“Locked” (2025), an English remake of the Argentinian film “4×4,” is an unremarkable survival cum hostage thriller that is made palatable by the central leading performances. Starring Bill Skarsgard and Anthony Hopkins and directed by David Yarovesky, the film often meanders after the intriguing premise, only to be elevated by the interesting pair of Skarsgard and Hopkins. Even as a genre film, ‘Locked’ has limited appeal and is bound to be forgotten amidst a plethora of films of its ilk.
Locked (2025) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
A petty thief, Eddie (Bill Skarsgard), cannot afford to take his van out of the mechanic’s garage. We see him unsuccessfully phoning every number in his contact list to borrow money. Eddie is supposed to pick up his daughter, Sarah, from school. Due to the lack of a vehicle, he gets delayed. His ex-wife berates him for standing Sarah up. Knowing he will again fail to fulfil his daughter’s wish if he does not get the money to get his van back, Eddie steals one of the garage mechanic’s wallets. The money in that wallet is not nearly enough. So, he buys some lottery tickets and wanders the neighborhood hoping to find an unlocked car for his next theft.
He does find one. A superbly glossy black luxury SUV. He opens the door and gets inside. However, elation soon turns to disappointment as Eddie cannot find a single thing that he can detach and sell later. Frustrated, he decides to get out. Now, the disappointment turns to horror as he finds himself locked inside the car. Panicked, he tries to break free. But the car seems to be fortified with steel and unbreakable glass. Eddie tries calling a passerby woman, but she cannot hear him. His phone is unable to pick up any signal. An unknown number keeps calling on the car. As a final attempt, Eddie shoots at the door. The glass proves to be bulletproof, and the bullet ricochets to hit Eddie in the leg.
Defeated and severely bleeding, Eddie finally picks up the call. The old and sophisticated voice of William (Anthony Hopkins) greets him. William tells him that the car is his and he likes to punish whoever tries to rob him. Eddie fell into the trap when he found the door unlocked. An enraged Eddie swears at him and asks him to let me go. Taking offense at the language of Eddie, William tasers him through the car. Yes, the seats of the car are rigged to taser the captive. Eventually, Eddie passes out from the blood loss. He wakes up to find his wounds bandaged. William reveals that he is a doctor and is not going to let Eddie die. At least, not till he has some ‘fun’ with him.
A desperate Eddie pleads with William, but cannot keep his temper from rising. As a result, he goes on to spend days trapped inside the car. William plays with Eddie through remote access. He brings the AC to the coldest setting, forcing Eddie to shiver with cold. Sometimes, he would shut the AC off altogether to have Eddie struggle with dehydration. Williams engages Eddie in debates, talks about his life, and throws the occasional bone. For instance, in exchange for Eddie’s social security number, William tells that there is a water bottle hidden behind the back seat. The next bone thrown at Eddie is a cookie in the glove box. While fetching that, Eddie notices internal wiring and a power switch deep inside the glove box.
Locked (2025) Movie Ending Explained:
Why Did William Lock Eddie in the Car?
Throughout their conversations, heated or civil, William often reveals his disdain for people like Eddie. William feels the youth today is flippant and unserious. Their debauchery is pushing society towards economic oblivion. Driving his SUV remotely, he gives Eddie a tour of the seedy underbellies of the city. He proceeds to kill two street thugs with his car. However, despite all his socio-economic agenda, William’s motive comes from a painful source. A reason truly personal.
It appears that there was an incident in William’s life. He was robbed while coming out of a store with his daughter, Emma. The robbery went haywire, and bullets were fired. One of those bullets killed Emma. From that moment onwards, William has been Mr. Vengeance, taking his own version of the ‘Batmobile’ to punish petty thieves and robbers. Eddie just happens to be his next victim. William feels people like Eddie have not been made aware of the consequences of their actions. Thus it becomes his task to mete out justice.
How Did Eddie Escape in the End?
As William’s plan becomes more unhinged, more dangerous, Eddie desperately looks for any opening. Things escalate when William targets Eddie’s family, specifically his daughter, Sarah. With helplessness and horror, Eddie watches from the front seat as the big black SUV chases his daughter, who is on a scooter. After a few close calls, William relents when he feels Eddie understands the pain of losing a daughter. Seeing his daughter almost getting killed, Eddie loses his cool completely. He powers through the electric shock to proceed to wreck the car. Cutting William from the control.
However, Eddie still cannot get out. Finally, William arrives in person and cuffs Eddie at gunpoint. He drives Eddie towards the outskirts of the city to kill him and dispose of the body. Sensing his doom, Eddie finally manages to click on the switch inside the glove box. The car loses its power, and William loses control. The SUV topples with a big crash. William’s gun goes off, and the bullet ricochets to kill William. Thankfully for Eddie, the rear glass is cracked due to the crash. Eddie manages to hammer the window down and get out. Bruised and bloody, he is picked up by a passing driver.
How Is ‘Locked’ Different from ‘4×4’?
There are quite a few differences between “Locked” and its source, “4×4.” For instance, Eddie’s counterpart Ciro takes some more heinous stances than Eddie ever did here. Apart from some small details like Ciro drifting to a nightmare, the primary difference between the two films is the tone of the villain’s motivation, which leads to a different ending. William’s counterpart, Enrique, was motivated by a lack of comeuppances that people like Ciro receive in life. His grudge was against the government and society at large. Kidnapping and torturing Ciro in that vehicle was a vessel for that rage.
Though he showed all of those signs, William was much more triggered by a personal trauma. This ‘personal’ nature of the fight between William and Eddie was missing in the original film. In “4×4,” Enrique and Ciro would eventually be cornered by police, forcing Enrique to take Ciro hostage. Even the passerby audience would side with Enrique after his rant about criminals like Ciro.
At long last, a negotiator would be able to change Enrique’s mind. Enrique let Ciro go and kill himself by detonating the SUV in question. Here, Eddie will escape from the clutches of William on his own. He will use his lottery money to buy a girl’s bike. Then, he will proceed to pick up Sarah from school on that bike. The story ends on a happier note, with a personal touch to Eddie’s life. In “4×4,” Ciro is taken by the police to await trial for his crimes.
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