From director David Yarovesky and producer Sam Raimi comes “Locked”, a tightly wound high-concept action thriller that brings together the hardworking Bill Skarsgård and the effortlessly great Anthony Hopkins. “Locked” is an English-language remake of Mariano Cohn’s 2019 Argentinian film “4×4”. It was filmed and is set in Vancouver, Canada which adds a vivid urbanized texture while playing a big part in the storytelling.

Skarsgård plays Eddie Barrish, a down on his luck petty thief whose bad choices put him in a perilous predicament. Eddie is broke, unable to muster the $475 needed to get his beat-up van out of the garage. So he resorts to snatching wallets, buying scratch-offs, and breaking into cars. To make matters worse, he’s in hot water with his ex-wife for routinely standing up his young daughter, Sarah (Ashley Cartwright).

While cutting through a near vacant backstreet parking lot, Eddie notices a fancy black SUV appropriately branded “Dolus”. He checks the door and finds it unlocked. Jumping in unnoticed, he immediately begins rummaging for anything to sell but finds nothing. When he tries to get out, he discovers the doors are locked. He attempts kicking out the glass but to no avail. He learns all cell signal is blocked and its soundproof so he can’t scream for help. After several more vain attempts at escaping, Eddie realizes he’s trapped.

As Eddie panics over his sudden predicament, the vehicle’s phone rings. On the other end is an elderly man who introduces himself as William (Hopkins). The two engage in a hostile back-and-forth in which William exercises his dominance. He watches his trapped prey through six embedded cameras, shocking Eddie with the electrified interior whenever he gets out of line. William even resorts to torturing Eddie with heat, cold, and (in a darkly comical turn) blaring polka music.

Why is William doing this? Well it’s best you find out on your own. But it’s all a sick game built upon his sociopathic sense of justice. As William and Eddie continue their tête-à-têtes, we learn more about each of them – their pasts, their circumstances, and in some instances their motivations. A few arguments feel a bit fabricated, such as one conversation that quickly evolves into on-the-nose political commentary. But most build towards the film’s harrowing final act which is set in motion once the the sleek high-tech SUV hits the streets.

While there’s no denying the ultimate absurdity of the premise, “Locked” rides along on the firm commitment of Skarsgård and Hopkins. The duo does everything they can to keep the story driving forward even as the movie struggles to fill its lean 95 minutes. And while its midsection lulls bog things down a bit, there’s just enough meat on the bones of this gritty genre two-hander to hold your interest. “Locked” hits theaters March 21st.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

The deep sea survival thriller “Last Breath” tells the harrowing and miraculous true story of Chris Lemons, a saturation diver who spent nearly half an hour without oxygen at the bottom of the North Sea and lived to tell about it. A number of medical professionals have studied his case and none of the experts have come up with an explanation for how Lemons survived. And not only that, he sustained no longterm mental or physical effects.

“Last Breath” is directed by Alex Parkinson and is a feature film adaptation of the 2019 documentary of the same name he made with Richard da Costa. Written by the trio of Parkinson, Mitchell LaFortune, and David Brooks, the film follows the incident and subsequent rescue attempt. Parkinson highlights the heroism of those on the ship and underwater in a high-stakes, race against the clock thriller that delivers with a near workmanlike precision.

Finn Cole plays Chris Lemons, a young diver from Aberdeenshire, Scotland with a loving fiancé (Bobby Rainsbury) and a bright future. He gets a call to join a team of saturation divers for some deep-water gas line maintenance. Excited for the opportunity, Chris joins team leader and 20-year veteran Duncan Allcock (Woody Harrelson) and the intense and hyper-focused David Yuasa (Simu Liu) aboard a state-of-the-art vessel destined for the tumultuous North Sea.

Parkinson’s earlier research for his documentary pays big dividends here as he pours a ton of effort into the details. Everything from Ian Seabrook’s stunning underwater photography to the cramped and claustrophobic metal interiors to the steady flow of nautical jargon adds to the movie’s overall realism. And it helps that Parkinson keeps his story simple and streamlined. The film is lean and compact but has a propulsive plot. Best of all, it avoids the temptation to artificially amplify the drama. Parkinson lets the story sell itself.

