You are here:

Locked Up

Name: Locked Up
Director: Jared Cohn
Released: 2017
Duration: 86 min

Representation Score

4.5/10

Fair

2017

TV-MA

Director

Jared Cohn

Runtime

86 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Locked Up primarily functions as a high-tension genre thriller. Its strength lies in its international setting and the empowerment of a female lead facing systemic corruption. The cross-cultural dynamic between an American teenager and a Southeast Asian institution provides a break from Western-centric narratives. However, the film remains tied to traditional crime clichés. It lacks intentional progressive storytelling or characters who reflect more than one aspect of diversity, focusing more on immediate physical threats than social critique. The absence of LGBTQ+ or disability representation limits its overall diversity.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Locked Up have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film does not include any explicit LGBTQ+ characters or explore non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth identities. The story centers around a survivalist conflict in a carceral setting, avoiding identity-based themes.

How does Locked Up portray gender?

Fair

A female protagonist navigates a hostile, male-dominated environment. Her journey from victim to survivor challenges traditional submissive femininity through her physical resilience and active role.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Locked Up?

Good

The Southeast Asian setting introduces significant non-Western racial diversity. The presence of an American protagonist creates a cross-cultural dynamic that breaks from homogeneous Western settings.

How does Locked Up represent religion and culture?

Fair

The story explores the tension between an individual and a corrupt institution. However, it leans towards survival thriller clichés rather than a focused critique of religion or mainstream culture.

Does Locked Up include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no information about characters with physical, neurodivergent, or mental health disabilities. No representation in this category exists.

Present on Screen

The Southeast Asian setting offers a non-Western backdrop that disrupts traditional cinematic homogeneity.
The female protagonist demonstrates resilience and ability to act against predatory, male-dominated institutional power.
The cross-cultural interaction between the American lead and the local setting provides unique narrative tension.

Limited or Absent

The film lacks visible LGBTQ+ representation or narratives addressing non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth identities.
There is no evidence of characters with physical, neurodivergent, or mental health disabilities.
The narrative prioritizes survivalist clichés over a deeper critique of systemic or social justice issues.

Official Synopsis

When an American teenager gets bullied at her school in Southeast Asia, she fights back--and gets sent to a reform school. But the "school" is more like a prison, and the young teenager must fend off predatory guards and menacing gangs to survive

How are these scores produced? →