Sometimes you run into a movie that instantly announces it is not for you. That is okay, but in the case of a flick like Lockbox, the combination of offensive storytelling and poor execution becomes unbearable. One of the most ill-conceived movies of the year, Director Donald Sales delivers a film that hits every jump-scare horror cliché in the book. With trauma hanging over every character and moment, Lockbox squanders Carla Gugino on its way to becoming one of 2026’s worst movies.
What is Lockbox about?
After her mother’s death, Ellen (Gugino) moves away from her bad memories. Upon hearing about Ellen’s move, her cousin Winthrop (Lou Taylor Pucci) needs a refresh as well. A soldier suffering from PTSD, he hopes to find normalcy in the countryside. However, Ellen’s neighbor, Vahna (Katharine Isabelle), quickly inserts herself into their lives. The strange woman pushes both Ellen and Winthrop, but they try to remain amicable. However, when Ellen finds Vahna murdered, the police start looking into Winthrop.
In the days that follow, Ellen and the police (Donald Sales) see increasingly strange behavior from Winthrop. Hoping to find answers, Ellen starts her own investigation. In her fight for her cousin’s innocence, she realizes that Vahna was a black box, with no background or past. The deeper Ellen searches, the more it becomes clear her family has stumbled into a great evil.
Questionable narrative choices are only the start with Lockbox.
From the introduction of Winthrop, Lockbox wants to use a soldier’s PTSD as the warning sign that something more devious is going on. Conceived by podcast host Soren Narnia, the movie uses post-traumatic stress disorder as a buzzword. Considering the ways that PTSD has affected millions of people, including veterans, Lockbox loses all credibility in the first ten minutes. For much of the first act, it’s not clear whether Winthrop is actually possessed or simply struggling with his illness. The fact that Lockbox uses these ideas interchangeably is questionable at best, and feels malicious through most of the story.
For anyone related to those suffering from PTSD, life can be a struggle. However, boiling down this experience to literal demons is not only in poor taste but also comes across as offensive. We all hope that finding stability could be as simple as exorcising a creature from beyond our world. Instead, the process of finding happiness is a non-stop process that requires years of work. The fact that this is tied specifically to a soldier, in particular, is garish.
As if the narrative flaws were not bad enough, the execution of Lockbox is dismal. The actors range from middling to very bad, with Gugino riding passenger as a way to bring in an audience. Pucci is forced to play into stereotypes based on the screenplay, but even then it’s a rough ride. Perhaps the most interesting performance in Lockbox belongs to Isabelle, but it’s a poorly conceived character in every aspect. Between the look and over-the-top persona, she’s a grating presence.
The visuals are downright horrible for most of Lockbox. Most of the flick is too dark, but when it’s time to tap into the poor special effects, it makes sure you see just how off-putting they are. This is not a “they’re unappealing to look at” situation, but instead they resemble poorly rendered PS2 graphics. The default pose for most characters is spreading their mouth wide open to transfer demons as their eyes roll to the back of their head, a repetitive and boring visual.
Combined with the atrocious visual effects, the sound and score put the final nail in Lockbox‘s coffin. Every moment feels generic, with howls and whispers from a dozen better horror films. The score seems poised to sell the scares, but they never actually do. Instead, the pacing becomes repetitive and telegraphs every attempt at delivering a scary moment. With no tension and a very conventional story, Lockbox moves from a slog to a pummeling.
Is Lockbox worth watching?
No, Lockbox is one of the worst movies of the year. It’s not only offensive in its storytelling around PTSD and mental health, but it makes poor decisions in its execution at every turn. The exposition drags the story throughout Lockbox, and the performances do Stamm’s movie few favors. However, an overreliance on loud jump scares and tropes in the sound design quickly wears out the audience. There’s nothing to really hold onto here, which makes it a punishing watch.
Lockbox releases in theaters on July 3, 2026.
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