Living together in London, Paxton from Ejiofor has just been released from his job as a van driver, while his partner Linda (Hathaway) is forced to fire some company employees. This only adds to the shared feeling of unease and discomfort, as Linda – first seen screaming on a pillow – was “planning to end our thing” before the blockade kept them at least physically together.
The tension in the relationship arises in many quick conversations, almost like an Aaron Sorkin film, except that there is not much room to walk while talking.
“I’m not normal these days, I know that,” admits Paxton, before going out into the street to read poetry aloud, as a way to “entertain our fellow prisoners.”
Like most productions filmed in quarantine, it is intriguing for about 30 minutes or more, thanks in part to the charismatic clues. For the next half hour, most viewers – like your situation – will probably have seen enough and just want to leave.
The second half, however, takes a sharp turn, as an opportunity arises for the two to collaborate on the escape with priceless merchandise (OK, extremely valuable). The scenario creates uncertainty about whether they will actually follow through with the scheme, whether they will get away with it and if sharing that effort can repair the damage done between them.
Along the way, the duo chat with several friends and co-workers played by names like Ben Stiller, Ben Kingsley and Dule Hill, but this is mainly a two-handed card game.
Once again, it is possible to admire ingenuity – and in this case, the central performances – without finding the result particularly satisfactory. Seeing glamorous people get involved in worldly fights doesn’t necessarily make it that much more fun.
“Locked Down” debuts Jan. 14 on HBO Max.