“Thriller” is a weird term, isn’t it? Without having a single moment of suspense, injury or action, Locke is listed as a thriller. That’s quite a trick, huh? Imagine the Thriller video without the zombies or dancing or plot, maybe just Michael Jackson sitting on a stool singing into a phone. That’s the Locke level of thriller.
Thrill-less thriller or no, Locke is a decent one-act character study. Ivan Locke (Tom Hardy) starts the film as head foreman and family man. Will he end the film as either? The entire picture takes place in his car as he drives to London to be there for a woman giving birth, a woman who is not his wife. All we see is Locke on the car phone to various people: the four heavy hitters are the other woman (Olivia Colman), his wife (Ruth Wilson), his boss (Ben Daniels) and his chief lackey (Andrew Scott). None of them are pleased.
Locke is an extremely straightforward man. He is going to London to be present at the birth of his new child. Period. He has made his decision. Yes, he’s a cheater, but we give him the benefit of the doubt because it’s almost impossible to imagine this guy lying 
about anything. The woman in labor screams, “I love you” in call-and-response desperation. Locke doesn’t give in. This is the woman who is birthing his child right this very minute and yet he refuses to offer the proper response because it isn’t true. The truth is they were lonely and had a moment; he doesn’t really know her, but her child will have a father.
Now at the same time Locke is abandoning his current family, he’s also abandoning the biggest non-military concrete pour in English history. His co-workers have stress levels equal to that of his spouse – this is a huuuuuge deal, it’s his responsibility and on the key day, he has chosen not to be present. His drunken lackey is given an overwhelming amount of responsibility in his absence; Locke vows to follow through on phone even though he cannot be present. There’s a wonderful conversation in which lackey points out the subcontractor has suggested #5 concrete instead of #6. Locke calmly and decisively assassinates this bit of foolishness with a speech about how a small mistake can create a small fissure, which in time becomes a crevice which in time fells a structure as sound as any ever erected. Of course, he stopped talking about building mechanics in favor of metaphor about five minutes ago.
There isn’t a whole lot of meat to Locke. This 100% a character study. Can Tom Hardy carry a film? Yes, apparently, he can. His face is 
just expressive enough beyond the bearded stoicism to let us know there is internal struggle even if his own exterior plan is unfailing. And it’s a good thing he can carry a film, because he has to. There are no arguments in Locke. There are simply statements and reactions. Locke’s plan to head to London and skip on his family and job is the entire plot. He is matter-of-fact; he doesn’t shy from it, nor does he reconsider; his actions were destined long before the moments we see. Now, given all that, I think this movie about as good as it can be, but don’t dare sell me on Oscars for a film where nothing happens.
A man of concrete called to town
Choosing a path that will take him down
He lacks not critics
Nor few cynics
As decisive goes, he wears a crown
Rated R, 85 Minutes
D: Steven Knight
W: Steven Knight
Genre: Monoscene
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: Tom Hardy believers
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: Fans of action
Dibs!