Locked In (2023) Movie Ending, Explained: Netflix thrillers are currently experiencing a trend where they’re more likely to be ‘skipped’ rather than eagerly ‘streamed.’ The recent release, Nour Wazzi’s Locked In, revolves around themes of inheritance and lethal pursuit for wealth, a common plot in psychological thrillers. Unfortunately, this storyline is not novel, and, more importantly, the screenplay’s quality (written by Rowan Joffe) falls short, even by Netflix’s recent standards. The narrative follows a failed actress, once a prominent figure in Hollywood, and her sudden decision to assist her friend’s daughter, seemingly triggered by a reawakened conscience.
Spoilers Ahead
Locked In (2023) Plot Explained:
Locked In starts with Nurse Mackenzie holding an alphabet board in front of Katherine, one of the protagonists of the story. Later, we realize that Katherine has been in an accident and is locked in a position. It is a time when the patient is sort of in a coma; however, she can see and hear everything around her. Anyway, Mackenzie takes an over-interest in this case as she feels that she can cure Katherine much sooner.
But the main reason behind Mackenzie’s interest is revealed much later when we realize that she has seen the family before, and she knows that something is off at this moment in Katherine’s case. Anyway, she meets Katherine’s friend’s daughter, Lina, who seems pretty upset seeing Katherine in such a condition. Mackenzie wants to know from the beginning about her relationship with Katherine and how things progress over time.
How is the relationship between Katherine and Lina?
The first time Lina comes to live with Katherine, right after her mother’s death, Katherine takes good care of her. Katherine used to be a big Hollywood star, but now she is going through a tough phase. Her husband was from a very rich lineage, but before his death, he gave everything to his son, Jamie. Since Katherine was his second wife and Jamie is her stepson, her hate for him grows stronger with each passing day.
But, since the arrival of Lina into the house, and as she takes care of Jamie from the beginning, things start to sort out on their own. As time progresses, Lina and Jamie become couples, which Katherine doesn’t take well. She thinks Lina is her enemy, as marrying Jamie gives her more rights to the big giant mansion sort of house. Katherine starts to hate both of them, but it goes out of the line, like thinking of murdering each other.
Is Lina living happily with Jamie in their marriage?
Jamie used to have seizures when he was a child. This thing starts to grow to an extreme stage right after Jamie and Lina’s marriage. On the very night of their marriage, Jamie has a seizure, and Lina has to pass the night alone, regretting the choices she made so far in her life. She has nowhere to go, as living inside the mansion for so long has completely cut her off from the outside world. She doesn’t know anyone on the outside. Jamie doesn’t even let her work.
Lina has her own needs apart from enjoying the freedom by leaving all her duties behind. But, the condition that Jamie is in, he cannot afford to give the happiness Lina hopes for. Amidst all of this, the constant tension with Katherine makes Lina’s life even more complicated than ever. She doesn’t have her own time; even if she goes swimming, Jamie rings the bell for emergency cases. Jamie is sick, but catering to the ill gradually pushes Lina into undying pain with each passing day.
Lina has her journal where she writes what is going on around her. She has no one to talk to, so this journal is basically an inbox where she can dump everything. The entries become darker as she meets Jamie’s doctor, Lawrence. He makes her feel worthy and comfortable. Lina starts to feel vulnerable whenever she is around Doctor Lawrence. This intrigues the heinous side that awaits within Lina’s subconscious.
How does Doctor Lawrence manipulate Lina into murdering Jamie?
From the beginning, Doctor Lawrence shows weakness toward Lina, and Lina has politely ignored that. But, as the days pass on, Lina wants to get out of the place. She seeks freedom more than her own identity when Lawrence comes into her life to shield her. She starts to feel rested whenever she talks to Doctor Lawrence. Even Lina’s urge to get intimate with her husband starts to find comfort around Lawrence.
So, one night, Lina submits to Doctor Lawrence as they make love. Lina doesn’t feel any guilt as she roams around happily right after that. Katherine sees that as an opportunity to humiliate Lina, so she invites Lawrence for dinner. There, she humiliates Lina in front of everyone; however, it kind of backfires on her. Jamie takes Lina’s side, as later that night, Lina ends up making out with Lawrence in his car.
