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The death of a friend causes massive mental strain for a young adult from “The Lockpicker.” In this film, a teenage thief by the name of Hashi (Keigian Umi Tang) is not only dealing with the suicide of his friend Tess (Melissa McCann), but the death seems to be haunting him and is accompanied by visions. Over the top of this tragic situation, Hashi is forced to endure school, work, and social gatherings, where he begins to take out his frustration by stealing. This never-ending cycle makes him feel stuck, and in addition to the violence and bullying around him, he feels immense rage within himself.
“The Lockpicker” is the debut feature of director Randall Okita (The Weatherman and the Shadowboxer). It revolves around the life of the distressed teenager Hashi who has been struggling with violent dreams and episodes involving his recently deceased friend Tess. Most of the time, Hashi spends alone recording the conversations of others and writing in a notebook. Things take a turn from bad to worse when he learns his friend Greg (David Woroner) has been assaulted at a party. This forces Hashi to make a choice, either run away from the situation or face the violence that is in front of him.
The Lockpicker is described as a “psychological portrait of a solitary young man who seems completely ordinary, other than for his love for petty theft.” Much of the film follows the psyche of Hashi, who has bleak, troubling thoughts surrounding violence. Writer and director Randall Okita simply allows the film’s story to unfold without over-explaining the character’s backstories. In reality, the audience is left to piece the puzzle together themselves, a factor that can leave Hashi’s character with minimal emotional resonance.
Randall Okita’s goals for the film are somewhat vague because it is well executed and shot. There are many shadowed scenes in the film which often turn out to be Hashi’s nightmares, one of which happens to be a well-produced scenario. Nothing needs to be overexplained, and yet Okita’s title choice for The Lockpicker is baffling considering the fact that Hashi’s thievery is only a minor detail in the undertone of the movie.
In the end, The Lockpicker leaves me nothing but puzzled. The film covers some engaging themes, however, the way it was executed left me scratching my head and maybe a bit bored. While it is a quite decent drama, I can’t really recommend The Lockpicker.
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