The Locksmith (I) (2023) User Reviews

Basic cookie cutter crime movie

[zack_gideon · 5/10 · 5 February 2023]

I've never a more emphatic 5 in my life. It's not horrible, it's not good either. It's a 5. Average film. The dialogue is only written to move the plot along. You've probably seen this same plot 2 dozen times with different settings and variables.

The acting is okay, ving rhames is good, but mostly it's just a go through the motions movie. Good guy, bad guys, good cop, bad cops, evil real estate guy, some tepid violence. It's really a movie I'll never think about again.

It's like when you write a movie and you want everyone to agree, not take any risks and make a cookie cutter film that's been done a hundred times. This is that movie. If you love average stuff and like to be bored and see a through the motions movie then this is your jam!!!

Solid acting performances, but a below average script.

[imseeg · 5/10 · 11 April 2023]

What is it these days? Aren't there enough good writers in Hollywood who can write a BELIEVABLE script? I guess not, because this movie fails to impress because of a huge lack in credibility of several plot turns.

The bad: this movie wasnt original to begin with, but that shouldnt have been a problem, IF ONLY they had written a story that one could believe in and would make some sense. But they didnt.

They must take us viewers for morons. Just to name 1 example: a locksmith (Ryan Phillipe) is going to rob a pokergame for half a million dollars. Without any preparation he just barges in and then expects to walk out unharmed. And he miracuslously succeeds! Then he goes to return the money with a ski mask on. Ha ha ha, completely laughable script!!!

It's such a pity of the ridiculous script, because this movie had the potential to be at least an okay gangster movie. Now it's cringeworthy to watch at.

It starts out okay though, THAT's the problem. I got suckered in watching this movie and only realising half way through what a ridiculous story it is...

A truly frustrating movie, some very good elements, some.....atrocious.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 5/10 · 27 July 2023]

Locksmith Miller Graham is released from prison after a ten year stretch. He is taken in hand by friend and Mentor Frank, who gives him a job and an opportunity, but Miller is persuaded to do one final job.

After the first fifteen or twenty minutes, I was calling the low score and poor reviews into question, as the movie gets to the hour mark, you'll understand why, after a strong start, it nosedives.

It's definitely polished, it's a very good looking film, a great location, nice camera work, it moves by at a satisfying pace.

The initial story is really good, I liked the idea of Graham coming out with a grudge, but sadly that isn't the way if plays out, the main body of the film, the actual plot is pretty lame, there are just too many holes, too many wtaf moments, the added touches of melodrama really don't work.

The acting is good, Ryan Phillipe does a good job, as do the supporting cast, but they are up against it with the script.

If you can switch your brain off it's watchable, try and take it seriously, or apply logic, and you'll want to throw your remote control.

5/10.

A Dull Thriller

[dubond · 4/10 · 5 February 2023]

The Locksmith is directed by first time director Nicholas Harvard and stars Ryan Phillipe, Kate Bosworth and Ving Rhames.

The story follows Miller a safecracker where in a job gone bad his partner and friend, Kevin Reyes gets murdered by a dirty cop and he is forced to take the fall. 10 years later he gets out and his friend Frank (Ving Rhames) urges him to make things up to his ex finance (Kate Bosworth) and his young daughter. Unfortunately things get more complicated for Miller when April Reyes shows up asking for his help. Feeling like he owes her for what he let happen to her brother he soon finds himself back in the world he thought he left behind. To make matters worse the dirty cop who got him sent to prison in the first place is still out there looking to make Miller's life a living hell.

Let's start with the good. For a first time feature by Nicholas Harvard this is pretty competently directed and actually looks like a real movie which isn't something I can't say about other DTV movies. The core cast here consisting of Ryan Phillipe, Kate Bosworth and Ving Rhames all do a good job and are beleievable in their roles. Unfortunately what holds this movie back is the script and generic story. A case of "too many cooks in the kitchen" working together to create a project somehow simultaneously convoluted and playing things a little too safe to really amount to much. Maybe not as totally devoid of charm as you'd expect, but still really only ever vaguely competent at best and mediocre at worst.

In the end The Locksmith is just bland all around despite committed lead performances from both Ryan Phillipe and Kate Bosworth.

