What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedLocke
Steven Knight · Film · 2014
If you loved Locke, start with Loki (Michael Waldron, 2021) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Locke across media.
What hooked you in Locke was the way the weight of personal choices forces a man to confront his unraveling life.
Books on the same thread
The Lincoln Lawyer
Michael Connelly · Book · 2011
Explores: Moral Ambiguity, Redemption, Justice System.
Like Locke, this story traps a protagonist in a high-stakes professional arena where personal morality and legal consequence collide, forcing a desperate navigation through an increasingly complex situation.
Dark Matter
Blake Crouch · Book · 2016
Explores: Identity Crisis, Parallel Universes, Regret.
Much like the internal collapse experienced in Locke, this narrative centers on a man suddenly forced to reconcile his current reality with the heavy, existential cost of his past decisions.
Havoc
Tom Kristensen · Book · 2018
Explores: Existential Crisis, Dissolution, Despair.
This novel mirrors the slow-motion dissolution found in Locke, exploring how an ambitious man watches his carefully constructed life and moral standing erode under the pressure of his own choices.
Dark Matter (Movie Tie-In)
Blake Crouch · Book · 2024
Explores: Alternate Realities, Existential Crisis, Choice and Consequence.
This story captures the same existential dread found in Locke, focusing on a man who must reckon with the direct consequences of his life path when his reality shifts.
Series on the same thread
Loki
Michael Waldron · Series · 2021
Explores: Redemption, Fate vs. Free Will, Bureaucracy.
You will recognize the claustrophobic tension of Locke in this series, as a man finds himself trapped within a rigid, bureaucratic system while struggling with his own moral agency.
Luther
Neil Cross · Series · 2010
Explores: Moral Ambiguity, Obsession, Self-Destructive Behavior.
The self-destructive behavior and moral ambiguity of the lead character echo the turmoil in Locke, showing a man whose personal demons threaten to destroy everything he has worked to build.
True Detective
Nic Pizzolatto · Series · 2014
Explores: Moral Ambiguity, Existentialism, Corruption.
This series explores the same profound sense of existential malaise and professional burden seen in Locke, as investigators are forced to confront the dark secrets hidden beneath their lives.
The Night Of
Richard Price · Series · 2016
Explores: Wrongful Accusation, Criminal Justice System, Moral Ambiguity.
If the sudden life-altering crisis in Locke resonated with you, this legal thriller provides a similar descent into a nightmare where one night destroys a man's future and soul.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Truth
The Truth · Podcast · 2026
Explores: human condition, experimental storytelling, moral ambiguity.
These stories replicate the intimate, focused intensity of Locke, utilizing a minimalist approach to force characters into moments of profound moral crisis and deep, personal existential reckoning.
This American Life
This American Life · Podcast · 2026
Explores: The human condition, Personal narrative, Social observation.
These personal narratives mirror the human-centric tension of Locke, stripping away the excess to focus on the raw, often painful reality of how individual choices shape our ultimate fate.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Locke a long movie to watch?
Locke is a feature film directed by Steven Knight that documents a single night in the life of Ivan Locke. Given the focused narrative scope of the film, it follows a concise runtime that covers the unraveling of his career and family life within the duration of the movie.
What is the central conflict in Locke?
The central conflict in Locke involves Ivan Locke facing the collapse of his carefully crafted life. A single phone call received on the eve of his career's biggest challenge triggers a series of events that jeopardize his job, his family, and his personal sense of self.
Does Locke focus on a specific time period?
Locke focuses on the events occurring during a single night. This timeframe is critical to the plot, as the phone call Ivan Locke receives sets off an immediate chain reaction that forces the rapid unraveling of his professional responsibilities and his personal family life.
Is Locke about a man losing his job?
Yes, Locke centers on Ivan Locke, a man who has worked hard to establish a successful life. The film depicts how a phone call on the eve of his biggest career challenge initiates a sequence of events that causes his career and family structure to fall apart.