Debapriya Bhattacharya
Directed by David Yarovesky, ‘Locked’ follows Eddie (Bill Skarsgård), a kind-hearted man who is facing tough times and resorts to carjacking to make ends meet. Following a couple of failed attempts, he comes around a luxury SUV with its doors unlocked. Being stoked with his luck, Eddie enters the car, only to step into a deadly trap set by William (Anthony Hopkins). A self-proclaimed vigilante, William has spent a considerable amount to make the car inescapable from within. He remotely controls the vehicle and takes Eddie on a wild and reckless ride through the city, all the while lecturing the latter on morality and justice even as he struggles to survive. The psychological horror thriller is a remake of the 2019 Argentine film ‘4×4’ by Mariano Cohn. If the plot has managed to capture your interest, here is a list of movies similar to ‘Locked’ to consider for your next watch.
8. The Platform (2019)
Originally titled ‘El hoyo,’ Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s ‘The Platform’ is set in an industrial tower that houses criminals on different floors. A platform gradually descends through the tower to provide food lavishly prepared by chefs to the inmates. The platform is loaded on the top floor and stops at each subsequent floor for a fixed amount of time. Those at the top can have as much as they want, with the floors below receiving whatever remains. If everyone eats as much as they require, food is supposed to reach the last floor. However, for those who decide to stuff or waste the resource, the inmates on the lower floors find themselves with less food to eat, leading to conflict within the structure. The system is a twisted psychological experiment on morality among the incarcerated, much like what Eddie is subjected to in ‘Locked.’
7. Circle (2015)
Helmed by Aaron Hann and Mario Miscione, ‘Circle’ revolves around 50-odd individuals who wake up from a trance to find themselves trapped in a dark room. Everyone person stands in a fixed position around a black dome, forming two concentric circles. With no explanation of how they came to be here or what their purpose is in this place, the individuals start being eliminated one by one with a laser beam at random. One person soon figures out that they can vote on who dies next with the help of hand gestures, and tensions soon flare up as a result. As in ‘Locked,’ the victims are not met with a straight demand for their release but are instead forced to participate in a twisted game that turns fatal for many.
6. Cube (1997)
‘Cube’ by Vincenzo Natali centers around a rag-tag group of strangers who wake up in oddly constructed cubic cells with no memory of how they got there. The cells are linked to each other by hatches through which people can move. However, some of the cells are set up with traps that are designed to kill the unwary person who enters them. Narrowly avoiding the dangers, six strangers get together in a cell and decide to work together to escape. The group includes former cop Quentin (Maurice Dean Wint), scientist Holloway (Nicky Guadagni), young mathematician Leaven (Nicole de Boer), escape artist Rennes (Wayne Robson), autistic savant Kazan (Andrew Miller), and architect Worth (David Hewlett). The Cube puts their collective skills to the test in a twisted experiment not unlike what William subjects Eddie to in ‘Locked.’
5. Saw (2004)
Marking the feature directorial debut of James Wan, ‘Saw’ opens with photographer Adam Stanheight (Leigh Whannell) and oncologist Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes), who find themselves regaining consciousness while chained to the opposite corners of a large and filthy washroom. They are the latest victims of an infamous, sadistic masked killer, “Jigsaw.” Each of them is provided with specific instructions to kill the other and live, lest they wish to face horrific, fatal consequences. The narrative interweaves the fate of the previous victim of Jigsaw and the attempts of law enforcement to close in on the madman. The elaborate traps of Jigsaw bring to mind what William sets up in ‘Locked.’
4. Fermat’s Room (2007)
Originally titled ‘La habitación de Fermat,’ Luis Piedrahita and Rodrigo Sopeña’s film ‘Fermat’s Room’ follows four brilliant mathematicians who are brought together at an abandoned warehouse to solve an enigma. They are given the identities of historical mathematicians and philosophers, Galois, Hilbert, Olivia, and Pascal, with the person uniting them taking the pseudonym of Fermat. The four are then presented with increasingly complex numerical riddles, each of which is to be solved within a minute. Failing to meet the deadline makes the walls shift closer together, making the challenge far deadlier than they expected. Similar to William in ‘Locked,’ Fermat subjects the four geniuses to psychological torture that forces them to confront their true selves.
3. House of 9 (2005)
Steven R. Monroe’s ‘House of 9’ is set around nine strangers who are abducted and locked in a sprawling mansion with no path to escape. A voice through a public address system informs them that they are here to play a game, which will conclude when only one among them remains alive. The sole survivor will also receive $5 million for their troubles. The group is initially hesitant to play along with the ridiculous demand and attempts to find a way out together. However, as their attempts fail and the reality of the mortal danger sets in, they become distrustful of each other, and chaos unfolds. As in ‘Locked,’ the torturous experience that the group is subjected to has been carefully planned to break them mentally.
2. Escape Room (2019)
Helmed by Adam Robitel, ‘Escape Room’ chronicles six strangers who receive a mysterious puzzle box in the mail, inviting them to participate in an escape room challenge for a chance to win a million dollars. While the invitation promises an immersive experience, the players fail to register the weight of the word until after the game begins. They soon realize that they are playing for their lives, with each challenge being curated to break every individual in the group psychologically. Much like ‘Locked,’ the trapped individuals are made to suffer through a hell conceived by man.
1. Exam (2009)
Directed by Stuart Hazeldine, ‘Exam’ follows eight candidates who have qualified after a rigorous selection process to appear for an employment assessment test for a high-profile corporate job. Being seated at their own desks with a paper in front of them, they are tasked by the invigilator to answer a single question in 80 minutes, following three rules. The candidates are not allowed to spoil the paper, leave the room, or speak with the invigilator or the armed guard at the door. While it appears straightforward in the beginning, the situation turns chaotic as the candidates fail to see the question. The plot is reminiscent of ‘Locked,’ as the test that the candidates face is psychological. Similar to Eddie, many candidates become desperate to get through the test, leading to dangerous consequences.
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