Film

Unlocked

Name: Unlocked
Genre: Action, Thriller
Released: 2017
Cast: Noomi Rapace, Orlando Bloom, Michael Douglas, John Malkovich, Toni Collette

A CIA agent pulled back into duty after a failure must track a terrorist threat while discovering her intelligence has been compromised. It's a tense, efficiently plotted espionage thriller that moves fast and asks you to keep up. Best suited to viewers who want smart action without superhero spectacle—the kind of film that trusts you to follow.

TMDb rating

3.2

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy tense, dialogue-driven spy puzzles where a single phone call or screen carries the suspense, and you don't mind plausibility being stretched for the sake of a ride.

Skip it if you want the grounded tradecraft and procedural texture of a serious espionage drama, since this is more brisk pulp that trades realism for momentum.

What it asks of you: Ninety-eight minutes of mostly sustained pressure, with little room to breathe: it rewards close attention to who is talking to whom and where information is coming from.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

The Bourne Ultimatum2007

Relentless, intelligent action where the protagonist is constantly outmaneuvered and must think her way through danger. Rapid-fire editing and a real sense of jeopardy drive every scene.

But If you need elaborate set pieces or hand-to-hand combat, this prioritizes chase and deception over visceral action sequences.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy2011

Noomi Rapace's restraint and intelligence shine in spy stories where information and loyalty matter more than explosions. A methodical, atmospheric study of betrayal and paranoia.

But The pacing is glacial and dialogue is sparse; it rewards close attention but punishes distraction. Not for anyone wanting things explained clearly.

Atomic Blonde2017

A female agent navigating Cold War espionage with style and real physical consequence. Sharp, propulsive, and visually inventive without winking at itself.

But Some will find the film style prioritizes cool over clarity; the plot is secondary to the mood and the action sequences.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Unlocked

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Alias2001

Both center on a female agent working solo in shadow agencies, constantly on edge about who truly controls her and whether her handlers can be trusted.

A CIA analyst reveals she's actually a deep-cover operative for a black ops division; the show runs on female agency, double identities, and elaborate globe-trotting missions. Rapace's character—brilliant, isolated, carrying secrets—walks the same ground.

But Early seasons are gripping; later ones become increasingly implausible and supernatural. It's also a five-season commitment, and the finale divides fans sharply.

The Debt2010

Agents hunt a war criminal across decades while their past gradually unravels what they thought was settled. Tense, morally complicated, and genuinely unpredictable.

But The timeline jumps can be disorienting, and the ending divides viewers sharply on what it means.

Spy Game2001

Michael Douglas plays a mentor much like Rapace's superior here; the film is an older operative relating a protégé's training through crisis. Slick, fun, and surprisingly touching about loyalty.

But It's a 2005 action thriller with all the attendant mid-aughts stylings that have aged visibly. The plot is fairly straightforward.

Red Sparrow2018

A defector trained as a seduction weapon navigates CIA handlers and Russian masters. Complex female lead caught between agencies, with genuine espionage stakes and moral ambiguity.

But It's slow-burn and patient; if you want propulsion and clarity, the shadowy motivations will frustrate rather than intrigue you.

The Lives of Others2006

A Stasi surveillance officer monitoring a couple in East Berlin becomes personally invested in their fate. Devastating study of how systems corrupt individuals and how conscience can survive.

But It's a foreign film with subtitles, and the payoff is emotional rather than thrilling—not what anyone wanting pure action should expect.

Anna2019

A Russian woman becomes a KGB asset while working as a model in the fashion world. Stylish, twisty, with genuine surprise reversals in the third act.

But The twists occasionally outpace logic; you'll find yourself pausing to work out whether that move made sense or was just clever.

Allied2016

Wartime intelligence operatives fall in love while planning a mission; trust becomes the real battlefield. Handsome period thriller with a strong emotional core.

But The pacing lags in places and the film occasionally mistakes admiring its own cinematography for forward momentum.

Killing Eve2018

Both are female-led espionage stories where the protagonist is constantly discovering her agency and identity have been compromised or controlled by someone supposedly on her side.

An MI6 agent chases a brilliant psychopath across Europe in a cat-and-mouse game that inverts every spy-thriller assumption. Savage, darkly funny, and genuinely unpredictable in who has the upper hand.

But The tone lurches between comedy and violence; some viewers find it manipulative. The final season is visibly incomplete due to production factors.

Three Days of the Condor1975

Both are about ordinary operatives learning that the agency itself may be the real enemy—a discovery that pulls the rug out from every assumption about loyalty and safety.

A CIA analyst stumbles on classified information and becomes the hunted. Made when paranoia about government was still fresh, it's a masterclass in building isolation and dread with minimal resources.

But Shot in 1975, it's deliberate and slow; if you need kinetic action, this is espionage as puzzle and mood rather than spectacle.