Ivan Locke (Tom Hardy) leaves the construction site he oversees, and heads on a long journey up the motorway to London in the dark of the night. In doing so, he chooses to abandon the project at its most important hour, leaving an inexperienced labourer in charge of the largest cement pour England has ever seen.

But this isn’t his only dramatic move.

We learn through a series of phone calls made via the Bluetooth in his car that his family—his wife and two sons—are busily preparing for his arrival home. They’ve bought beer and sausages for what sounds like a much-adored family tradition of game night, but Ivan isn’t coming.

Instead, without being truly able to explain his actions, he continues on the motorway, which serves as both a physical journey and a symbol of the emotional journey he is making—leaving his old, secure life behind him and heading towards the dark unknown of something new.

Locke intimately explores the breakdown of a man, and it does so with intensity. Shot almost entirely in his car, Ivan is the only character we see throughout the entire film, leaving his car’s speakerphone to introduce us to the other key characters.

It’s a clever set-up, and forces the viewer to remain attached to the central character regardless of his flaws and failings. As these are revealed, the audience is horrified; but at the same time the unrelenting gaze forces us to stay with him, effectively building our empathy for a man who might otherwise be easy to dislike.

We are forced to watch his breakdown, and it makes it harder to judge him as we might otherwise.

Despite never meeting them, we get to know the people in his life, from his wife Katrina, to his two sons, his boss and his besieged worker. It’s a credit to the medium of sound that we can connect so deeply through voice alone; and by focussing on his reactions to what they are saying, we learn not just about the people, but the relationship that connects them.

At 84 minutes in length, Locke is an intense but short-lived drama that takes its audience on as much of an emotional journey as the lead character; a journey that can be confronting, but also makes for rewarding viewing.

Directed by: Steven Knight
Starring: Tom Hardy
Rating: MA15+
Runtime: 84mins
Release Date: 28 August
Reviewer rating: 3.5/5