It is time for all the genres to have their own pandemic film! While we’ve been treated to some dramas and comedies during the pandemic the full scope of the lockdown’s potential as a plot device is just opening up and Locked Down is here to deliver us a pandemic heist film, with a bit of personal drama thrown in.
Starring Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor as a kind of struggling couple trapped with each other during the UK’s full-blown lockdown the film seems to start out as an emotional drama before diving headfirst into a full-blown heist. The pair decide, despite not really being in need of the money, to steal a diamond from Harrod’s as the famous store locks up all its jewels and other valuables. Standard heist comedy ensues but the charm of the film’s stars seems to elevate it a bit even if the heist doesn’t look quite as intriguing as, say, something from Ocean’s 11.
Dough Liman is directing the movie and the marketing is laying heavily into the fact that he directed Mr. and Mrs. Smith, which makes sense given the similarities between the two films. However, I would argue that any and all movies made by Liman should really just say that he directed Edge of Tomorrow because there is no way he will ever make a better film (except maybe the sequel).
It is kind of cool that the movie seems to have been filmed (safely?) during lockdown itself, with the stars getting to traipse around a completely empty Harrods with ease and clearly plenty of cameos being done over webcams. Whether or not that leads to a compelling heist movie isn’t so clear.
Locked Down will premiere on HBO Max on January 14, 2020.
