What would you call a film featuring a construction manager (Tom Hardy) that takes place over one drive from Birmingham to London? And what if the film never leaves that car? What if you spend the entire 85 minutes watching him deal with the aftermath of a phone call that unravels his life? And it was written and directed by Steven Knight, the man who wrote Dirty Pretty Things and Eastern Promises and is directing just his second feature?
If you’re Paste editor Tyler Kane, you would say, “sounds like a good version of Phone Booth.” Which, actually, feels like a good call. Nice work, Tyler. (Ed.— Thanks!)
Anyway, the first trailer is here, and it looks fantastic. Locke was first shown at the Venice Film Festival last summer, and makes its U.S. premiere on April 25. It also stars Ruth Wilson, Tom Holland and Olivia Colman, but only in voice form. It’s a totally unique approach, and from the trailer and a few positive reviews trickling out of Venice, this one has a lot of promise. Check out the trailer below: