Rutger Hauer’s R-Rated Sci-Fi Is So Wild, They Changed The Name After Release

By Robert Scucci
| Published 34 seconds ago

If you’re wondering why you can’t find a copy of Rutger Hauer’s 1991 sci-fi action thriller Wedlock, it’s because the HBO-produced title was later changed to Deadlock when it hit VHS. This was a common practice in the VHS era because when a customer walks past a wall of tapes at the video store, all competing for your attention, the snappiest title and cover art are what get picked up. Just like YouTube, where the snappiest title and thumbnail get you to click and consume whatever slop is being served.

Deadlock sounds tough and action-packed. Wedlock sounds like a rom-com. That’s really all there is to it. Since we’re talking about a Rutger Hauer film, it’s clear whoever made the call knew what kind of cinematic gold they had and didn’t want to undersell it on the home video market. Ironically, the device that puts its protagonist’s life in danger is actually called a Wedlock, so enjoy that bit of trivia before firing this one up on Tubi.

Classic Rutger Hauer Fare

Rutger Hauer spent most of the 90s starring in low-budget films that share a similar aesthetic with Deadlock, and they’re all pretty great if you’re into sci-fi B-movies. He plays everything super deadpan, but he also understands how ridiculous some of these movies are and leans into the camp at exactly the right moments. 1992’s Split Second is a sight for sore eyes and has a blast with its shlocky, half-Blade Runner, half-Alien premise.

Deadlock is cut from a similar cloth, but instead of playing a cynical, coffee-swigging cop with an axe to grind, Hauer is a fugitive on the run. A diamond thief and master electrician, his Frank Warren character pulls off the score of a lifetime in the form of $25 million worth of rare diamonds. The problem is his partner Sam (James Remar) and his fiancée Noelle (Joan Chen) double-cross him, and he ends up getting shipped off to an experimental prison known as Camp Holliday.

Lockup at Camp Holliday isn’t done in the traditional sense. Inmates are fitted with explosive collars called Wedlocks. Each collar is linked to another, undisclosed inmate, and if the pair separates by more than a set distance, they detonate and take both heads with them. It’s a simple concept, and a nasty one.

Here’s where things get complicated for Frank. Warden Holliday (Stephen Tobolowsky) wants to know where the diamonds are and will use whatever resources he has to get that information out of him. Meanwhile, Sam and Noelle have tracked Frank down and are closing in for the same reason. Frank eventually learns that the inmate linked to him is Tracy Riggs (Mimi Rogers), who wants nothing to do with him at first, claiming she’s innocent while Frank is very much not.

Separation Means Detonation 

As you’d expect from a VHS-era, made-for-TV movie, Frank and Tracy warm up to each other and slowly form a romantic bond. They’re running from Warden Holliday and his goons, the police, and of course Sam and Noelle. Frank and Tracy can’t separate or they’ll detonate. Fortunately, it’s established early on that Frank is an electronics expert, and once he gets his hands on the right tools, he can put that very convenient skill set to use.

Deadlock is a solid, campy action thriller set in a near-future version of its release era that delivers exactly what it promises. There’s corruption, betrayal, danger, and enough chase sequences to keep you locked in and wondering how it’s all going to play out. Rutger Hauer has a strange, hard-to-pin-down charm, and what makes him so effective in movies like this is how seriously he takes everything while still letting moments of levity slip through when they’re needed. You believe him because he stays intensely grounded, even when things get ridiculous.

That energy is what makes films like Deadlock worth watching. It’s cinematic catnip for action fans who don’t want to do a lot of heavy lifting; perfect late-night watch. A thief gets jailed, meets a woman, escapes with her, and the chase is on. That’s all you need to know, and that’s exactly what Deadlock delivers.

As of this writing, Deadlock is streaming for free on Tubi.