Lockbox (2026)

-Written by Kyle Bain. 

When Ellen’s (Carla Gugino) estranged cousin Winthrope (Lou Taylor Pucci) returns home, she is forced to put her life on hold to address the darkness that lives within him. Lockbox follows Ellen as she attempts to unveil the mystery that is her cousin and the sinister elements that follow him.

I could watch Carla Gugino paint a room the most basic shade of white. I adore her performances, and feel that her charismatic approach toward any and every role is what allows her to continue to act. Lockbox, however, challenges her bounds—and it challenges whether or not she has the ability to save a film that lacks substance. In short: she can’t. While this isn’t a critique of her performance whatsoever, the reality is that Lockbox is overly dry, gratuitously convoluted, and consistently dull throughout its duration. She’s only one piece of this puzzle, and one piece can’t solve the problems that exist within this film from the very start. 

So, what makes this film so challenging to watch?

Most importantly: the writing of the characters. Even Gugino’s Ellen fails to develop in a way that resonates with viewers. They aren’t compelling, and they feel very shallow in their roles within Lockbox. With them being so underdeveloped, the viewer has trouble buying into the premise of the film, appreciating the relationships between these characters, or ultimately being able to see the merit of the film as a whole. 

Similarly, the pacing of Lockbox leaves a lot to be desired, as it’s incapable of traveling on a trajectory conducive to warranting viewers’ attention. It was easy to look away, easy to lose track of what was happening in the film, and even easier to be distracted by almost anything else. The majority of Lockbox suffers from a narrative that moves at a snail's pace. It moves seemingly nowhere for an extended period of time, providing little to no detail and failing to provide a reason to remain engaged. However, at the opposite end of the spectrum the film includes sudden bursts of intensity that don’t mix well with the rest of the film. The occasional outburst from a character, or the flood of information apparently looks to create balance in an otherwise slow film—but all it does is prove Writers Soren Narnia and Justin Yoffe, as well as Director Daniel Stamm, are incapable of developing a stylistically-even production. 

Furthermore, as Lockbox struggles to incorporate any sort of balance into it, there’s a lack of balance in the lighting as well. Consistently dark from start to finish, there’s no escape from the monotony of this horror film. Viewers effectively drown in the darkness, and there’s no way to avoid it. 

In short, Lockbox suffers from the inability to find balance, to create any successful juxtaposition in nearly any capacity. From the opening moments of the film I felt pulled out of it, unable to remain focused. The dialogue fails to enthrall, the pacing is inexplicably wonky, and the team behind Lockbox ultimately fails to develop much of anything capable of intriguing. 

Directed by Daniel Stamm. 

Written by Soren Narnia & Justin Yoffe. 

Starring Carla Gugino, Lou Taylor Pucci, Katharine Isabelle, Jed Rees, Donald Sales, etc.

3.5/10 = WORTH WATCHING, BUT YOU’VE BEEN WARNED