Lockbox (Based on the Knifepoint Horror Podcast)

It seems like Hollywood remains incapable of writing a major veteran character who does not have PTSD. Frankly, for Winthrop Benson, his military service-related PTSD arguably wasn’t as bad as his pre-service PTSD. Of course, it is all good for those that latch onto and exploit such vulnerabilities. His older cousin, Ellen Hershbergen long carried guilt over his early childhood trauma, even though she was not to blame. She might finally have the chance to help him, if she truly believes the dangers he faces in Daniel Stamm’s Lockbox, which opens this Friday in theaters.

Apparently, the producers and distributors think it is very important to trumpet Lockbox was adapted from one of the Knifepoint Horror podcast’s storylines. Whether ticket-buying consumers also consider it important remains to be seen. Regardless, Justin Yoffe’s adaptation of Soren Narnia pod-script takes a rather intriguingly roundabout approach to its introduction of its demonic elements.

After providing her late mother’s hospice care, Hershbergen moved to Pontiac in Upstate New York, for fresh start. As it happens, Benson will start a factory join the area soon, so she agrees to take him in. She is not prepared for how damaged and awkward he is, but she understands his reasons. After young Benson witnessed the death of his parents, custody was granted to his horrifically abusive uncle. Hershbergen never knew exactly what he endured, but the family guessed enough to feel deeply ashamed.

Weirdly, free-spirited hippy woman Vahna Minter also starts inviting herself over. Hershbergen wants to be neighborly, but the odd woman seems to have an unhealthy interest in the cousins. Then she finds Minter brutally murdered—and the night-walking insomnia-suffering Benson becomes the chief suspect.

The title eventually makes perfect sense, but it is better to wait for it. Until then, there will be a lot of trouble coming the cousins’ way, so Hershbergen soon learns the value of having good representation. However, a team of priests led by Father James Light will be even more helpful.

As it happens, Hershbergen was already a regular church-goer, so Lockbox is rather faith-friendly. Jed Rees brings a lot of humanity to the film, which fans of William Peter Blatty will appreciate. Indeed, faith and spiritual instruction play significant roles in the third act.

Carla Gugino nicely anchors the film, bringing more depth to Hershbergen than we typically get in horror movie normie protagonists. Conversely, Katharine Isabelle sets off every alarm bell with her flamboyantly evil portrayal of Minter. However, Lou Taylor Pucci’s Benson is almost too catatonic to function as a film character.

Nevertheless, Stamm and Yoffe build serious scares using some deeply resonate horror archetypes. It is smartly executed—and to be fair, the PTSD theme serves an important purpose. However, it would still be nice to see more veteran characters who serve as healthy productive members of society, without displaying any hint of instability. Maybe next time, right? Highly recommended for the handling of its demonic horror, Lockbox opens Friday (7/3) in New York, at the AMC Empire.