Deadlocked (I) (2020) User Reviews

Usual Low Budget Zombo combo

[omendata · 3/10 · 4 December 2020]

Starts off reasonably well although the acting could be better.

Low budget zombie makeup consists of some badly applied red lipstick around the mouths and not much in the way of gore and violence but they did ok with the £10,000 budget but no scares, no tension.

The problem is nothing much happens and there are a lot of improbable scenes and silly moments so yet another to add to the list of low budget zombie fails!

Essentially just another generic zombie movie...

[paul_haakonsen · 4/10 · 19 December 2020]

Another zombie movie release, and of course I am here like a vulture. I do love everything even remotely zombiesque. Sure, most of the movies in the zombie genre tend to be rather lousy, but still I sit down to watch it, as chance would have it perhaps the current movie is gold.

"Deadlocked" wasn't exactly gold. Sure, the concept idea for the script and storyline was good, but the transition to the screen just didn't have that special ingredient to make it jump out in your face and leave a lasting impression. In fact, the movie ended up being rather monotonous and mundane, truth be told.

Being trapped inside an elevator, while the world falls apart outside does seem interesting, sure. But the storyline just doesn't provide the audience with any information as to how or why it happens. Much less give you any sense of this being a realistic way that the movie is set up, as I would assume there would have been things leading up to the massive event, and it wouldn't just occur out of the blue. But hey, such are most zombie movies, just dropping the audience right into the chaos, and not bothering with providing an explanation or anything.

"Deadlocked" feels like an ambitious low budget project actually made right by director Josh Bailey. However, the movie just doesn't have the contents or the energy to make it to the big league.

And while the movie takes place during the first hours of a zombie outbreak, director Josh Bailey did manage to keep the zombies interesting enough, I mean that they weren't heavily decayed and decomposed shambling corpses. At least that was something that definitely worked well in favor of the movie.

The acting in the movie was adequate. I mean, sure you can tell that the actors and actresses are not at the top shelf, but they performed well enough with the restrictions imposed upon them by the script and plot.

In terms of entertainment value, then "Deadlocked" just felt like a swing and a miss for me. The movie had the right intentions and the drive, but the transition from script to screen just didn't play out all that well.

My rating of "Deadlocked" ends on a four out of ten stars. I didn't find much enjoyment in this 2020 zombie movie, but perhaps you will...

Don't. Just don't.

[mkfwilliams1967 · 3/10 · 1 January 2021]

I'm a zombie move fan. At the beginning of this movie there's a clip of a Vincent price movie. I wish I'd watched that.

LOW,LOW Budget

[claymeyer-96351 · 2/10 · 16 December 2020]

The entire movie except for 18 minutes takes place in an elevator. A group of strangers are stuck together while a zombie apocalypse breaks out. Absolutely terrible. The acting was even worse.

wooden actors in an elevator

[david-1346 · 1/10 · 18 December 2020]

Let's cut to the chase, this is no hidden gem...actors reading off cue cards. ever seen a dubbed movie where the dub voices are out of sync..its not a dubbed movie though, it's living wooden planks talking in an elevator, i think the elevator is more professional, check out the cops dialogue and uniform oh dear. ever seen Greg Sestero in the 2003 The Room, or an ed wood movie, this is not a so bad it's good though.

Thank god, another zombie flick!!

[taedirish · 2/10 · 14 December 2020]

As if the zombie movie hasn't already been beaten to death with an 8lb sledge hammer, along comes ANOTHER millennials take on the genre. I got it! Instead of a house, boat, plane, or train, let's have the cast trapped in an elevator!! We'll get a poor man's Ryan goesling and discount zac effron, throw in a meat head, a b-list "hot girl" and a frumpy virgin-type, put them in an elevator and introduce zombies!!! Never mind the plot holes, or handcuffing the giant guy in FRONT, then asking him to babysit the girl with a knife, instead of getting HIM to help open the heavy elevator doors... This film fails on the most basic human levels!!

Ugh...

The creators and the cast should personally apologize to everyone for their part in the decline of modern cinema. Then they should be fed to zombies...

Remember when you were 5 and someone hid and jumped out at you?

[beezar-66805 · 2/10 · 5 December 2020]

Remember when you were 5 and someone hid and jumped out at you? That was scary! This movie is not.

My only fear is that I would be trapped in an elevator with this group of bad actors and unable to open the door to welcome the zombies.

Here's the first clue you find before the movie starts that let's you know how bad it's going to be.

It's the tagline,'"As a zombie virus breaks out, one ragtag group of trapped elevator passengers must pull together for a fighting chance of survival against an infected rider and the clever horde that awaits them outside."

"Ragtag?" Whenever you see 'ragtag' in a movie description made in the last 40 years, it's almost guaranteed to be a stinker. This movie is no exception. "Must pull together for a fighting chance" - clue number 2.

