Unlocked (2017)
2017
98 Minutes
After failing to apprehend the terrorist behind a Paris attack that claimed dozens of lives, CIA agent Alice Racine is forced to live in London as a caseworker. Her mentor unexpectedly calls her ba...
User Review
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Unlocked can't quite open itself up as it's locked down by clichés. It's common knowledge that I like an exciting spy thriller, from the myriad of James Bond flicks to John Le Carré adaptations. Of course not every addition to the genre can match the high quality of those, yet naively I use them as the benchmark. Whilst not striving for perfection, Unlocked can't quite reach those heights. A field operative now interrogator is requested to interview a courier who is delivering a message to commence a terrorist attack. Well, atleast I think that's how the plot unraveled itself...honestly I'm not entirely sure on the details. The story is so convoluted with an array of convenient twists that soon turns thrills into predictable yawns, I couldn't quite follow every detail. Double crossing, treason, treachery, untrustworthy colleagues and a narrative structure that simply follows a linear trail of point A to point B to C, D, E all the way to Z. Encrypted messages and super spy jargon makes it even more difficult to follow and enjoy. Aside from the protagonist, all other characters were plain assets to the plot that were entirely expendable, making it difficult to relate to them thus consequently removing the surprise from the majority of twists. Riddled with clichés as much as being a riddle in itself. On the flip side, it's consistently well executed and exhumes the charm of a British television thriller. The acting was solid all round, particularly Rapace (who recently loves being in generic action thrillers) and Bloom (who isn't an elf or a pirate), and utilises its all-star power to elevate the basic script. Malkovich in a position of power? Always a pleasure to watch. An adequate balance of action shootouts, close combat scenes and intense interrogative dialogue that amalgamate for an entertaining watch. It's not memorable in the slightest (I've forgotten most of it already) but relishes in its modern terrorism scenario that it becomes somewhat watchable. The story remains locked, however its execution is enough to not class this as generic thriller as bad.0 member like this review.
