Entertainment Blog #182 | Locked In [2023] - Desire & Manipulation...

Desire & manipulation are two of the most complicated scenarios that someone can handle. When there's a desire, manipulation can come finding you to ruin your life by making you do things you should not do. But with the manipulations, you won't see the real thing. You just see where the finger is pointed..

"Locked In" is a complex psychological drama that delves into themes of desire, manipulation, and familial conflict. It was released on Netflix in November 2023. "Locked In" showcases an exceptionally skilled group of performers, headed by Famke Janssen in the role of Lina. Lina's life becomes intricately linked to her tense relationship with Katherine, her mother-in-law. Along with Alex Hassell and Anna Friel, Rose Williams and Finn Cole also play significant roles that deepen the plot.

In "Locked In," the protagonist is Lina, an unsatisfied recent bride who gets stuck in an unstable relationship with Katherine, her mother-in-law. Flashbacks illuminated Lina's early years in Katherine's home following her mother's death, exposing a dysfunctional family dynamic and Jamie's seizure disorder. Scenes from the present show a conflicted Lina, frustrated by Katherine's control and dissatisfied with her role as Jamie's carer, who finds comfort in an affair with Jamie's friend and doctor, Robert.

A plan to escape Lina's restrictive life is triggered by her relationship with Robert as tensions rise. But when Robert plans Jamie's death on a boating journey, the plan takes an unsettling turn, leaving Lina separated between conflicting feelings. As Lina learns of Robert's secret motives and his plan to take over Katherine, betrayal and manipulation escalate. Driven by an insatiable desire and a renewed sense of determination, Lina embarks on a terrifying pursuit to escape the lies that trap her.

The story comes to a head when Lina faces Robert and has to navigate a dangerous pursuit inside her own house. In a compelling turn of events, Lina discovers Katherine's genuine reasons and her understanding of her situation changes. A sequence of discoveries unfolds, setting up a dramatic and terrifying showdown between the characters that ends with an unexpected twist of events that permanently changes their fates.

The movie makes an effort to hold viewers' attention with its gripping story, but it falls short in maintaining tension and realism. Despite the performances' impressive depth, the plot's execution is so weak that it leaves the audience disbelieving and disengaged from the characters' struggles.

Mixed reviews were given to "Locked In" by critics, who praised the cast's performances but criticized the convoluted and implausible plot. Many critics find the film unsettling and unsatisfying to watch because, despite its best efforts to create a compelling story, it fails to remain credible and consistent.

"Locked In" tries hard to blend suspense and psychological drama, but in the end, it falls short of being a gripping story. The film's implausible sequences, an overbearing attempt at psychological intrigue, and disorganized execution, despite the cast's strong performances, hinder its potential and leave viewers feeling let down by the film's ending.