Wooden acting. Plot holes the size of Mack trivks

[lovegreyhounds · 2/10 · 19 February 2023]

Most of the dialogue was forced and stilted. You felt like the actors were being made to say their lines at gunpoint. The entire story was 100% predictable with no unusual plot, twists whatsoever. The holes in the plot were humongous. 1 Why would two vice officers pull over a guy on a traffic stop? 2 no person in their right mind would not make a copy of the flash drive. 3 no law enforcement officer of any caliber would ever place sensitive evidentiary information in an unlocked desk drawer. It would go to an evidence room, or a safe as an absolute minimum. 4 every time Kate Bosworth's character is going to a crime scene. She fails to call into her superior, who she already knows, is not corrupt and could be trusted with the information. She could easily call while she was driving, which would provide her with back up and also provide her superior with background if something were to happen to her. 5 Ryan Phillipe's character delivers a line in the locksmith shop, which is totally too late when they should've been communicating before that. 6 when one of the corrupt police officers hold the child hostage he is completely exposed his entire body, so that he could easily be shot and save the child. 7 call girl just happens to be an expert marksman in the middle of the night at quite a distance under a lot of stress. I'm pretty sure there's a lot of guys in the army which couldn't be that accurate with a handgun.

There are other smaller plot errors, but my brain is tired.

Shocking story but some ok acting

[scdnzy · 2/10 · 10 February 2023]

General story is incredibly badly written. The premise is made on the idea that the main character has very little common sense. So, f you get annoyed by people choosing the most obviously wrong choice for an entire film, avoid this.

Overall a dull story and frustrating to watch it unfold without wanting the scream at the screen at every choice by the main character.

The acting itself isn't bad and the cast work well together but they are held back by the poorly written dialogue.

If you don't get annoyed by asinine decisions throughout a movie then you may enjoy this but I couldn't deal with it.

Surprisingly Well Done on Most Levels...

[transientdreams · 7/10 · 5 February 2023]

I almost have to attribute many low scores on good little movies these days on the fact that the vast majority of people are just not properly educated about what makes a quality production. Before cell phones and internet, people watched a LOT more movies. Thusly, their attention spans were forced to actually stay and think about what they were watching, or had just watched after it was over. Because of the vast amount of constant entertainment choices at everyone's finger tips these days, people are constantly trying to find something better the minute something ends. I believe it's a very solid 6.5 movie. Everyone did an excellent job all-around here. It also has a very intelligently written script. Gutzy, tense, not overly mellow-dramatic, and never gets preachy. It definitely delivers.

Cringe worthy at times

[natalie_kristine · 2/10 · 19 May 2023]

Just being upfront, I don't like completely unrealistic movies that are meant to be realistic. I can't get past it.

So when the guy gets released from prison, and I watched the car ride back to civilization, I almost turned it off. It looked like a cartoon in the background! So bad.

The whole movie is extremely predictable. The writing is horrible. There are several scenes that are straight up laughable.

I will say the acting is okay, especially from Ving. If it wasn't so stupid, I think the acting was fairly decent all around. (I'm not including those dumb detectives). They were so ridiculous!

I'm rating 2 stars, instead of 1, because I didn't fall asleep and actually finished the movie. Although, I'm not sure why.

its a thriller...

[ops-52535 · 6/10 · 5 February 2023]

Yes, but its the kind of thriller that the primetime tv channels hallmark and lifetime wants to do but doesnt dare to do in danger of loosing faithful viewers, due to the fact that there are gunslinging and devilish decieft and blood connected to them, and that scares at least half of the subscribers over to a cleaner network...

what im trying to say is that this crimeprime of a lifetime was just like a flat tv production, well known acting names and a decent done cameraskills, it gives nothing more than a meehh and a moehh storywise and with a lack of a DA that knows the law breaking code, everything stays just as they were after shooting 3 cops and a half.

So what i mean to say is , its not the acts ... and well there are loads of plotholes in the story that a sherlock nose would hate, so therefore do not put expectations too high, cause youll be hunting low too like the grumpy old man.just a small wink for this one.

