Locke (film)

Locke is a 2013 psychological drama road film written and directed by Steven Knight. It stars Tom Hardy in the title role (and the only on-screen character) as he drives while conducting a series of phone conversations with characters voiced by Olivia Colman, Ruth Wilson, Andrew Scott, Ben Daniels, Tom Holland and Bill Milner.

The film premiered at the 70th Venice Film Festival on 2 September 2013. The film had a limited release in the United Kingdom beginning on 18 April 2014, and grossed $5.1 million worldwide. It was praised particularly for Hardy's performance, which won him the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor.

Plot

The evening before he must be present in Birmingham to supervise the largest non-nuclear facility and non-military concrete pour in European history, construction foreman Ivan Locke learns that Bethan (a colleague from a job in Croydon with whom he cheated on his wife seven months previously, resulting in her becoming pregnant) has gone into premature labour. Despite his job responsibilities and although his wife and sons are awaiting his arrival home to watch a football match, he decides to drive to London to be with Bethan during childbirth; he never forgave his father for abandoning him as a child and is determined not to make the same mistake even though he has no relationship with, nor any particular feelings for, Bethan.

Over the course of the two-hour drive from Birmingham to London, Locke holds a total of 36 phone calls with his boss, Gareth; his work trainee, Donal; his wife of 15 years, Katrina, to whom he confesses his infidelity; his sons, Eddie and Sean, who call him separately with updates on the football match he originally planned to watch with them, and later Katrina's breakdown; maternity unit personnel, Sister Margaret and Halil Gullu, who are working with Bethan through troubling complications; the council head, Cassidy, and local police authority, PC Davids, who are required for the road closures needed to allow the 225+ concrete trucks to properly access the site; and Bethan, whom he reassures during labour.

During the calls, Locke is fired from his job by Gareth, banned from his house by Katrina, and asked by Eddie to return home. He coaches Donal through the preparation of the pour despite major setbacks and has imaginary conversations with his dead father, whom he envisions (off-screen) as a passenger in his car.