🇸🇪 Unlocked 🇸🇪
Unlocked aka Corridor or Isolerad (2010) is a Swedish mystery/thriller feature film available on Freevee U.K. (free with very few adverts). 1 hour 15 minutes in duration. Rated 12 U.K. In Swedish and Norwegian with embedded English subtitles.
Premise:
“Lonely medical student Frank is pleased with his flat, a quiet place to focus on his coming exams. But when he meets the girl upstairs, the intrusive Lotte, he realizes there is something wrong with the place. Each time he leaves his apartment, Frank is scared… the talkative concierge, the annoying child, the love-sick Lotte, her brutal ex-boyfriend and above all, her new jealous boyfriend, the scary Micke, they all seem to be Frank’s enemies.” IMDb
Cast:
Emil Johnsen as Frank
Ylva Gallon as Lotte
Peter Stormare as Micke
Margreth Weivers as Ann
Örjan Landström as Lenny
Eric Stern as Olof
Crew:
Writers: Johan Lundborg, Johan Storm
Directors: Johan Lundborg, Johan Storm
Composer: Jukka Rintamäki
Cinematographer: Johan Lundborg
Editors: Johan Lundborg, Johan Storm
Location:
Gothenburg, Sweden
Notes:
The title on screen when watching on Freevee is given as Corridor.
Review:
Some things will tell you almost immediately that this film did not have a big budget, however, that’s not essential to make a decent mystery/thriller film. This film, in an hour and a quarter certainly managed to entertain me for a lot of its runtime.
Taking a character like Frank who is psychologically fragile, and lonely but conveying a sense of narcissism and conscious detachment was a good starting point. What I did really like about his character development and story arc is that he reaped what he sowed in the way of relationships. Also, when he questions his professor about why his answers were not marked as perfect and was told he had to think outside the box (paraphrasing here) he couldn’t comprehend what he was told. Ironically then he uses his fertile imagination to fill in the gaps and to make assumptions about what he sees and hears.
I’m fond of stories where there is a perceived antagonist who may or may not be an antagonist at all. Another favourite sort of story is where things start to roll downhill like a car without brakes.
I confess that I got confused between the two characters Micke and Lenny, what they were doing and their relationship with Lotte. That may be due to the way it was written, or how it was filmed or edited (would more defined costuming have helped, I wonder).
What I did like about Unlocked (Corridor, a better name, I think) is the way the camera was used which was very effective at building tension (some classic horror framing and movement down corridors). The music and sound design were both good as well.
The acting in this is very good throughout. The lead was outstanding.
This is a film that is rough around the edges and I can imagine that might put some off it but it entertained me and didn’t outstay its welcome. Worth what is a quick watch.
Awards:
1 Win & 1 Nomination
Trailer:
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