Lockdown (2000)

58% of critics liked it
(12 reviews)
76% of users liked it
(4,257 ratings)

A prison drama centering on the travails of three friends unjustly imprisoned for a crime they didn't commit, Lockdown opens with Avery (Richard T. Jones), a talented young swimmer who desperately wants to free himself, his wife Krista (Melissa De Sousa), and their infant son from life in the… More A prison drama centering on the travails of three friends unjustly imprisoned for a crime they didn't commit, Lockdown opens with Avery (Richard T. Jones), a talented young swimmer who desperately wants to free himself, his wife Krista (Melissa De Sousa), and their infant son from life in the projects of Albuquerque, NM. Avery's future seems bright when, after winning a regional swimming competition, he is approached by Charles Pierce (Bill Nunn), a talent scout who takes an interest in the young man's athletic promise. Unfortunately, Avery's dreams quickly disintegrate when he and his pals Cashmere (Gabriel Casseus) and Dre (De'Aundre Bonds) are pulled over by cops one night and framed for a robbery/murder they didn't commit. Faster than you can say "blatant miscarriage of justice," Avery, Cashmere, and Dre land in the slammer, where they are separated and forced to fend for themselves. Avery ends by getting a valuable prison education from his Ralph Ellison-quoting cellmate Malachi (Clifton Powell), while Cashmere quickly becomes part of the African-American gang network operating under the leadership of Clean Up (rapper Master P, whose No Limit Films produced the film). Dre, meanwhile, meets the worst fate of the three, resorting to heroin after he's gang-raped by a group of Nazi thugs. On the outside, Krista and Pierce work tirelessly to free the trio from prison. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 45 min.
Directed By: John Luessenhop
Written By: Preston A. Whitmore
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Sports & Fitness, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Jun 1, 2002 Wide
On DVD: Apr 29, 2003
Studio: Palm Pictures

Critic Reviews

Tom Long, Detroit News
Despite a low budget and predictable story line, Lockdown has undeniable power to it, fired by some fine performances and a terrifying portrayal of prison life that rings disturbingly true.
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
What makes the movie memorable is its authenticity.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
Doesn't tell you much about prison life that the movies ... haven't told you already.
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
Benefits from authenticity, sincerity and an honest sense of outrage.
Steve Murray, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Though over-the-top and simplistic, the film has a punchy B-movie grit and gusto.
Prairie Miller, Long Island Press
Lockdown makes that excruciating and often terrifying ordeal of incarceration gut wrenching and palpable.
Prairie Miller, Long Island Press
Lockdown makes that excruciating and often terrifying ordeal of incarceration gut wrenching and palpable.
Ken Fox, TV Guide's Movie Guide
[A] modest yet intermittently powerful film.
Cynthia Fuchs, Nitrate Online
Melodramatic and sincere, Lockdown shows the penal system's corruptions sensationally, in ways that distinguish it from sensational prison flicks like Seagal's trippy Half Past Dead (2002) or Stallone's histrionic Lock Up (1989).
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
Here's hoping Richard T. Jones will get a chance to display his chops in a real movie sometime.