Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor star in the movie “Locked Down” which was released on January 14th on HBO. Credit: Courtesy of Susie Allnutt via TNS
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected virtually every facet of life, and it was only a matter of time before a film would come along to comment on one of the most globally influential events since World War II. “Locked Down” is one of the first brave attempts to capture this historic time in film, and in its shooting for the moon, the rocket got lost somewhere in the stratosphere.
Directed by Doug Liman, “Locked Down” was released for streaming on HBO Max Jan. 14. Set during the first couple weeks of the pandemic, the film is a tale of an estranged couple trapped together in London during the height of the quarantine. As their relationship falls apart under the exposure and self-analysis brought on by isolation, the heist of a lifetime falls into their laps and may just bring them back together.
Paxton (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a disgraced cargo driver and former bohemian, and Linda (Anne Hathway), a CEO and fashion mogul, are simply cohabitating and waiting out the storm after a severe fallout preceding lockdown. As they begin to work through their relational problems, by virtue of their unique occupations, they come upon the chance to steal a virtually untraceable diamond during a delivery to New York. Drama, comedy and heist-planning ensue.
The film is most unique in the sense that it is a historical drama and period piece that is set in modern day. The film is a romantic comedy and heist thriller backdropped by Zoom calls, fighting for toilet paper, connection errors and many other aspects of life that have become oddly normal during the pandemic.
The film is quite honestly a mixed bag, to say the least. It is mostly a slow and occasionally irritating exploration of a self-absorbed and self-pitying couple, with glimpses of exciting heist drama and big laughs about our new normal.
The strongest element of the film by a landslide is the electric chemistry between the two Academy Award-caliber leads, Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor. The two actors portray a realistic couple with a raw emotion and scene chemistry that is unparalleled by anything I have seen in a long time. The movie is most entertaining when the two powerhouse performers are in a room together, making veritable art through well-written conversations that range from angrily vindictive to thoughtfully reflective.
The film is also surrounded by a surprising number of celebrity appearances from Mindy Kaling to Ben Stiller, almost all irritatingly on Zoom. A bulk of the film revolves around Zoom calls, which was endearing at first, but quickly wore out its welcome as gimmicky and occasionally disorienting. Rather than adding to the film, the supporting cast for the most part distracts from it, feeling more like cameos to draw in an audience rather than organic storytelling.
The writing is laudable and often heartfelt — at least when it is not mumbled over Zoom. There are some real laughs and thoughtful dialogue given to Hathaway and Ejiofor, such as scenes of them coping with the stresses of cabin fever in genuinely creative and funny ways.
The bulk of the film focuses on Paxton and Linda’s relationship, making its advertisement as a COVID-era heist film woefully misleading and sure to disappoint most audiences. The focus on the relationship makes for investment in the characters and a satisfying conclusion, but the grand theft elements are neglected at its expense.
The film is incredibly slow and the pacing is simply awful. The heist narrative does not take root well until an hour and a half into the movie and the first part is filled with tedious Zoom calls. I sadly found myself checking the time and my phone more often than I would’ve liked for a film I expected to be so groundbreaking.
“Locked Down” is certainly nothing to write home about and questionably worth your time. The best parts of the film are the engaging lead performances and the occasionally funny and insightful commentary on one of the weirdest and most significant times to be alive in our generation. The film fails as a heist movie and drags in ways that can be almost unbearable, ending with a conclusion that is satisfying but barely worth all the muddling.
All of this culminates into “Locked Down” being a let down as the first entry into the strange new genre of quarantine movies that honestly felt rushed. It is a passable first try in the new chapter of film history we are living in, but hardly the splash we had all hoped for.
Rating: 2.5/5