Wasn't great but watchable

[reyna-80749 · 4/10 · 11 August 2023]

With all the great actors listed, I was for sure this would be a treat. I saw a lot of comments that it was writing of the script and they are correct. This movie had a lot of potential, and it actually started off pretty decent, but they took it to diff place and added in a lot of nonsensical things. For one Kate and Ryan had absolutely no on screen chemistry.. it was almost as if they were playing brother and sister. I thought the lead bad guy was terrible in his role. Yeah he was unlikable but he didn't seem villain like even when he was doing bad things. And the whole Plot with his dead best friend sister ,was very weak or poorly played or both . I gave this movie a four because I actually did watch the whole thing but I honestly feel like only Kates acting was worth watching.

Good Cop, Bad Cop

[lavatch · 8/10 · 20 March 2023]

In the town of Dos Caminos, the police department is riddled with corruption. The protagonist Miller Graham was on the receiving end of a double cross and spent ten years in prison for a burglary gone south. Now, Miller is out of prison and looking for a fresh start. But crooked cops continue to squeeze him.

"The Locksmith" included an interesting set of characters, including Beth, the spouse of Miller and their daughter, little Lindsay. Beth is a police detective, which means that she will be embroiled in the case where Miller pulls off a robbery to assist April, the widow of his best friend Kevin, who died in their failed heist a decade earlier. But Beth's job is a lonely one, as she about the only good cop in a sea of craven, greedy detectives.

Miller is given good advice by his devoted friend Frank, as well as a fresh start as a "handyman" in Frank's lock business. There was a good ebb-and-flow to the action, and solid performances from the cast. There was a nice touch in the dad teaching her daughter how to pick locks.

It was refreshing to watch an "old-style" drama that focused on the basics of a well-conceived story, fast pacing, and well-developed characters.

A Competent Neo-Noir with a Familiar Plotline

[FilmFanatic2023 · 6/10 · 6 February 2023]

The Locksmith is a modest and competent attempt at the neo-noir genre with a twist of sentimental redemption. Directed by Nicolas Harvard, the movie opens with a failed robbery that leads to the death of one of the robbers and the theft of the loot by a corrupt cop named Zwick, played by Jeffrey Nordling. The protagonist, Miller Graham, is a former locksmith who spends ten years in prison for keeping quiet about Zwick's corruption.

Upon his release, Ryan Phillippe portrays Miller as a beaten down man who tries to rebuild his life with the help of his old friend Frank and his former fiancé Beth, who is now a police detective. The story takes a twist when Miller is asked by his former friend's daughter, April, to rob a local gambling party run by her abusive boss in exchange for starting a new life.

Although the film offers a new perspective by presenting a femme fatale without seduction, the plotline is still familiar and the web of associations drawn is too obvious. The message of the film, about never sending a man to do a woman's job, is different, but the filmmakers could have put it across with more enthusiasm. The movie is well-acted, but it fails to bring anything new to the neo-noir genre.

You killed him

[nogodnomasters · 5/10 · 27 February 2023]

Miller Graham (Ryan Phillippe) is our title character. He is robbing a safe with his friend Kevin (George Akram). There is a motion detector in the safe that alerts the police. Their outside man happens to be a cop, Ian Zwick (Jeffrey Nordling). He does an unorthodox thing and shoots Kevin and threatens Miller's family if he doesn't agree with the story. Ten years later Miller is out of prison working for Frank (Ving Rhames) as a locksmith, listed as a handyman. Miller is going straight. He wants to be back with his wife (Kate Bosworth) who has gone from double-shift waitress to working for Zwick. He also has a daughter (Madeleine Guilbot) Lindsay. Things are going well until along comes April (Gabriela Quezada). She needs the skills of a safe cracker to escape her life as a prostitute.

The characters were slightly more believable than the plot. Kate Bosworth gave it her all as if the Academy would notice this film. The rest of the cast was a grade or two below her. Where is Frank Grillo when you need a bad cop?

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.

Avoid at all costs

[Silicone54 · 1/10 · 5 February 2023]

I knew this would be a bad one once I saw who was in it Kate Bosworth, Ryan Phillippe, Ving Rhames, names not associated with masterclass acting. The story might as well been written by a middle school student for an extra credit assignment.

