Film
Locked Down
A lockdown rom-com heist film where a bickering couple (Hathaway, Ejiofor) attempt to steal from Harrods during COVID-19. It's breezy and star-driven, playing genre conventions as a vehicle for chemistry rather than tension. For viewers who want romance and crime to be decoration on a charming two-hander.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy caper comedies where two prickly ex-lovers bicker their way through a heist plan, and the banter between Hathaway and Ejiofor does more of the work than the plot does.
Skip it if you want a tight, twisty crime thriller; this one is looser and more talky than taut, and its jokes about lockdown life can feel repetitive over a couple of hours.
What it asks of you: Settle in for nearly two hours of mostly chatty scenes that build slowly toward the heist, with the mood shifting between light and romantic rather than tense.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
The Ocean's 11 Story2001
Effortless ensemble heist that treats the crime as an excuse for witty dialogue and attractive people enjoying each other. Shares Locked Down's philosophy that the fun is in the company, not the stakes.
But The actual heist is almost beside the point; if you want genuine suspense or clever plotting, you'll feel the seams.
Ghostbusters1984
Chemistry-driven comedy where four leads riff off each other with real affection beneath the jokes. Proves that star power and camaraderie matter more than the plot's logical consistency.
But The supernatural elements are dated; some comedic timing feels slow by modern standards.
Breakfast at Tiffany's1961
Stylish romantic comedy about two people circling each other in a locked space of luxury and desire. Beautiful to watch, and the heist subplot is genuinely secondary to the charm.
But Deeply of its era—the representation and gender politics will feel dated, and the pacing is leisurely.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Locked Down
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
The Italian Job1969
Both use confinement—lockdown or pursued getaway—to compress the relationship alongside the crime.
British heist film where the crime is genuinely clever and the confined spaces—cars, a city under siege—mirror the pressure-cooker intimacy Locked Down achieves. But it takes the heist seriously while Locked Down doesn't.
But It's a 1969 procedural with no stars carrying it on charm; long sequences with minimal dialogue.
More like this (8)
Howl's Moving Castle2004
Animated fantasy where two mismatched people trapped together in close quarters banter, fall in love, and solve problems as a team. Shares the confined-space-romance DNA with real warmth.
But It's anime-adjacent and moves toward fairy-tale fantasy rather than heist logic.
Out of Sight1998
Tarantino-adjacent crime film built entirely on the electric conversation between two leads (Clooney, Lopez). Proves a heist is really an excuse for flirtation and verbal sparring.
But Nonlinear structure can feel wilfully obscure; the actual crime feels subordinate to the romance.
The Thomas Crown Affair1999
Stylish heist romance where stealing is foreplay. Hathaway's co-star in rom-coms could learn from Pierce Brosnan's lightness. Pure pleasure, zero pretense.
But It's transparently a fantasy of wealth and effortless cool; plot coherence is not the point.
His Girl Friday1940
Screwball comedy about ex-lovers trying to outwit each other verbally and romantically. Rapid-fire dialogue and genuine antagonism-as-foreplay; the DNA of Locked Down's dynamic.
But The pacing is dizzying and the gender politics are absolutely of 1940; you have to meet it on its terms.
Spy Game2001
Action-rom-com where two leads riff off each other in flashbacks and present-day sequences. Brad Pitt and Robert Redford prove that a thin plot serves better than clutters star chemistry.
But Aggressively forgettable; it's pure competence without inspiration or memorable set pieces.
Flirting with Disaster1996
Scrappy ensemble comedy about a couple on a road trip, constantly colliding with other people's chaos. Hathaway-Ejiofor rapport is similar: two intelligent people riffing amid comedy.
But The humour is very '90s indie—arch and sometimes cruel; the energy can feel scattershot.
Russian Doll2019
Both trap a couple in circumstances that force them to reckon with each other at depth; the external plot is less important than the internal reckoning.
Natasha Lyonne and Charlie Barnett stuck in a loop together, sparring and slowly knowing each other. Like Locked Down, it's about two people in an impossible situation discovering they're what they needed. Funny, painful, real.
But It's existential and often bleak; far more willing to sit with despair than Locked Down is.
Rififi1955
Both are heist films, but Rififi proves that when you actually care about the heist, everything else becomes irrelevant. Locked Down's choice to not care is artistic.
A silent-sequence heist masterpiece that's all tension and craft—the heist is the story, not decoration. Watch it to see what Locked Down chose NOT to do: make the crime matter more than the people.
But It's French noir with zero romance and minimal lightness; austere and demanding.
People
Cast
Anne HathawayLinda
Chiwetel EjioforPaxton
Stephen MerchantMichael Morgan
Dulé HillDavid
Jazmyn SimonMaria
Ben KingsleyMalcolm
Ben StillerGuy
Mindy KalingKate
Lucy BoyntonCharlotte
Mark GatissDonald
Claes BangEssien
Sam SpruellMartin
Directing
- Doug LimanDirector
- Dan Channing-WilliamsFirst Assistant Director
- Rebecca SheridanScript Supervisor
- Sam Barry-ParkerSecond Assistant Director
Writing
- Steven KnightWriter
Production
- Stefano EglestonCasting Assistant
- Tanya GiangCasting Associate
- Alastair BurlinghamExecutive Producer
- Doug LimanExecutive Producer
- Miguel PalosExecutive Producer
- Steven KnightExecutive Producer
- Stuart FordExecutive Producer
- Alison WinterProducer
- Michael LesslieProducer
- P.J. van SandwijkProducer
- Louise Van HammeProduction Accountant
- Ella Daines-SmithProduction Manager