Review: Locke and Key brings horror and fantasy to Netflix

"Locke and Key” is the new Netflix horror fantasy series that is making waves. However, before we talk a little about the series and behind the scenes, it's important to know the synopsis of it.

After the father of the three Locke brothers is murdered under questionable circumstances, they and their mother move into the mysterious residence. keyhouse. Once installed in the great mansion, they discover magic keys that could be linked to the death that happened.

A série Locke and Key is based on the comic book of the same name, originally released in the US in 2008. The first volume was finally published in Brazil in 2017 under the name Locke and Key: Welcome to Lovecraft (publishing company geektopia).

The comic is written by the American author Joe hill and with illustrations from Chilean Gabriel Rodriguez.

What was the process of adapting Locke and Key like?

For the series to finally reach the Netflix it was a long process and many attempts by several different production companies.

Who initiated the adaptation project was the IDW Publishing, which is editor which publishes volumes of Locke and Key USA.

The first production company to try to produce the series was FOX, in 2011, who even filmed a pilot at the time with a totally different cast. Every time a production company wants to start any series, it produces an initial episode, called a pilot, to try to get the attention of those who can do the distribution.

O pilot It even appeared on the Comic-Con 2011 in San Diego. It didn't, unfortunately.

The second attempt to adapt the IDW Publishing it was with a competitor of Netflix, called Hulu, in 2017. The editor hired Carlton Cuse, award-winning producer with an Emmy for the series “Lost“. However, once again the project failed.

Carlon Cuse decided to rework the project and, together with the IDW Publishing, provided the material for the Netflix, who finally put the project into production in 2018 and asked for 10 episodes.

Watch a short behind-the-scenes video of the series below.

What are Locke and Key's strengths?

Locke and Key It is indeed an interesting series. The adaptation is intelligent, the script is largely coherent, and the production in general is very elaborate.

A soundtrack is good for television series standard, made up of the relatively newcomer Torin Borrowdale. See the opening credits for the series below (which you'll probably skip when watching on Netflix).

O production design is impeccable, a work that really adds the necessary layers to create tension. The Keyhouse mansion was built especially for the series in Cinespace Film StudiosOn Toronto, where the Netflix maintains one of its main production centers.

And finally, the photography and some of the special effects are equally impressive. An investment that is certainly remarkable.

What's the final verdict?

I cannot say that the series Locke and Key it's a new Stranger Things, as I believe that this first season is far from ideal. If Netflix chooses to renew the series, I hope some elements will be better explored.

The first element to be improved for sure is the tome. From what little I know of the HQ, we have a much darker and more imaginative approach. I understand that the choice to soften the material in the adaptation is to please a larger audience, but this ends up leaving many scenes "silly".

Another element to improve, and this will be a challenge if the series is renewed, is the cast. Composing a children's or teenager's cast is always a big challenge, and here it leaves a lot to be desired. The Locke brothers don't seem to have a great deal of range of emotions and in most episodes they react with the same emotions to different situations.

Maybe the actors will be more comfortable in the role for a future season, but that's one of the elements that bothered me the most in this first season.

An actor you may have seen, if you're a horror movie fan, is Jackson Robert Smith, the 1st victim of the clown Pennywise in the remake of It, 2017. In Locke and Key, he plays the youngest Bode.

Will Locke and Key have future seasons?

As of press time, there is no confirmation for a second season.

I, however, believe that the series does have potential for future seasons. After almost 10 years in the so-called “development hell“, which is when a series seems like it will never see the light of day, for sure the IDW Publishing, Carlton Cuse e Netflix must be happy with the result achieved after so many attempts.

The series was not received with much enthusiasm by the specialized critics (for now it is with 67% of approval in Rotten Tomatoes), but who knows, get a fan base decent to justify new seasons?

Have you already checked out the series? If so, leave your opinion in the comments! (https://ayvnews.com/) And if you have marathoned Locke and Key, but not yet seen The Witcher, worth a read about this other series in this review.