Famke Janssen has always had my attention ever since her impressive role as Jean Grey/Phoenix in the X-Men film series and the horror series, Hemlock Grove. Seeing her on this film's poster was the encouragement I needed to see it. The other two actors flanking her are not familiar to me though they have appeared in some films that I've seen. Let's get into the review then.
Locked In (2023) is a Netflix psychological thriller about a widow and ex-actress, Katherine (played by Famke Janssen), living in a remote countryside mansion called Rowling. She adopts her friend's daughter, Lina (played by Rose Williams), who becomes good friends with her stepson, Jamie. When Lina and Jamie are adults, they get married which angers Katherine.
Then Katherine gets into a terrible car accident, is taken to the hospital and diagnosed as 'locked in her body'. One of her eyes is swollen shut while the other is open but unresponsive. A neurological nurse, Mackenzie (played by Anna Friel), takes up the task of nursing Katherine back to health and also getting information about the accident.
The presence of Lina who watches Katherine and the nurse's every move makes Mackenzie believe that Katherine's injuries were no ordinary accident. Will this nurse succeed in knowing who the real victim and villain are?
Review
From the first scene, suspense and tension set the stage for the drama and thriller that follows. The plot of this film—two ladies of the mansion in love with a man who is bent on destroying them both to get his hands on their wealth—is a familiar one and predictable yet it's the love triangle that adds an unexpected twist.
The storytelling is not bad in my opinion. I enjoy the gothic feel of the film and how most of the scenes are drenched in darkness and rain. It gives a melancholy and spooky vibe about the mansion and the people living in it.
The area I would fault is the cinematography and editing. Many flashbacks try to fill in the gaps of the mystery surrounding Katherine's accident yet the editing is terribly done. It's a bit difficult to sort out at first but later on, it becomes clear. Also, the character development is not so good. With these few characters, it shouldn't be so hard to tell their backstories neatly.
The cast's performance is great. I trust Famke Janssen to do an excellent job and she did. Her role as the angry widow, ex-actress who's out of jobs and mother to Jamie and Lina is believable. Rose Williams is also impressive in her role and reminds me of Alicia Vikander. I think they share similarities in their look and acting.
Anna Friel is fantastic as Nurse Mackenzie and her English accent sweet to my ears but I feel she deserves better. She should have been given more to do rather than confined to simply being a nurse and working to piece together the mystery.
Overall, Locked In is not bad but it's not great either. I love gothic movies and this one gave me the thrill, but I wanted more. The film could be better and that's the area the filmmakers fall short. If you're a fan of gothic thrillers, then you'll like this one for a one-time viewing only.
Thank you for visiting my blog.
Other images are screenshots from the movie
Posted using CineTV