The main character Miller, a master locksmith, is fresh out of prison after serving 10 years for a botched job where his crime partner died at the scene. Somehow he is allowed to work out his parole at a locksmith business, I have a fresh bald spot on my head from scratching so hard over the logic of this.

He gets guilted by his dead partner's sister into doing a new heist as payback for her brother's death which she blames Miller for. The score is a high stakes poker game hosted at a wealthy man's house. There he will just need to open the door to one of the rooms and grab the $500k. There you have it ladies and gentlemen the plot for the ages!

The heist was to be that very night just as he was being told to do it. No deliberation on a plan, no scoping out the neighborhood or studying who may or may not be there. No preparations necessary, just how a typical middle school kid would imagine life operates.

Miller creeps into the house with a ski mask on while the party is on-going. Strangely, no one is playing poker not even a hint of that at all. Our masked thief makes it upstairs to the room where he finally performs his finest work and picks open a common door *chuckle*. On the desk, he finds a bag containing $500k cash.

From this point on, its just marching the movie to a typical conclusion. The heist was half-baked you think they would bother to make the chase any better? The acting was not horrible but that's not enough to recommend this movie.

Bad decisions from the narcissist

[eprusulis · 4/10 · 4 February 2023]

Movie kind of reminds me of the continuation of the TV series. The shooter in away is almost like the same exact character and he thinks he has that thought process that he's the only one who can solve things and all that does is get him more and more into trouble. He doesn't think one point that may be someone's lying even though he hasn't talk to or seen people in 10 years and the acting is really good in this movie the script could've just been written better they had to go pieces the script really well they just added some really bad pieces, instead of intertwining everything with a really good solid story from start to finish like for example his ex-wife, the cop so I originally thought it was nice that he was trying to protect his ex-wife and his daughter till I realize she's a cop she doesn't need to be protected. She needs all the information so she can protect herself. It's like you're a non-violent thief, you have a ex-wife that's a cop, who probably have killed people and now you're trying to say that you're protecting her. Meanwhile you're really hurting her by not giving her all the information I mean you have her working with the guy that killed your friend threatening. Then you haven't seen any of these people in 10 years , so I'm not sure if maybe in his mind he looks at his wife as this person who can protect themselves and their little scared of everything in person but that's not the reality so it's like you're trying to protect someone that doesn't need protecting same with when April comes to him instead of saying let me put you with my wife she can help you get out of it it's like instead he decides to make the stupid choice of robbing a casino game l.

Lock and Smith !

[oronedwi · 3/10 · 11 March 2023]

First of all, what a waste of my time on this movie.

Second, there is maybe 3-5 times you will see anything that associated with locksmithing the all movie, this was the most boring movie I ever seen this year.

The good: Kate Bosworth, she still looking so beautiful and I'm too sorry for her to be on this kind of boring movie.

The bad: 1. Ryan Phillippe, I guess there is no more jobs around, but why the hell would you want to play on this kind of movies just to ruin what ever left of your reputation ?

2. This movie, just a full waste of time, you will not enjoy anything about locksmithing or anything about the subject of it, its just boring as hell and there is much better movies out there about locksmith with better story or action.

MrDzoci

[tarantula86-115-156345 · 6/10 · 11 February 2023]

Not bad movie, Have a story. Pay attention. It's not for ten, but six is more than average. In this day and age with all the movies out there, this one can be singled out for viewing. I will agree with the critics. It is certainly nicely packaged. The concept is intricate, the plot of the event develops, so that we don't even expect what exactly we will discover in the end. Then, like in the Spanish series, we lose weight at the end and suddenly we see everything we need. As a viewer, I can say that it left a positive impression, not perfect, but enough that I can recommend it to my friends, precisely because of the story that has been made and that maintains the presence, therefore the viewership.

Sadly, the movie is entirely forgettable. Meh.

[trinaboice · 5/10 · 27 October 2023]

IN A NUTSHELL: This is the directorial debut of Nicolas Harvard.

Miller (Ryan Phillippe), an ex-con recently released from prison for a bungled robbery, tries to walk a straight line and work his way back into the lives of his ex, Beth (Kate Bosworth), a police detective, and their young daughter. While Miller is doing his best to stay on the straight and narrow with the help of an old friend (Ving Rhames), he finds his past will not stay in the past, and he is forced to commit one last crime before he can truly walk away. Things once again go badly, and now not only his freedom but also his daughter's life, hang in the balance.

