would not harm anyone granting them both their desired freedom in the process. The question is will they go through with it? 

    The film was apparently shot during the initial lockdown of London and in only eighteen days. Yet, at no point in the film does it ever feel like anything less than a funny, energetic, and entertaining as Hell character piece. The filmmakers took advantage of the circumstances of their situation. In the process, they created a story that comments on the insanity of the pandemic and the entire social structure. Not to mention the need for human interaction outside of Zoom meetings. Not to imply that those are bad, but rather that we as people can only go so long before we need genuine social interaction. 

    The heart of the film is the chemistry between the two leads. Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor are both incredible actors in their own rights, and they are lightning-in-a-bottle for this film. They carry the movie on their shoulders and provide some of the most entertaining and nuanced performances I've seen this year so far. Not to mention a stunning and hilarious monologue delivered by Anne Hathaway, which became my favorite moment in the film. 

    Director Doug Liman, late of The Bourne Identity, The Wall, and Fair Game, delivers his usual care and quality to the proceedings. He succeeds in crafting something massive and fantastic out of very little. He also succeeds in taking a dialogue-heavy script and making it completely watchable. I, for one, can't wait to see his take on Splinter Cell if they ever get around to making it. 

    Probably my only gripe with the film is that it takes a bit too long to get to the real meat of the story. What ultimately drives the conflict and moral questions of the plot doesn't show its face until much later in the story than I would have preferred. Even so, it manages to fill the time with witty writing and spot-on commentary on the troubles of quarantine and lockdown. Also, the film loses a few points for not portraying as much mask-usage as it really should have. 

    Nitpicks aside, this is a must-watch for the troubled times we're living in. I wish it had been released much earlier than this and on all streaming platforms rather than just the one. It is that good and worthy of your time. However you may be able to see this film, I recommend you do so ASAP. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.