Considering that the writer/writers thought this was clever and an emotional inducement to watch this tells you that the writing suffers along with the plot.

I did start watching it. Fortunately I was distracted by phone calls, email, messages, and taking out the dogs to potty, so it is possible I missed something incredible. But I'd lay 10 to 1 odds I didn't and the dog's potty was more thrilling.

This movie wouldn't deserve consideration by Rifftrax. It's not that it's so bad it's good; it's just bad.

Painfully bad

[eloygarcia11 · 1/10 · 10 January 2021]

8s, 9s, and 10s? You's have some seriously low standards.

Awful acting that's hard to watch. How is the lead actor the worst actor? The story doesn't make sense.

Don't waste your time.

Hidden gem

[Stanlee107 · 7/10 · 12 December 2020]

This low budget claustrophobic film is great. A group of strangers are trapped in a broken lift/elevator. They think this could not get any worse being stuck within but what lies outside is more of a cause for concern.

The cast does a convincing portrayal of a group of misfits forced into a predicament in which none wants to be involved.

The outbreak... Throws another spanner in the works and this turns into Darwin's survival of the fittest.. They lose members of the group along the way.. it is similar to the Alive film that came out this year too. It's definitely worth a watch.

Awful Movie

[billkenney-50697 · 1/10 · 10 December 2020]

Bad acting, low budget, all around bad movie. Thankfully it was fairly short.

Claustrophobic and tense low-budget zombie movie

[jennytessa · 8/10 · 6 December 2020]

I had a lot of fun with this one - they did a lot on the budget they had, and it sells well. The setting of the elevator gives everything a really claustrophobic and tense feeling. It was easy to get hooked on the struggles of the characters - they were all really likeable and well-acted. I especially liked Jacqi, the knife-wielding teen. She was badass, and I especially liked her dynamic with Mason, the criminal with a heart o' gold. Overall, a really solid, fun little zombie flick - definitely worth watching!

very good low-budget film.

[robertopoletti · 7/10 · 2 December 2020]

Considering it is a super-low budget film, i think it is very good. Good acting, good script. If you start watching it, you won't be able to stop until the end.

Good possible storyline, extremely lazy script script writing.

[alanrday · 2/10 · 10 January 2021]

Firstly, the isolation to the elevator was very implausible as every elevator has a repair access hatch. The big guy could have easily climbed up it. Also the behavior of the characters was very unlikely and just plain odd. I enjoy a good cheap B horror film; however, this one was an F film. Thank you.

The Last Man on Earth

[nogodnomasters · 4/10 · 7 December 2020]

Five folks are stuck in an apartment elevator in Portland: A cop, a criminal a wanna-be actor, an asthmatic, and an engineer . Their rescue is taking long because of a 1034 in progress: zombie apocalypse.

The blackout scenes didn't work well. They attempted to do something there and it didn't catch. I liked Vincent Price at the beginning as foreboding. The characters were rather bland and undeveloped.

Guide: No swearing, sex, or nudity

Yikes!

[cheftoni55 · 3/10 · 12 January 2021]

Low-budget doesn't have to mean bad.

But this ain't good. Maybe it's a student film? (There is an actress, who plays "Olivia" and she's been in a few films. She was okay...not great, but good enough.)

Scripting/dialogue *really* needed work--stilted and unbelievable. The acting was wooden. The premise was promising, combining the tenseness of a zombie outbreak with the claustrophobic atmosphere of being stuck in an elevator. (I've actually experienced being stuck in an elevator with several other people during the height of summer, for a few hours...coincidentally, in a similar type of building. We didn't win any awards either :-D )

It's entertaining in the same sense as watching a newscast covering a riot is--you're shocked it's happening, wonder what *will* happen because it looks pretty bad, but can still wander away from watching it to do other things...and you may peek back just to see how it all ends.

It makes decent background noise, but not much else. Don't think I will be finishing it.

Not bad...but not GREAT either.

[camarossdriver · 5/10 · 22 March 2021]

The zombie movie trend has been beaten to DEATH,and this is just another so so zombie flick. It has a couple of good jump scares,and the story is OK at best. The police officer could use a little bit of polishing on his acting skills...actually the best actor in the film is Sophie Giberson. I don't think it's higher than a five star rating (at least in my opinion) but it's a good way to blow an hour and twenty minutes if you have nothing else to do. Toodles.

BAD acting

[williams-14 · 1/10 · 25 December 2020]

Watch this to understand the difference between good actors and bad actors, Decent acting could have made this watchable.

Such A Shame...

[wandernn1-81-683274 · 3/10 · 4 January 2021]

Just a lot of dumb moments put this one in the waste bin. The complete moronism of the Connor character which has nothing to do with the plot overall. The behavior of the zombies makes no sense, the fights make little sense. It's just bad execution of an already beat to death subject. Nothing new or innovative and most importantly, nothing good, here. 3/10

Low budget zombie film enthusiast review

[razberryshus · 6/10 · 2 January 2021]

I will preface this review stating that the zombie genre is my favorite and have seen most of them, the low budget ones specifically. If you don't enjoy either, this probably isn't the best review for you.

