Traditionally, movies feature many sets and many actors on screen. “Locke,” however, is not your traditional movie. The only actor who appears on screen is Tom Hardy, and the vast majority of the movie features him driving a car. That isn't the only way “Locke” is different, it also takes place nearly in real-time. Oh yeah, and the majority of photography on it took about a week.
Sitting down with Hardy and writer/director Steven Knight to talk about the movie, I was very interested in learning what they thought about the whole process; what concerns they may have had; and how they managed to not produce a movie which felt gimmicky in the way that sometimes happens with a real-time movie or one which features such a small, single, location. To be clear, “Locke” is relatively short for a feature, it clocks in at 85 minutes, but it is not gimmicky.
Despite everything that is out of the norm about the film and the way in which it was made, during our discussion Hardy said that, “there was a distinct lack of concern” over the process. If you watch the interview, you can see that right after he says that, he acknowledges all the reasons why there might have been a concern, rattling off a list of stuff that very well might keep one up at night, including the last item, he, Hardy, “not knowing the lines.” Hardy put down the lack of concern as a testament to the team, and each individual member's confidence. Knight equated it to “England during the Second World War, where everybody said 'let's just all get on with it and just get it done, it will be over soon.'”
“Locke” is being distributed by A24, opens Friday April 25, and features Tom Hardy. Additionally, while they may not appear on screen, Olivia Colman, Ruth Wilson, Tom Holland, and more provide the voices for characters Ivan Locke (Hardy) talks to on the phone during his drive.