Locke & Key – TV Review
Adapted from comics written by Joe Hill and illustrated by Gabriel Rodríguez, Locke & Key is currently streaming on Netflix worldwide. I checked it out as part of my lockdown viewing. Some spoilers follow.
Synopsis
After their father is murdered under mysterious circumstances, the three Locke siblings and their mother move into their ancestral home, Keyhouse, which they discover is full of magical keys that may be connected to their father’s death.
Locke & Key is a wonderfully atmospheric and original series. It first came to my attention because of a few of the cast. I loved Connor Jessup, who plays eldest son Tyler, in Falling Skies. It also stars Killjoys‘ Aaron Ashmore as uncle Duncan Locke and Shadowhunters fans will recognise Kevin Alves (Bat Velasquez) as Tyler’s hockey teammate Javi.
Welcome to Keyhouse
Not having read the comics beforehand, I went in blind apart from the above synopsis. Honestly I’m glad I did. I think it added to the creep factor that I was discovering everything along with the kids. Without doubt Bode (IT‘s Jackson Robert Scott) was my favourite character. I loved exploring with him as he began to discover the secrets of Keyhouse.
Possibly my absolute favourite shot of the entire show? Bode in the Wellhouse the first time.
Seriously. Look at that. The hook, rope and the cupola of the roof… it looks like another key! The design department and DP deserve a big smooch for that.
Bode also had my absolute favourite line of the entire show – “Hey! No fighting in front of the bacon!” I feel you kid, I feel you!
Bode exploring the house alone with his mother (Darby Stanchfield) dealt with her own personal demons was surprisingly unsettling. It kept making me think of poor Nelly running around in The Haunting of Hill House, and we all know how well that ended up. The family dynamic was one of the most intriguing things about the show for me. These three children are basically raising themselves as their mother has pretty much checked out in terms of responsibility. As they uncover more about the events that changed their lives so drastically, watching how that changed their relationships was really fascinating.
Which Key?
The premise of the story, that there are magical keys scattered through this creepy old house, had me hooked straight away. I still can’t choose which my favourite key was. Obviously the Anywhere Key would be pretty incredible to have. The Head Key fascinates and scares me in equal measure, especially after seeing what happened to Kinsey (Emilia Jones) when she used it.
For the most part I thought the pacing was great, and the keys were used well to progress the story towards the climax. There was one exception, more on that later. The main antagonist of the show is also fantastic, particularly in the second half when the twists and turns start coming thick and fast. I also loved the non-linear story-telling, especially in the back half of the season. I am keen to find out where the story goes from here, especially given that final twist reveal at the end.
There are a couple of really fun cameos to keep an eye out for, one that made me absolutely giddy. Also, I call dibs on cosplaying THAT character in the final episode. Don’t look at me like that. If you’ve watched the show you KNOW the one I mean.
On the Other Side
That’s not to say that Locke & Key was without flaws. Remember I mentioned one exception, well this is it. The music box episode drove my absolutely up the wall. When Kinsey and her friends were using the box on the stairs, in the cafeteria, with hordes of their schoolmates filtering past… and not one person asked them what they were doing? I can suspend disbelief pretty well but that… big nope.
That was, however, pretty much the only low point in the show. Outside of that brief blip, the show is solid.
If, like me, Locke & Key left you wanting to know more about Keyhouse, you might want to check out the graphic novels that the show is based on. You can find the first TPB on the Forbidden Planet website in the UK.
BREAKING
As I was writing this review, the official Locke & Key account on netflix had some good news. We will keep you posted on any more updates that follow.
more keys, more demons, more aloha ?Locke & Key is officially returning for season two!! pic.twitter.com/OYfHBKmik8
— Locke & Key (@lockekeynetflix) March 30, 2020
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