Review of Locke & Key

By Dave B.

Netflix’s Locke & Key follows the Locke children after they, and their mother, move into the childhood home of their father who, months earlier, was brutally and seemingly senselessly murdered in front of them. After moving into Keyhouse (yes, that’s what it’s actually called), the children begin finding keys that grant them access to incredibly powerful, incredibly dangerous abilities. Unbeknownst to the Locke kids, one of their father’s old enemies has resurfaced and will stop at nothing to gain control of the keys.

Locke & Key is definitely interesting. It has a sufficiently engaging mystery (figuring out what is going on an why) that viewers can easily binge the 10 episode first season. There’s also a good amount of surprisingly effective humor. Leavening the intense scenes with laughs helps out the show’s pacing a lot. It isn’t always an exciting show, but it’s rarely boring. And each episode is visually vivid, with vibrant colors and some decent effects. In many ways, Locke & Key is enjoyable (although it’s perhaps a bit too intense for a younger audience). 

My main problem with Locke & Key is that the Locke children are thoroughly unlikable. The least objectionable of the kids is the oldest son, Tyler. His only issue is that he’s a fool. Kinsey, the daughter, is self-centered and mean-spirited, and Bode, the youngest boy, is one of the most annoying child characters on television in recent years. Combined with family dynamics that often feel shallow and a rather ill-fitting alcoholism storyline, Locke & Key’s story occasionally gets sidetracked and can be annoying at times.

Overall, Locke & Key is flawed, but certainly watchable and often enjoyable. It’s definitely not a great show. However, if you enjoy magic and mystery, and don’t mind a touch of mild violence, Locke & Key is not a bad way to spend some time. Hopefully, a second season will have the writers make the Locke children slightly more tolerable. 

Rating: 6.5/10