The tension comes to a boil after Chris, Duncan, and David take a diving bell 300 feet below the sea’s surface. From there Chris and David descend further down to a drilling structure known as a manifold which sits on the seafloor. As the pair begin to make repairs, Duncan monitors their progress from the bell while feeding them air, light, warmth, and communication through an umbilical. Meanwhile up above in the ship’s wheelhouse, Captain Andre Jenson (the always reliable Cliff Curtis) fights to keep the ship on location in the middle of a violent storm.

Without giving away the details, the storm causes the ship to drift following a major DPS system malfunction. As the ship is pulled away from the site so is the bell. While David is able to get free of the manifold to ascend to the bell, Chris’ umbilical gets caught and eventually snaps. It leaves him stuck on the seafloor with no communication, no light, and only a few minutes of air. In an instant their maintenance job turns into a rescue mission as everyone above water and below put their lives on the line to save Chris before it’s too late.

“Last Breath” might be a bit thin in places, and I can see it being too straightforward for some audiences. But the movie works because of its ability to earn our investment. We fully believe in its real-life scenario, no questions asked. And we care about the characters, even if we wish we knew a little more about them. There is a gritty realism in the performances that matches the story as the terrific ensemble capture the human spirit. Parkinson does the rest, delivering a gripping throwback thriller in what is his rock-solid narrative feature debut.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

Writer-director Phil Blattenberger’s “Laws of Man” is a pulpy throwback genre feature – the kind that’s sure to scratch the nostalgic itch of anyone (like me) who has an affection for movies of its kind. It has a colorful company of characters, deliciously heightened drama, a terrific period-rich setting, and one gloriously gonzo ending that I never saw coming (but probably should have).

Set in 1963 at the Dawn of the Cold War, “Laws of Man” follows two U.S. Marshals stationed out of Carson City who are sent to rural Nevada to serve two warrants. Frank Fenton (Jacob Keohane) is strait-laced and uptight, fully operating by-the-book while concealing his lingering PTSD from World War II. Tommy Morton (Jackson Rathbone) is young and cocky, more prone to bending the rules and not afraid to go into any scenario guns blazing. Together in their black suits, black ties, and black Cadillac, they fit the lawman look to the letter.

Their first warrant is for a backwoods gang leader named Crash Mooncalf (played by the always great Richard Brake). It goes quickly and violently. But it’s their second warrant that proves to be more complicated. They are to arrest Benjamin Bonney (Dermot Mulroney), a psychopathic rancher who along with his three halfwit sons are accused of murdering local landowners whose property Bonney believes is rightfully his.

After driving all day, Frank and Tommy check in to the appropriately named Last Chance Motel to get a night’s rest before approaching the Bonney’s. While there, they meet a number of interesting locals including a friendly barmaid (Kelly Lynn Reiter), the cantankerous sheriff (Graham Greene), and a traveling preacher (Harvey Keitel). But none of these lively characters can prepare the lawmen for what lies ahead.

Frank and Tommy’s bullet-riddled first encounter with the Bonneys evolves into a complicated chess match littered with surprise visits from the FBI, missing evidence, and other unexpected revelations that take the story in a wonderfully bonkers direction. As it plays out Blattenberger has a blast dipping his toes into a number of genres, wrangling them all together into one entertaining and self-aware mash-up. The performances are mostly solid with everyone seemingly in tune with the kind of movie they’re making. And there are loads of great period details from Frank’s love for 7-Up to the government’s Communist anxieties.

While the story is a blast from start to finish, it has some holes that will have you scratching your head if you think about them long enough. And certain characters seem to vanish without a trace whenever the script is done with them. But those feel like quibbles considering how much fun I had with “Laws of Man”. The sure-handed Blattenberger has put together an energetic and flavorful 98 minutes that flew by and left a ridiculous smile plastered across my face. “Laws of Man” releases January 10th in select theaters and on VOD.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

“Lonely Planet” (the movie, not the popular travel guidebook publisher) is the sophomore directing effort from Susannah Grant which comes 18 years after her debut, 2006’s “Catch and Release”. Grant is perhaps best known as the Oscar-nominated screenwriter for 2000’s “Erin Brockovich”. She both writes and directs “Lonely Planet”, a serviceable but surprisingly sparkless romantic drama set in scenic Morocco.