This film certainly doesn't subvert the typical zombie tropes & being stuck in a elevator during the zombie apocalypse isn't the most original idea. There is an Italian movie called "The End" with the same premise but the elevator occupant is alone and not trapped with an infected. However, there are few with the same plot, so props for that. I did enjoy the Italian film more; however, given the budget- the script & acting in this movie was above par.

There were the typical zombie film archetypes in this film- the cop, the criminal with the character arc of really being a good guy, the hot girl who happens to be a mechanical engineer, and the troubled teenage and character development was primarily through flashbacks and calls with relatives. There were also the ridiculous moments as most movies in this genre like overly dramatic & slow battles, the asthma attack that suddenly ceases after one huff of an inhaler, and not running when the elevator door was first opened enough to get out when they have a gun and a taser to clear the halls. Also, I would have eaten the hell out of those marshmallows; but overall it was an entertaining & enjoyable film for the genre that made the most out of the budget. The cast and the characters were pretty likable. I was actually a little bummed when one of the main characters became an appetizer even tho it was a ridiculous decision made by the survivors.

Zombies were good and the use of stop motion added a creep factor which is better than really bad zombie makeup & I liked that the phones didn't go out like in every other film. First person FaceTiming during an escape to fix the elevator was a cool idea that is under utilized and built a lot of tension. Could have used a little more humor other than sighing while getting back in the elevator. The elevator getting stuck again would have been a pretty funny ending with them all eating those marshmallows.

Over all this would be a solid 7 but I gave it a 6 because not knowing what a zombie is & not immediately going for a head kill in 2020 is just lame.

5 mins

[Bookermcco · 1/10 · 2 January 2021]

5 mins of watching this film is all you need to see how terrible it is.

The Film Deserves It's Due!

[go2dean · 8/10 · 27 December 2020]

I went in not expecting very much, but I was greatly surprised. The writing was tight (it did not try to do too much), and the execution was very good with great efforts from the entire cast. Despite the "claustrophobic" elevator scenes, the film kept you engaged throughout. I really recommend this film for late night Saturday viewing because it hits all the notes, and does not go OVER-THE-TOP with gore like most low-budget films. In a nutshell "VERY NICELY DONE"!!!

It's ok

[Abdulxoxo · 6/10 · 5 January 2021]

With such a limited budget, I think with that they did with this movie is darn impressive. The cast is good. The characters aren't much developed but are nevertheless easy to root for and likable. But like every other zombie movie they make awful choices. The concept and plot are neither refreshing nor original at this point but the movie manages to do it right. The opening sequences are my favorite part of the movie, very mysterious and creepy. I think the movie loses its steam after the reveal that it's a zombie apocalypse. The make-up and gore effects are not at their best but they do the job. The score is actually good, it fits the atmosphere and make things even more creepier. The lighting is well-done, and the usage of closeups is a good choice that makes things feel more claustrophobic. Overall, a good low-budgeted zombie flick that's enjoyable to watch.

Did everyone else watch the same movie I did?

[AndyVanScoyoc · 5/10 · 10 February 2021]

What's with all the generous ratings? This movie had to have been a cinch to film...people in an elevator.

It's just regrettable that none of them could actually act.

I love how this movie is recent, yet none of the people seem to grasp that they're in a zombie apocalypse.

White and then red eyes, growling like...a zombie...

I started watching this film, but the beginning was SO lame I stopped. Then, bored, I decided recently to turn it back on.

I figured once they got into the elevator, it had to get better, right?

Nope. In fact, it got dumber. So, let me get this straight...just because I live in an apartment building, even if there's weird/freaky stuff going on, if I hand some guy the key to my apartment, I can actually count on him to bring back my inhaler because I stupidly dropped it on the floor instead of securing it?

(Just on a side note, mine stays in a zippered pocket...No chance of losing/dropping it)

Anyway...sure, I can trust that will happen. In what Universe?

Anyway...stupid, stupid, stupid and just basically non realistically portrayed people and ridiculous decisions.

If THIS is how people are going to behave during a zombie apocalypse, I hope that A, I don't get trapped in an elevator with any of them or...B...they all get killed so I have no chance of being trapped ANYWHERE with them.

Avoid. Just...avoid...

White as mayonnaise

[shaqnumber · 1/10 · 6 January 2021]

All white cast even the extra were white lol fr fr super dumb decision making not very entertaining

When the credits don't list any special effects people...

[hentran-43812 · 1/10 · 6 February 2022]

... but list a caterer, one must assume that they must have borrowed ketchup from the caterer and some eyeshadow from one of the extras. Worst special effects of any zombie movie ever made. Flawed logic and storytelling. I wish I could say that the actors probably tried their best, but I would only be speculating.