Veteran screenwriter David Griffiths directorial debut is a taut, slow burn crime drama that is pregnant with incident. Reminiscent of many of the American thrillers of the Seventies, Timelock is a film less about the crime itself than a character study of the participants; and as such, the films success hinges on its performances.
Lead actor John C Gilmour refreshingly underplays his part as Mark Kerr, an emotionally repressed man whose ennui is punctuated by bouts of gambling whilst Alton Milne as the antagonist Callum Coyne wisely avoids the histrionics which usually accompany playing a villain.
They're ably supported by Leo Horsefield, Danielle Stewart, Lauren Lamarr and Natalie Clarke amongst others.
Griffith carefully establishes the environs of the hotel where the bulk of the of the film takes place before ratcheting up the tension in scenes that don't overstay their welcome, ending on an ambiguous note which leaves the door open for a possible sequel. Timelock won't be to everyones taste though; especially those reared on a diet of multiplex fare who might find it too slow.
