Deadbolt (2024) Review – A Predictable and Mind-Numbingly Basic Tubi Thriller
Deadbolt: Quick Verdict
The Verdict: A painfully generic and overly familiar thriller that struggles to justify its 83 minute runtime. Deadbolt follows every possible trope of the “fresh start” sub-genre without adding a single unique spin or a surprising revelation. While the technical aspects are polished and Rebecca Liddiard does her best with the material, the script is so predictable that most viewers will have the entire mystery solved within the first twenty minutes. It relies on loud, projected scares and a central twist that is telegraphed with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. It is a 2 star slog that represents the worst of Tubi’s “filler” content. If you have seen any thriller involving a creepy old house and a too good to be true boyfriend, you have already seen Deadbolt.
Details: Director: Mars Horodyski | Cast: Rebecca Liddiard, Camille Stopps, Jamie Spilchuk, Joey Belfiore | Runtime: 1h 23m | Release Date: 11 May 2024
Best for: Viewers who want background noise for a quiet evening or those who have an incredibly high tolerance for “by the numbers” thrillers.
Worth noting: Despite being marketed as a horror-thriller, the film contains almost zero on-screen violence and functions strictly as a psychological mystery.
Where to Watch: Tubi (Free)
Rating: 2/5 Stars
(Decent cinematography, committed lead acting, zero originality)
Welcome to Knockout Horror. It would seem that every time I have a reason to praise the free movie streaming service Tubi, they come up with a way to disappoint me in equal measure. For every enjoyable romp like Clickbait: Unfollowed and Lowlifes, there is a sloppy pile of dreck like This Never Happened or the movie we will be reviewing today, Deadbolt.
Table of Contents
Milquetoast thriller dullness
Following the story of a young woman called Amelia (Rebecca Liddiard) looking for a fresh start after an abusive relationship, Deadbolt sees our PTSD-suffering protagonist moving into a house that hides something far more sinister than just the rats roaming in the basement. This is, by all rights, far more of a thriller than it is a horror. Director Mars Horodyski does lean into a liberal amount of horror tropes throughout, however, so there is plenty of crossover appeal.
“Amelia investigates the history of the house, the spooky neighbours lead to some exposition, yada yada yada.”
Deadbolt is no different from every other middle-of-the-road thriller movie you have ever seen. It offers absolutely nothing to stand out from the crowd. Plot setup is incredibly vanilla with our protagonist moving in with a new roommate after suffering through an abusive relationship. Naturally the house is old and extremely creaky but we are repeatedly reassured that this is simply rats and “old house noises”.
Amelia meets a strapping “young” (mid-40s I am guessing) man called David (Jamie Spilchuk). He just so happens to like all the same things that she likes. The pair hit it off but things at the creaky old house become more and more strange. Amelia investigates the history of the house, the spooky neighbours lead to some exposition, yada yada yada.
Occasional scares attempt to do a lot of heavy lifting and keep you invested but fall completely flat. Things randomly disappearing from Amelia’s room present some minor degree of early intrigue. The worn-out, threadbare trope of potential mental illness related explanations rears its ugly, haggard head but it never manages to stick. The actual explanation for what is going on is all too apparent, leading me on to Deadbolt‘s biggest issue.
It’s beyond predictable
Deadbolt may be one of the most predictable thrillers I have ever watched. Every single scare and every single plot point is projected far before it happens. Horodyski only makes minimal attempts to hide upcoming revelations and has no talent for unexpected reveals. Every moment of potential tension or unease in Deadbolt is loudly projected. There isn’t a single surprise to be found.
Of course, the argument could be made that this is simply a case of the whole thriller genre being rather played out, but it goes beyond that. You will be screaming at your television from about a quarter of the movie in. The big hidden plot element is just that apparent and obvious. The movie drowns the viewer in exposition and then gleefully strokes itself with pride at its major twist, showing us flashback after flashback as if we hadn’t already guessed what was happening over an hour ago.
“Every single scare and every single plot point is projected far before it happens.”
The ending is painfully obvious and not at all surprising. In fact, the cast is so small that, if you happened to somehow miss the glaringly apparent twist, the only logical conclusion would be the correct one. The only one who won’t see it coming is Amelia herself as, apparently, she is a complete idiot. Horodyski bombards you with false flag after false flag but it simply doesn’t work. There is no reason to invest in this story and plenty of reasons to roll your eyes and frown.
A few plus points
On the plus side, Deadbolt looks pretty decent. Cameron Roden’s cinematography keeps the movie looking high budget and Horodyski manages some fairly interesting shots. Rebecca Liddiard does a solid job in the lead role of Amelia, managing to make the rather dull plot seem, at least, somewhat more interesting. Camille Stopps was fun as roommate Melinda, as well.
The score is decent enough but what is with all of these horror movies using cellos so much, lately? I guess these modern composers finally realised that Bernard Herrmann was on to something back in the 60s.
“There is no reason to invest in this story and plenty of reasons to roll your eyes and frown.”
I appreciated the 83-minute runtime but you really only need a quarter of that to work out the entire plot. Undemanding viewers may enjoy the simple, thriller by numbers, nature of the movie. It never really asks you to invest too hard in what is going on and the revelation is simple enough to be satisfying for some. But it all just feels so redundant and so low-effort.
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
The Good
- Visual Polish: Cameron Roden’s cinematography ensures the film looks much better than its low-budget Tubi origins might suggest.
- Lead Performance: Rebecca Liddiard brings a level of sincerity to Amelia that the thin script arguably doesn’t deserve.
- Efficient Runtime: At 83 minutes, the film at least has the decency not to overstay its welcome, even if the plot is paper-thin.
The Bad
- Extreme Predictability: There isn’t a single plot beat or “scare” that isn’t telegraphed long before it actually happens on screen.
- Lack of Tension: Because the ending is so obvious, the intended sense of dread never actually materialises for the viewer.
- Dull Characters: Aside from Amelia, the supporting cast members are largely generic caricatures that follow a strictly predictable checklist.
The Ugly: The “Exposition” dumps. The movie spends its final ten minutes explaining every detail of the plot as if the audience hadn’t realised what was happening an hour ago.
Should You Watch Deadbolt?
Probably not. It is a derivative and uninspired piece of genre filmmaking that offers nothing new to the crowded psychological thriller market. Unless you are desperate for something to watch while scrolling through your phone, your time is better spent elsewhere. It’s a 2 star film that serves only to highlight the inconsistency of Tubi’s original programming.
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