Locke

(Steven Knight, 2013, UK/USA)

Single-setting films are a rare treat in our contemporary age, largely because they require a compelling script and fascinating actors to avoid coming off as a cheap gimmick. All too often, movies of this nature rely on a central plot thrust to keep momentum going, settling into a familiar storyline instead of trusting the magnetism of their characters to maintain viewers’ interest; even the granddaddies of the form, Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window and Sidney Lumet’s 12 Angry Men, inserted murder mysteries into their singular narratives, giving their protagonists and audiences something to solve while stuck in the same location. It’s far rarer to witness a single-setting film depend completely on the convictions of its themes and strength of its characters, and rarer still for a lone figure to shoulder the whole burden. It demands a truly committed performer, a sterling screenplay, and the absolute faith of the director in such an endeavour – otherwise the entire work will collapse under the weight of its substantial concept.