Laura Dern stars as Katherine Loewe, a successful writer who’s having a hard time finishing her latest novel. We learn that her dissolving marriage has contributed to a bad case of writer’s block. With her deadline fast approaching and her publisher breathing down her neck, Katherine flies to Morocco and checks in to a luxury countryside resort owned by an old friend, Fatema (Rachida Brakni).

All Katherine wants is enough peace and quiet to write. But that proves difficult as the resort is also hosting an International Writers Retreat. Among the esteemed attendees is Lily Kemp (Diana Silvers) and her boyfriend Owen Brophy (Liam Hemsworth). Lily is riding high after the success of her first novel. Despite never publishing anything, she became an overnight best-selling author which earned her an invite to the retreat. Owen has come along for moral support.

The nervous but ambitious Lily immediately clicks with the other writers while Owen spends much of his time on the phone trying to land his first big financing deal. But as she spends more time with her literary contemporaries he quickly begins to feel like an outsider. As the story progresses, the equally frustrated Katherine and Owen repeatedly cross paths. And after a rather cold first encounter, the two begin connecting in ways neither expected.

It’s not hard to figure out where things are going. The story leans on several well-worn tropes in moving us towards the inevitable romance, the conflict that threatens it all, and the predictable happy ending. The individual performances from Dern and Hemsworth are solid and they bring what they can to their age-gap love story. But it’s such a low-temperature romance with their characters better suited as drinking buddies than new-found lovers.

Fitting for a movie with its title, “Lonely Planet” treats us to lots of eye-catching scenery while (sometimes awkwardly) dipping our toes in local Moroccan culture. But pretty people in pretty places can only carry it so far. It has its charms but it lacks spark and there’s hardly any passion. That’s because so much time is spent getting to the romance that we hardly have any time with the romance. It leaves us barely interested and even less invested in their relationship or in what the future might hold for them. “Lonely Planet” is now streaming on Netflix.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

Renowned American photographer, photojournalist, and war correspondent Lee Miller has left an impression on the 2024 movie year. First she was an inspiration for Kirsten Dunst’s character in Alex Garland’s “Civil War”. Now she’s the centerpiece of director Ellen Kuras’ “Lee”, a biographical drama based on the book “The Lives of Lee Miller” which was written by her son, Antony Penrose.

Kate Winslet offers a riveting portrayal of the film’s titular lead. Her passion for Lee Miller’s story is evident throughout her performance and led her to also serve as producer. Winslet and Kuras previously worked together on 2004’s “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”. With “Lee”, the two set out to tackle a much different project – one that has been eight years in the making. Their labors were not in vain. “Lee” is an absorbing, well acted, and handsomely shot feature that captures the essence of this captivating figure.

The story, penned by the screenwriting trio of Liz Hannah, John Collee, and Marion Hume, includes a broad range of characters, most of whom are based on real people from Miller’s life. In addition to Winslet, the film features a sparkling cast that includes Marion Cotillard, Andrea Riseborough, Alexander Skarsgård, Josh O’Connor, Andy Samberg, and Noémie Merlant. All help to invigorate different areas of Miller’s remarkable life.

The movie is framed through a 1977 interview an older Lee Miller (Winslet) has with an idealistic journalist (O’Connor). It’s a storytelling device the movie doesn’t need yet it has its poignant moments. Through the interview we’re introduced to younger Lee, a former model turned pugnacious party girl who enjoys hanging out with her rowdy friends in 1938 France. That’s where she meets and falls in love with Roland Penrose (Skarsgård), a British artist and curator.

Roland convinces Lee to follow him to London where the two settle down. Lee gets a job as a photographer with British Vogue magazine working under editor Audrey Withers (Riseborough). But as with so many others, Lee’s life changes as the Second World War intensifies. She gets word that her friends back in France are forced to flee underground as the Nazi’s occupy Paris. And soon after, the German’s begin bombing London. That leads Roland, a conscientious objector, to enlist as an air raid warden and camoufleur.

