Locked In: A story that should have happened about 200 years ago

Netflix's latest movie Locked In presents a thought-provoking mystery. A wealthy widow named Katherine is severely injured in a car accident and enters a state called "Locked in," where she can only communicate through occasional blinking. Next to her is Lina, her stepson's wife, who is also her stepdaughter. The circumstances surrounding Katherine's injury raise suspicion, and as Lina narrates, a drama unfolds.

Despite incorporating multiple twists and nested sub-stories, “Locked In” fails to captivate the audience, as indicated by its low scores/ratings. This is likely because there are already many similar stories available, such as "Before I Go to Sleep," "The Girl on the Train," and "Gone Girl." As a result, viewers can easily predict the development and ending of the story after understanding the rough background of the characters. This causes "Locked In" to miss the opportunity to be a classic mystery film and instead become clichéd. However, even bad movies can have analytical value. Upon analyzing the character development and plot of this film, one can observe that the moive has an extremely traditional patriarchal moral viewpoint. I believe that this film is a good example of what “Barbie” has pointed out: patriarchy has not disappeared, but it has become less visible.

The female characters in the film, although they seem to have personal agency, are still being objectified and standardized. According to Chizuko Ueno's discussion on the double standards of gender in her book "Misogyny," the patriarchal system that revolves around misogyny often simplifies women into different categories, with the most basic dichotomy being "saints" and "whores." The former primarily fulfills the reproductive needs of men, such as mothers and wives. The latter primarily satisfies the sexual desires of men, such as mistresses and prostitutes. The transition to either category should not be taken lightly, as it can cause significant anxiety in men. Therefore, the patriarchal system also establishes a set of rules to punish women who try to deviate from their assigned roles. From this perspective, all the female characters in “Locked In” initially possess the characteristics of "saints." Katherine, as a widow, is burdened with the responsibility of caring for her stepson Jamie. Lina is Katherine's adopted daughter, but her more significant role is Jamie's playmate. She becomes Jamie's wife after turning into an adult and is responsible for taking care of her bedridden husband. Nicky, the caregiver, appears as Katherine's nurse and is responsible for speaking on behalf of the latter who is severely injured. They all carry the responsibility of caring for others and embody the characteristic of a "saint."

A saint represents purity and the nurturing nature of women, who comfort men who feel powerless through reproduction. Katherine takes on the role of a caregiver in response to the unease caused by her husband's death, showing people that even after his passing, she will remain a widow and continue to selflessly care for and comfort his son, Jamie, who is the true heir of his estate. Lina can be seen as Katherine's successor. From a young age, she identifies herself as Jamie's caretaker and eventually becomes his wife, carrying the responsibilities of caring for and comforting him. At this stage, their main purpose is to alleviate men's anxieties, whether social, physical, or psychological, and conform to the patriarchal system's simplistic and crude view of women.

According to this binary categorization of women, when Katherine and Lina try to break free from their role as a "saint," they have no choice but to become "whores." Therefore, we can see that their way of escaping their miserable lives is to develop illicit relationships with the family doctor, Lawrence. At this point, their affairs with Lawrence are seen as a betrayal of their "saint" identity and disloyalty to authority represented by their husbands and fathers. This disloyalty, in the narrative of patriarchy, is considered evil and the women will be punished for it. The film reinforces the wickedness of these two relationships through two scenes.

The first scene is when Lina fails to arrive in time to be with Jamie due to her affairs with Lawrence. Jamie strongly questions and criticizes Lina for her absence. He blames Lina's mother's early death on her failure to always be by the side of those in need. This dialogue portrays Lina's affair as an extremely immoral act that disregards the life of her loved one and strengthens her sense of guilt for cheating.

The second scene is when Lina discovers Katherine and Lawrence's affair. On a rainy night, Lina runs through the dark path of the estate and sees them kissing at the front gate through dense shadows of the tree. At this moment, the audience naturally takes on Lina's perspective and feels shocked and angry. Katherine's actions are successfully depicted as an affair and evil betrayal. However, if we look at it from a perspective outside of Lina's, Katherine is a widow and single woman who develops a romantic relationship with the family doctor, which is not inappropriate. The one who truly betrays their feelings is Lawrence. However, in the subsequent plot, it is Katherine who suffers severe injuries and exhibits a strong sense of guilt.

It is worth noting that, compared to Lina, Katherine receives heavier punishment. If we delve deeper, we will find that Katherine is punished not only for hurting Lina but also for betraying her deceased husband and the maternal role entrusted to her. This reveals another truth about the film: although Jamie's father does not directly appear in the film, his control over and oppression of the female characters continue to exist after his death. The empty and isolated manor symbolizes patriarchal authority. Furthermore, the two main reasons why Katherine and Lina cannot escape their oppressive and lonely lives in the manor are that they find it difficult of let go of the wealth attached to the property/estate and the responsibility of taking care of Jamie. By exercising control over women's lives through wealth and power, the absent father/patriarch showcases his presence. Punishing women involved in betrayals becomes another way to assert patriarchal authority.

Nevertheless, the movie incorporates certain elements that emphasize the autonomy of women to present the perspectives of the female protagonists and challenge the norms of the traditional patriarchal system. For example, Lina is a strong and fearless young woman who can jump into and swim across a lake on a cold winter night. In a critical moment, she bravely confronts Lawrence and ultimately defeats him. The movie also portrays a sense of female friendship, such as the relationship between Katherine and Lina's mother. However, this bond between women is portrayed with intense emotions of jealousy, raising questions about its ability to genuinely support women in need and help them break free from challenging circumstances. These doubts regarding women saving themselves and the dynamics of female friendship are particularly highlighted in Lina's storyline. Lina has been trapped in the manor for a long time and endured spiritual distress without any signs of awakening. However, a man arrives and brings inspiration to her, ultimately prompting her to take action. In the movie, Lawrence tells Lina during their first flirtation, "There is a whole world out there. You can't hide out here forever."

Lina questions in response, "Can't I?" But when Katherine suggests that Lina leave the manor due to her distress, Lina asks, "Why should I?" The difference in reactions/attitudes to the same advice from a man and her stepmother highlights Lina's attachment to paternal authority. Lawrence becomes a new "father" figure, and Lina sees their affair as a way to fulfill herself. She expresses her heartfelt feelings for Lawrence and her willingness to do anything to escape. She fails to realize that if she truly wants to leave, she has the freedom to do so without needing anyone’s permission. However, her wish to escape with him ultimately turns out to be false. In the end, Lina takes matters into her own hands and kills Lawrence, which can be seen as a punishment for his betrayal but also as a return to the old/traditional concept of family and her identity as a "saint", i.e. daughter/wife.

In summary, this movie seems to focus on women, highlighting their ability to rescue themselves, seek revenge on men, and form friendships. However, their actions are still influenced by the outdated patriarchal value system. The story is set in a world that is overshadowed by the lingering influence of patriarchy. After watching it, we will come to realize that even if we were to transport the story 200 years back in time, it would still be relevant, and perhaps even more so. The low ratings of this movie indicate that the female audience in 2023 craves not only tales of women seeking revenge, but also films that prioritize women by showcasing their genuine emotions and sense of morality.