Locke (2013)

Director: Steven Knight
Stars: Tom Hardy, Olivia Colman, Ruth Wilson
Runtime: 85 minutes

Synopsis: Ivan Locke, a dedicated family man and successful construction manager, receives a phone call on the eve of the biggest challenge of his career that sets in motion a series of events that threaten his carefully cultivated existence.

Performances: 5/5
Screenplay: 4/5
Editing: 4/5
Cinematography: 2/5
Score/Soundtrack: 2/5

Verdict: I'm a sucker for dialogue-driven movies, and "Locke" is exactly that. Directed by Steven Knight, it takes place entirely in a car in which Tom Hardy's character, Ivan Locke, is having multiple conversations with different people in both his personal and professional life on the phone while driving to London.

Tom Hardy had the very difficult task of flawlessly delivering his lines and carrying the entire movie on his shoulders since the entirety it focuses on his character, and he does it pretty effectively. A bad performance would've automatically condemned the movie but thankfully Hardy was a good enough actor to show emotion where he needed to without overdoing it. The rest of the cast, which consist of names such as Olivia Colman, Andrew Scott, Ruth Wilson, and even Tom Holland, do an equally stellar job at the other end of the call despite never being shown to us. I very much enjoyed listening to these calls but had an issue with the context of why they were being made in the first place. The movie attempts to explain it in a way I, unfortunately, found to be extremely cheesy and unconvincing, which is a shame since it could've been resolved in a much more efficient way. Technically the movie's cinematography and score were pretty underwhelming but thankfully they don't play a big role in the narrative's delivery.

"Locke" is certainly flawed, but remains enjoyable and even thrilling at times. Tom Hardy's performance is definitely one of my favorites of his and without it, the movie would've been a certain flop. It's a quick watch that doesn't require a lot of focus, and definitely worth a shot if you're into these types of movies.   

FINAL GRADE: 7/10