'Locke & Key' masters the art of magical fantasy and even skeptical comic fans call it 'different but good'
'Locke & Key' just dropped all its ten episodes on Netflix and it may appeal to all 'Harry Potter' and 'Stranger Things' fans. An adaptation of Joe Hill's graphic novels, the series is a magical, coming-of-age horror and fans feel it is "incredible, unbelievable and totally lovable".
A dark delight in its own right, the show falters in comparison to the comic book series that serves as its inspiration, but it can be unfair to compare a property to its source material, when they're from different media. The story begins with three Locke siblings — Tyler (Connor Jessup), Kinsey (Emilia Jones), and Bode Locke (Jackson Robert Scott) —and their mother Nina Locke (Darby Stanchfield) who move into their ancestral home, Key House, after the mysterious murder of their father.
Impressed with the series, most viewers can't stop talking about it. "#LockeAndKey surpasses all of my expectations. It is faithful to the source material, but as Joe says below, the story has been reconfigured to suit the medium. It has a spectacular cast. I'm most impressed with Kinsey, Dodge, and Tyler at this point. It's so good," one fan wrote on Twitter. Another one said, "Wow, just wow. The setup to everything in the story in episodes 1-7 and then the payoff so far in answers to all that setup is perfectly executed and paid off+ all lines up in episodes 8 and 9 so far. Perfect planning and execution by these writers."
Many were stumped how the fantasy soon turned into a thriller without a warning. "#LockeAndKey@netflix first you told me this was a fantasy and NO WARNING AT ALL that it’s a thriller. Then you get me hooked and I hate to love this damn show 10/10," one tweet read. Another said, "In most horror movies, the little kid sees/hears things first which makes it harder for anyone to believe them. Poor kid. #LockeAndKey."
A few comic book fans, however, were a little skeptical. One said, "why change the name of the town from Lovecraft to Matheson? Seen very unnecessary, else the series tried to ignore the very influence that made the comics work. #LockeAndKey," and another posted, "I'm scared to watch #LockeAndKey because it means too much to me in graphic novel form. If you feel similarly, and watch it, and are happy, please tell me."
Many still commended the effort. "#LockeAndKey 6 episodes in I really like what they've done. All changes from the comics make perfect sense to translate to television," one tweet read and another said, "#LockeAndKey, these were awesome comics and the Netflix show is the same. Story is a little different but still a good story. Thank you, @joe_hill." Another tweet read: "Just finished episode one of #LockeAndKey & it was excellent. It has the same feel as the comic, where @joe_hill & @GR_comics were in creative harmony. Part haunted house story, part supernatural family drama -- and all 'Here's plenty of rope to hang yourself with, good luck!'"
Moreover, the dreary climax and the big twist at the end of Episode 10 'Crown of Shadows' has bowled over several fans. "I wish the climax wasn't that fast lol, well its still SO GOOD! A MUST WATCH! waiting for s2!" one posted and another wrote, "Mannnnn that ending to #LockeAndKey has me all the way tight... They are done through the mom on the other side ... amateurs ... If they would have waited and listened to Bode. Can’t wait for Season 2. So satisfying!"
If you haven't started watching already, catch all the episodes of the marvelously produced show on Netflix.