Soon, Lina becomes more conscious about getting out of the house than ever as she goes to visit Doctor Lawrence. Lawrence tells her about the will and the huge mansion. Lina, even then, doesn’t really understand Lawrence’s true objective. But, since Lina wants to get away from her pain, he helps her set up the death trap for Jamie. One day, he gives Jamie some medicine that makes him feel good. Jamie wishes to have a picnic on an island in the middle of the lake.
Jamie doesn’t know how to swim; even so, he, along with Lawrence and Lina, board the boat, and Lawrence starts rowing. There comes a time when Lawrence drops the oar, and while lifting it from the water, he makes sure that the boat goes upside down. Jamie drowns, and Lina holds onto him. Suddenly, Lawrence grabs his leg and pulls him into the water. Jamie dies as Lawrence makes sure that the whole mansion now belongs to Lina.
What sparks Mackenzie’s curiosity about the entire scenario?
Before any of this occurs, there comes a time when Jamie has to be sent to the hospital. Their nurse, Mackenzie, takes care of him while noting an awkward interaction between Lina and Doctor Lawrence. Also, during the diagnosis, Mackenzie discovers the overdose in Jamie’s prescription. When asked about it, Lawrence seems to act strangely as he himself has prescribed these incorrect medications.
Since then, Mackenzie has had doubts about Lawrence’s intentions. When Lina finally tells her about Jamie’s death, she confronts her with her version of the truth. Lina learns that Mackenzie suspects that Lawrence is behind everything and believes that Lina is doing all of this against her will. She even notices that Mackenzie is almost able to get Katherine to talk. She knows that Lawrence tries to kill Katherine to save her. But is that what actually happened?
How does Katherine end up in the hospital?
Shortly after Jamie’s death, Lina begins to have nightmares that haunt her in her sleep. She sees Jamie’s lifeless body or her room filled with water in these nightmares. She believes that leaving the mansion is the only option left for her. When she informs Lawrence of this, he makes it clear that she should sell the mansion before departing. Lina now understands that Lawrence is doing everything for money, including seducing her in the first place.
Upon returning home to confess everything to Katherine, she finds that Lawrence is making advances toward her as well. Losing all patience, she packs her bag to leave the mansion for good. Katherine intervenes and tries to make her understand the situation. Lina slaps her hard and even punches Lawrence when he tries to stop her from leaving.
As she runs away from both of them, Katherine chases her on her horse, and Lawrence follows in his car. There comes a moment when Lina is within shooting distance of Katherine as Lawrence pursues her as well. Lina doesn’t see what is happening behind her as she hears a gunshot. Later, Lawrence tells her that he prevented Katherine from shooting her but had to run over her, leaving her terribly injured.
Locked In (2023) Movie Ending, Explained:
How does Lina protect Katherine from Lawrence?
Since Nurse Mackenzie now knows the truth and calls the police, Lina makes plans with Lawrence to kidnap Katherine from the hospital. Her main objective is to keep Katherine away from talking to the police. “If there is no witness or victim, there is no crime,” she thinks. However, Nurse Mackenzie voice texts her the original truth that she learned from Katherine.
She tells her that even though Katherine has the perfect chance to shoot Lina, she does not pull the trigger. Moreover, she sees that Lawrence tries to run Lina over, so she shoots at one of the wheels of his car. This makes the horse go wild, and it injures Katherine badly. Katherine then tries to run away from the whole situation, but Lawrence finds her. She begs him to leave Lina alone as she finds the motherly love within her at that moment of crisis.
However, Lawrence runs over her, hoping that Lina will have no one to tell the truth and all the money will be his now. Anyway, Lina now knows the truth and plans to kill Lawrence to save Katherine. When Lawrence is about to inject the morphine inside Katherine’s veins, Lina tells him that she will inject it herself. However, she puts the needle on Lawrence’s throat and injects it. But, the amount of morphine is not enough to kill him. So, she brings one of the kitchen knives and stabs Lawrence in the chest.
Lawrence’s demise finally frees Lina to rescue Katherine. As Nurse Mackenzie arrives, the police clear Lawrence’s lifeless body from the house. With this threat gone, Lina and Katherine can now forge a meaningful relationship. Without Nurse Mackenzie’s intervention, Lawrence would have succeeded in murdering Katherine, likely targeting Lina next in his ruthless pursuit of the entire property. It’s Mackenzie’s unyielding curiosity that ultimately enables Lina to rescue Katherine and reunite as a family once more.
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