We've seen a lot of movies like this before. It's not particularly unique, but it's still entertaining.

THINGS I LIKED: I really like Ryan Phillippe. He's always a believable actor in his roles. Have you seen his recent TV series "Shooter"? He's fantastic in it! In this role, Ryan creates a character that we want to believe in and root for, despite his past mistakes.

Kate Bosworth always does a great job too.

Rounding out the talented cast are Ving Rhames, Charlie Weber, and Jeffrey Nordling.

We get to learn to pick locks. Ha ha

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: There are some bad CGI moments that are very noticeable.

The story, itself, is very straightforward and formulaic with no twists or turns to make it more interesting.

I would love to have seen more symbolic connections to locks, keys, and locksmiths.

It's frustrating to watch an ex-con want to get clean and leave his life of crime, only to be forced back in against his will. He DOES have a choice, but it's a terrible situation to be in.

Sadly, the movie is entirely forgettable. Meh.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Profanity, including F-bombs We see people shoot and kill other people, sometimes with blood Conversations about call girls.

!

Suspensful and entertaining.

[fluffchop · 7/10 · 29 August 2023]

Action, Crime, Thriller. Well it's kind of a shallow mix of those three things. There is some action but it's not an action film. There is some crime but it's not a crime movie. There really isn't much of a mystery to it although there is some mystery to be solved.

A gritty film, full of nice acting. The plot is almost believable. There is one section where our hero sneaks into a house full of people and makes it into the office.

He steals a bunch of cash and then the dirty cop comes in. Why did the dirty cop come in? How did he ever make it out of that house alive when they had security all over?

It was entertaining enough, it was compelling to watch. I think it's not a bad movie overall.

Horrible

[toddlasalle-37513 · 2/10 · 15 May 2023]

This was quite possibly the worst movie I've seen in years. Dumb story combined with terrible acting. The sad part is that there are a lot of pretty decent actors in this movie - Ryan Philippee, Kate Bosworth, Ving Rhames - on its surface should be a good flick, but everyone just phoned it in. Dumb premise centers around a master locksmith (really?) who can pick any lock within a few seconds. If I had paid for this in a theater I would have walked out and asked for a refund. Because it was streaming, I ended up just falling asleep through half of it - then rewound and started again, and fell asleep again. What passes for action in this story is basically nonsensical, and you end up wishing it would just end already.

Just another advertising for the tabaco industry

[tfwqmicz · 11 February 2023]

Whats the matter with these filmmakers ? Exposing children to the smoke and what for? If "The Locksmith" offers anything new, it's in neutering the genre. There's a femme fatale in all this, but seduction is not her specialty or a part of her scheme. Phillippe's character is never motivated by anything resembling amour fou or even lust; he's solely interested in reconstructing the family he lost. Which means, in part, teaching his now 12-year-old daughter Lindsay (played by Madeleine Guilbot, and, yes, the character's full name IS Lindsay Graham) how to pick locks. Cute. And, by Chekhov, perhaps even useful in the climactic scene! A scene incidentally, whose message can be read as taking the position that you ought never send a man in to do a woman's job. So that's different, yes. If only the filmmakers had put it across with a little more enthusiasm.

Very Good Thriller

[bobrathome · 7/10 · 9 March 2023]

Miller Graham (Ryan Phillippe) is released from Prison after 10-yrs for a crime he did commit with his best friend Kevin (George Akram). He wants to go straight and do right by his daughter Lindsay (Madeleine Guilbot). However, Kevin's sister April (Gabriela Quezada) wants Miller to help her get out of the crutches of Real Estate bad guy Garrett Field (Charlie Weber) who runs girls and abuses them.

This will keep you on the edge of your seat as you watch Miller decide what to do. His friend Frank (Ving Rhames) who owns a Locksmith shop cautions Miller not to get involved, but Miller will. You knew that, right?

