'Unlocked' Is a More Interesting Spy Thriller Than What I Thought It Would Be

With just a 27% approval rating in Rotten Tomatoes (as of writing), I wasn’t expecting much from Unlocked.  To my surprise, it’s not bad at all.  Yes, it contains a couple of spy thriller clichés, but it utilizes them well to construct a competent example of the genre.  In addition, it also has some twist and turns that genuinely subverts expectations.  Thus, though it’s not necessarily mindblowing, there’s a general sense of thrill instilled in the narrative.

One of the reasons why I probably liked this movie more than I should is that I didn’t even have a broad idea of what was it going to be about, save for that it stars Noomi Rapace and Orlando Bloom and it has an espionage story.  Hence, its surprises worked on me the fullest.

Now, in order to maximize the possibility of this movie also working for you, dear reader, I won’t be offering much of a synopsis in this review.  Let’s just say that, in a nutshell, it’s about a CIA agent (Rapace) being forced to return to the game she has already abandoned.  Also, aside from Orlando Bloom, John Malkovich (really entertaining in this movie), Michael Douglas, and Toni Colette make up a supporting cast of surprising star power.

The action sequences are ably executed enough to provide standard excitement.  There is grittiness and urgency in them.  Moreover, Noomi Rapace carries out the role of an action star convincingly.  She showed great versatility in What Happened to Monday, but I think her performance in this movie is a tad stronger.

As a cloak-and-dagger thriller, Unlocked may not be excellent, but it’s interesting enough.