by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Where do they find all of these crime thrillers to populate VOD? There just seems to be an endless supply of detective stories and crime tales that make up the vast majority of straight-to-VOD affairs (along with horror films). The formula seems quite simple as well. You need a cop against all odds, or a criminal trying to break good. You need a familiar name to bolster your protagonist and throw on the poster (case in point: Bruce Willis). The story just needs to hit a few familiar beats to keep the audience knowing what they are watching. Then it all comes together with a relatively low budget.
Did I just completely describe The Locksmith from director Nicolas Harvard? This new crime thriller is slapping “Ryan Phillippe” across that poster. He has been doing a fine job lately of delivering some rock-solid thrillers on VOD. His middle-aged grit gives him more personality than when he was a young man breaking into Hollywood. Throw in Kate Bosworth and Ving Rhames (is this film from 2000?), and you have a good cast with some familiar names. Phillippe portrays Miller Graham, who is just getting out of prison after a failed heist that took the life of a friend (remember… that will be important!). He is then is pulled back into the shady underworld of crime.
Does that all grab your attention? Most of the story is quite familiar. The narrative does not stray too far away from the familiar and expected beats of a story about a criminal trying to make it straight. We have an empathetic lead. There are a few lovable supporting turns who are also in danger. You will know (almost) exactly how this film plays out in front of the audience. There are five writers credited on this simple and relatively straightforward thriller… but at least they muster up a few twists in the road for the audience. Otherwise, it plays out almost beat-for-beat as you expect. But the story is not the strongest element of the film, and I think they realized it.
How about Harvard’s direction? There is a lot of energy that brings some solid thrills to the more violent moments in the film. From a technical standpoint, the visuals are done well enough to make this small-time thriller more believable. The pacing is fine, as the film never really takes time to slow things down. The runtime is modest to safely navigate this crime story without much trouble. The look of the film is drab and feels like it was made for quite a small budget. The budget is on the screen, and the writing is not the strongest.
Does the cast do some heavy lifting to make this little thriller work? Phillippe is dependable as our lead. He offers up some good old-fashioned empathy that makes the audience care about him. He is a solid action star who offers up some strong physicality. Bosworth on the other hand? She is just… alright. There is not a lot of material for her besides confronting some boring corrupt cops. Rhames, though, is such a delight. I love what he brings to the film — he’s a heartwarming and charismatic piece to the ensemble. And a little shout out to the young actress who plays Miller’s daughter (Madeleine Guilbot); she is so adorable!
Is The Locksmith going to shake up this tired and overdone genre? Honestly, this one will float off into the endless sea of VOD crime thrillers, and will most likely be forgotten. A few good cast members don’t make for a fully engaging film. If you enjoy a thriller and this is your type of genre, it might peak your fancy. But there was never quite enough.
Score: 5/10
The Locksmith will be in theaters and on VOD February 3
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