Notables: Kate Bosworth as Detective Beth Fisher, who is also the former fiancé of Miller; Tom Wright as Chief Stone; Jeffrey Nordling as Lieutenant Zwick who originally set Miller up 10-yrs ago; Noel Gugliemi as Det Perez, a bad cop under Lt Zwick; Bourke Floyd as bad cop Jones also under Lt Zwick; Kaylee Bryant as Tanya, friend of April; and Livia Trevino as Sharon, Miller's Parole Officer.

This has very good pacing and for a while as you watch Miller you have no idea how he is going to get out of all this. There are a few twists and turns to make things more interesting. And, yes, you hope there are some good cops in here.

Violence: Yes.

Sex: No.

Nudity: No.

Language: Yes, brief.

Humor: No Rating: B (7/10)

A one time watch....

[shaikhirshad-41223 · 5/10 · 24 December 2023]

Director Nicohalas Harvard tries very much to keep the movie as an action thriller but still fails to attempt as the story fells flat in the end. Movie starts with a basic plot character buildup is good but just feel average as there very much limited characters are involved in this storyline. Locksmith profession is well utilized in the film and that's one of the thing that keeps the movie engaging. Performance of lead cast is good but there's nothing much to do except for basic character play. There's a lot of good scenes that director can add in the film whether it's action sequences or story telling but all were missing. But still it's definitely a one time watch flick as movie is engaging screenplay is good but don't expect much as it is very limited....

Just another B movie

[TheManWhoKnewTooMuch1111 · 1/10 · 20 September 2023]

Solid acting by Ryan Phillipe (whom I loved in Shooter and Breach and Antitrust) as well as by Kate Bosworth and Ving Rhames. But other than that just another B movie.

No respect for the profession. No signs of intellect or nuance... just another template movie. They probably used some locksmith consultants and that's about it I think. I doubt anyone ever delved deep into the profession.

If you want a better movie that does justice to this type of genre watch Escape from Pretoria with Daniel Radcliffe. Or heck even better read the book The Locksmith by Mahmud.

Hollywood has lost all signs of ingenuity. Teaching the kid some lockpicking trick was a nice touch.

All three actors killed it but this movie is one which is better off locked in the dungeon with keys thrown away deep in the sea.

Blandness in it's finest

[info-66728-74756 · 5/10 · 28 September 2023]

In all my years as a movie critic, I have never witnessed a more resounding and blunt rating of 5 out of 5. In this cinematic endeavour, we find ourselves confronted with a production that teeters on the precipice of mediocrity. It neither achieves the heights of excellence nor plummets into the depths of abysmal storytelling. With a rating of 5, this film falls squarely in the realm of mediocrity. In this cinematic endeavour, the dialogue serves a singular purpose - to propel the narrative forwards. The intricacies of character development and emotional depth take a backseat as the plot takes centre stage. The words exchanged between the characters lack the nuance and authenticity that one would hope for in a truly captivating film. Instead, they serve as mere tools to advance the story, leaving the audience yearning for a more profound and engaging cinematic experience. In what seems like a familiar tale with a multitude of settings and variables, you may find yourself experiencing a sense of déjà vu.

In this cinematic endeavour, the acting performances can be described as passable, with Ving Rhames delivering a commendable portrayal. However, the overall essence of the film can be characterised as a mere exercise in going through the motions. In this thrilling cinematic experience, we are introduced to a classic tale of morality and corruption. Our protagonist, the good guy, finds himself entangled in a web of deceit and treachery, surrounded by a cast of nefarious characters. The line between good and evil becomes blurred as we encounter both virtuous law enforcement officers and their corrupt counterparts. Amidst the chaos, a sinister real estate tycoon emerges as the embodiment of malevolence. As the story unfolds, we are treated to moments of intense but restrained violence, adding a touch of suspense to the narrative. This film fails to leave a lasting impression, destined to fade from memory.

In this cinematic analogy, the user's text alludes to the process of crafting a screenplay that aims to appease the masses, avoiding any form of daring innovation, and instead opting for a formulaic narrative that lacks originality. This film is an absolute must-see. For those who have a penchant for mediocrity and enjoy the thrill of tedium, "This is Your Jam" is the perfect cinematic experience. This film effortlessly follows the established formula, leaving no surprises or moments of genuine excitement.