While the men went off to war, the women were expected to stay behind. But not Lee. She was inspired to be a war photographer but was immediately met with resistance from her magazine and even the British government. But she pushed back, eventually finding her way to the war zone. There she befriends and partners with Life magazine correspondent David Scherman (Samberg, giving a career-best performance). Together they travel across war-torn Europe, shooting field hospitals, combat in Saint-Malo, the liberation of Paris, suicide pacts in Leipzig, and the horrors of the Dachau concentration camp.

Winslet and Kuras paint a fascinating portrait of Lee Miller. They reveal her to be ambitious and determined but also abrasive and impulsive. She’s seen as a straight-shooter to a fault, often dismissing any opinion or suggestion that doesn’t line up with her own. At the same time, it’s that very grit that strengthened her to push through countless barriers placed in front of her. Most importantly, Winslet accentuates Lee’s humanity by injecting humor, vulnerability, and pathos into her performance.

Among the many compelling aspects of “Lee” is watching Kuras build entire scenes around some of Miller’s most iconic images, from lounging with her friends in Mougins, France to bathing in Hitler’s bathtub. Other scenes are so affecting that we can only watch in unsettled silence. But all of them help to give us a well-rounded grasp of who Lee Miller was. And Winslet’s awards-worthy performance is icing on the proverbial cake. “Lee” opens in theaters on September 27th.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

Just when you thought it was safe to get back into the cinematic waters, along comes another shark movie. “The Last Breath”, from director Joachim Hedén, taps into what has become a popular and well-traveled horror sub-genre. It seems like each year we get multiple shark movies of all makes and models. 2024 has been no different. But to Hedén’s credit, he gives his film its own unique spin while still delivering the thrills and kills people look for in shark flicks of its kind.

Written for the screen by Nick Saltrese who works from a story by Andrew Prendergast, “The Last Breath” is a surprisingly exciting and suspenseful thriller set mostly underwater. Historically, shooting underwater has been a challenge for filmmakers with the cinematography often being dark and murky. Not so with “The Last Breath”. The brilliant photography from Hedén and DP Eric Börjeson is clear and sharp, using various sources of light as well as deep shadows to create a forbidding and immersive setting.

As far as the story goes, in 1944 a German submarine sank the USS Charlotte battleship near the British Virgin Islands. Fast forward 80 years where a treasure hunter named Levi (Julian Sands) and his deckhand Noah (Jack Parr) discover the wreckage of the Charlotte buried deep in the sand on the ocean floor. Levi has spent several years and practically all of his money in search of the Charlotte. Knowing his boss’s financial strain, a well-meaning Noah convinces Levi to do something that proves to have deadly consequences.

A group of Noah’s old college friends reunite for a few days of partying and reminiscing. Among them is Sam (Kim Spearman), a nurse from New York and Noah’s ex; the rich and pompous Brett (Alexander Arnold); the pothead, Logan (Arlo Carter); and the easy-going Riley (Erin Mullen). Noah lets it slip that he and Levi have found the Charlotte leading Brett to offer an absurd amount of money for Levi to take the group on a dive to explore the sunken battleship. A desperate Levi reluctantly agrees. He delays reporting his find to authorities and takes the friends to the site. Bad idea.

Noah and his friends are all certified divers, but that doesn’t prepare them for lies below. As they descend deep into the belly of the ship they lose communication with the surface. But that’s nothing compared to the biggest threat – ferocious and extremely territorial man-eating sharks. And that sets up Hedén’s central tension. Who (if anyone) will make it out of the wreckage and back to the surface without being turned into chum? Disorientation, depleted oxygen, fear turning to panic – it all factors into this tense and claustrophobic experience.

Though it tries, the movie doesn’t offer much depth with its characters. And with the exception of Levi, you could make a case that they’re closer to character types than fully-formed people. But you could also brush that off as needless knit-picking, especially for a movie that has such a good grasp of what it wants to be. Its main focus is on building suspense (which it handles well) and submerging us in its impressively realized deep-water environment. And it does it all while incorporating some gnarly shark kills that should delight any genre fan. “The Last Breath” hits select theaters and VOD on July 26th.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS