The Locksmith (2023): Another film depicting a white man making up for his previous transgressions is Nicolas Harvard’s “The Locksmith.” Its screenplay blends aspects of family drama and crime thriller to provide a setup that is fairly typical. Because of the dialogue’s apparent rudimentary comprehension of the world it is attempting to portray, the majority of its exchanges are derivative and occasionally unintentionally funny.
The characters rarely speak like real people and more often like the author’s conception of them based on the crime thrillers they have seen. Despite her experienced acting abilities, Kate Bosworth, who is perhaps the only positive component of the movie, is destined to work in such subpar films.
But here’s what happens in the course of the movie if you’re interested in this particular subgenre of redemption arc movies and want to watch a suspenseful movie that sells itself on its artistic grittyness. Naturally, it implies there will be spoilers underneath.
The Locksmith (2023) Movie Summary & Plot Synopsis:
What does Miller want to redeem himself for?
To loot a money home, Miller Graham (Ryan Phillippe) leaves with his pal Kevin. A dishonest police detective named Zwick (Jeffrey Nordling) offers Miller the job because of his reputation as a locksmith. Miller enters to retrieve the cash after they arrive at the location in his automobile. At the last second, Kevin changes his mind.
Miller, though, decides to carry out their strategy. He is able to complete his assignment quickly because to his competence. However, by that time, the cops are put in danger when they receive information about a potential heist.
Zwick ends up getting promoted for turning them in so he could have them convicted. Kevin exits after hearing the sirens and believes Zwick is on their side. However, Zwick has already shot the car and then killed him to give the impression that he was a hero. Miller exits the store shortly after and is ultimately detained for theft.
Then Miller is released from jail five years later. He struggles with the idea that he might not be able to provide for his daughter Lindsay and wife Beth (Kate Bosworth). He immediately obtains a ride from Frank (Ving Rhames), who provides Miller with job as a locksmith and a temporary place to reside.
He visits his place of employment before meeting Beth & Lindsay for lunch. He makes an effort to atone for his transgressions and the effects of his acts on others. He says that he committed theft in order to support their family.
But in the intervening period, Beth has carved herself a position for herself within the police force, enabling her to stop relying on Miller for support. She is cautious to reintegrate him into their lives as a result. She fears that he would desert them once more as well.
Frank tells him to be patient and to be able to move on after noticing his distress about this. He later meets Garret, who is in charge of the rental homes from their block, while working at one of his jobs. April (Kevin’s sister) had told him that Miller was a skilled locksmith.
What did Alice want from Miller after ten years?
When she gets back to Frank’s house, Alice runs into Miller. She wants Miller to assist him acquire some money because she is in desperate need of it. Frank, however, advises him to avoid it and concentrate on making amends with his family because it is an illegal job. Later, Zwick catches Miller in the act. He recounts how the arrest made it feasible for him to retire as a lieutenant. Miller is also warned by Zwick not to talk about it or he will be sent in jail once more.
Zwick and his employees, who are aware of Miller’s crimes, take him back to the station after discovering some tools in Miller’s car. The police chief released him since he wasn’t utilizing them. However, Beth sees him being taken to the police station and is concerned about the hardship his arrest will cause their family. Therefore, in order to keep his relationship with his family strong, Miller consents to perform any task that will make him appear respectable to Beth and Lindsay.
As Zwick prepares to retire, he offers Beth the vacant post. She thinks about it and decides to take this offer. She asks Miller if he could watch Lindsay for the evening because she needs to attend Zwick’s retirement party, and he agrees to do so. Since she is unsure of what actually transpired the night of the robbery, Beth later discusses accepting the post of Vice.
When she enters such perilous locations, Zwick, who is watching this encounter from a distance, advises her to rely on the subordinates. He tries to hide the fact that he was involved in the crime from her, as is evident from their relationship.
Alice runs into Miller at Miller’s workshop later and tells him she desperately needs money to escape Garrett’s dominance. She observes that Garett conceals his escort service, where she also works, behind his real estate firm. Miller will not engage in any criminal activity. However, April manipulates him by making him feel guilty for Kevin’s passing, which in her opinion was his responsibility. He agrees to break into Garett’s poker game business and steal the money from his office in order to carry out her plan.
In the meantime, Beth examines the case records of instances of prostitution on Garett-owned premises. She is shocked to see this man getting away with doing something evil and receiving assistance from the law. On the other side, April, who intends to flee with the stolen $50,000, is accompanied by Miller as they browse the poker room.
That evening, Miller enters the building wearing a mask while April keeps Zwick from spotting him. Miller, in the meantime, unlocks the office’s lock and takes the money. By then, though, Zwick has entered the space and is attempting to stop him. Miller threatens to shoot Zwick if he is shot as he overpowers Zwick and points a gun at him. Miller leaves the building and avoids the security to flee with the money.
Miller keeps attempting to call April from his workshop, but the call simply goes to the voicemail. When he visits her home, he discovers her belongings dispersed all over the place. Tanya pays Beth a visit at her home and reveals that she and April served as Garett’s escorts together. She says that Miller was at her house and that April has already fled. Through this conversation, Beth’s concerns regarding Garett’s involvement in dubious enterprises are also confirmed.
Meanwhile, Frank confronts Miller about his employment for April after spotting a suitcase filled with cash. Miller recalls doing it because she was worried for April’s security. Frank thinks it is crazy that Miller completed this assignment even though it was not his obligation. Later, Beth pays him a visit to learn more about his potential criminal participation. However, the conversation takes the expected turns to allow them to recall their shared feelings of devotion.
Beth presents her findings on Garett’s involvement in April’s case to chief Stern at work. Stern encourages Tanya to pursue it even though he initially rejects it because Tanya is a prostitute. Miller visits Garett’s home later that evening to find out where he has keeping April.
He discovers Zwick’s involvement in it after making repeated attempts to torture this businessman. Meanwhile, April witnesses their altercation with Zwick while driving. So it appears that April is working with Zwick in order to exact retribution for her brother’s murder. Zwick enters the home immediately after Miller leaves and shoots Garett to death.
Beth, on the other hand, is now utterly frustrated by Miller’s refusal to divulge any information regarding the crime’s night of commission. He finally admits that Zwick was behind it all and responsible for Kevin’s passing. Alice wants it to be used as more proof.
Zwick gives his minions the command to recover their funds from Garett in the interim. But by then, their department will have gathered enough proof to link him to the crime. As a result, Zwick goes into alert mode for his safety and declines to give April the money, which infuriates her.
The Locksmith (2023) Movie Ending, Explained:
What happens to Miller? Does April get revenge for her brother’s death?
While April is on the phone with Miller at his shop, a man shoots out their windows while driving by. When he claims that he doesn’t have the money, Zwick’s men storm in and begin shooting him to take it. One of the dishonest officers shoots Frank during the pandemonium while holding Lindsay at gunpoint. Miller is shot in the leg at that point as well. Beth becomes upset about his daughter being caught in this perilous environment as she is carried away.
Lindsay is led to April’s room while being restrained. When April notices this, she becomes enraged and confronts Zwick. He, though, viciously rejects any culpability. She sends Miller a message while in a hotel room. In an effort to obtain his daughter back in exchange for money, Miller approaches Zwick and raises a gun to his head.
Zwick mocks him for considering returning the money too late. Lindsay, meantime, employs Miller’s method to free herself from her restraints. When Zwick is preoccupied with quieting Miller, Beth is able to grab Lindsay and keeps her safe.
Zwick is about to shoot Miller when April fires a backshot at the dishonest policeman. She may have made this decision to exact revenge on him after noticing his careless demeanor because he was the one who killed her sibling. Miller is still inside her shooting distance. While April continues to speak in a monologue to make Miller feel terrible before shooting him with her gun, Miller tries to save himself.
By then, Beth has arrived and is attempting to reason with her. April becomes upset when Miller then admits that he killed Kevin. She ultimately chooses against killing Miller. Because of this case, Beth is given a promotion to lieutenant, and after the whole ordeal, their family finally gets together.
