Breathe It In
Oxygen is the latest Netflix French survival thriller, complete with a cerebrally charged storyline and a really tense atmosphere. If you’ve finished streaming this one and are looking for alternatives – fret not! We’ve combed through the archives and saved you the hassle with our top 10 picks. Of course for all the movies we’ve reviewed, we’ve also added a handy link so you can check out our full thoughts on that and see if it’s something you want to invest your time with. So without further ado, we present 10 movies to check out when you’ve finished watching Oxygen.
Cube
Cube is a cerebrally charged and well written psychological horror. One of the more unique Escape room-esque projects, Cube essentially sees six complete strangers waking up inside a giant Rubik’s cube. With no knowledge of how they got there and with no food or water at hand, the group are forced to work together. The only trouble is, most rooms hold deadly traps that they need to try and evade. What’s particularly interesting here is the personality shift for each character. The stark differences in personality, as things begin to grow more desperate, leads to some very shocking and tense sequences late on. This one’s a must-watch.
127 Hours
Based on a true story, 127 Hours is another gripping survival movie. It’s also a film that teaches everyone, everywhere to let your loved ones know where you are at all times! For those unaware, 127 Hours centers on an adventurer called Aron Ralston. One day, he ventures out deep into the heart of Moab, Utah on a canyoneering trip. Unfortunately, disaster strikes and Aron becomes trapped under a boulder. Panic soon turns to harsh realization. No one is coming to save him and Aron only has minimal time left to plot an escape from his impossible situation. Gripping and absolutely intense, 127 Hours is a great movie. And one that’s forever tarnished the game of Operation for this writer!
Passengers
Passengers is a fascinating sci-fi concept but one that feels tonally at odds with itself. It’s essentially a romance in space but also teases elements of a dark thriller too. Despite that, the film has definitely stood the test of time and holds up to repeat watches. Our tale takes place on the spaceship Avalon as it sets off on a journey with the human race in hibernation. Humanity is bound for a new planet to recolonize. After a freak storm hits the spaceship, one of of the passengers, Jim, awakens 90 years too early. Alone while the rest of the passengers sleep, Jim decides to wake up fellow passenger Aurora to alleviate his loneliness. This essentially sets the scene for the movie to follow. Despite its shortcomings at times, there are definitely some good set pieces and nice bits of action. However, this one’s going to be a love/hate affair.
Buried
Claustrophobic and tense, Buried is arguably the movie that has the most similarities to Oxygen. The story here follows a US truck driver working in Iraq called Paul. After an attack by an enemy group, Paul awakens to find he’s buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone for company, Paul is pushed to the absolute limit to try and escape this claustrophobic hell. If you haven’t seen it already, Buried is absolutely worth your time.
Panic Room
Panic Room is a fast-paced and suspenseful thriller starring Jodie Foster. For those unaware, the movie follows recently divorced Meg Altman and her daughter Sarah as they buy a new home in New York. On their tour around the mansion, they notice it comes equipped with a panic room. That certainly comes in handy though, and when three burglars break in, Meg scrambles off to the panic room. The criminals know where she is though and ironically, that room is precisely where they want to go. This thriller is definitely worth checking out if you’re in the mood for a pacey thriller.
Exam
On the surface, Exam looks like just another movie about a group of people trapped in a room together. The premise here sees eight candidates locked together in an exam room. They’re given a final test with one simple question. When they all sit down to take the test however, it soon becomes apparent that something else is going on. The group find themselves forced to work together, determined to pass the test and bag this highly desirable corporate job. With a lovely twist at the end and some great drama along the way, Exam is a nicely written psychologically charged thriller.
Saw
Who would have thought that 2004’s Saw would go on to create such International acclaim. With multiple sequels, spin-offs and even a theme park ride in England, Saw is one of those cultural zeitgeists that absolutely transformed the horror world. For those unaware, Saw begins with an intriguing hook and just becomes more and more mysterious as the film progresses. Two strangers awaken in a room with no knowledge of how they got there. However, they soon discover that they’re pawns in a deadly game perpetrated by a notorious killer known as Jigsaw. Only, there’s a catch. You see, Jigsaw never actually kills anyone. He has his victims kill themselves in increasingly gnarly and gruesome ways. All of this builds up to the mother of all twists at the end, complete with a musical sting that’ll leave you with goosebumps. Saw is a must-watch for horror fans and a thrilling watch.
Gravity
Back in the early 2010’s, space was all the rage. Specifically, Sandra Bullock’s portrayal of brilliant medical engineer Dr Ryan Stone in Gravity. This dizzying, space-bound film depicts a shuttle mission gone wrong. Solid camera work and a stunning soundtrack combine to produce a film that still holds up to this day. Here we follow Dr Stone as she embarks on her first shuttle mission with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski. In a lovely bit of poetic irony, this is actually Kowalski’s final mission before he retires. While out on a routine spacewalk together, disaster strikes. Space debris destroys their shuttle, leaving Stone and Kowalski all alone, spiraling into oblivion. Haunting, scary and beautifully acted, Gravity is a solid film. However, it’s not the most scientifically accurate by any stretch of the imagination.
10 Cloverfield Lane
10 Cloverfield Lane is a solid mystery movie, one that keeps you guessing until the very end. There’s an unnerving dread clinging to every moment of this film and in terms of atmosphere, this one has that in abundance. The story centers on Michelle, who awakens inside a mysterious bunker after being involved in a car accident. Two men are with her, Howard and Emmett. According to them, aliens have attacked and the outside world is poisoned. However, it soon becomes clear that the two men are keeping secrets, leading to an intense mystery and a thrilling third act reveal.
Moon
Moon is a much more intimate story than one may expect from such an expansive premise. While small in scope, this film packs one heck of an emotional punch. It’s helped too by some excellent acting from Sam Rockwell. The story sees astronaut Sam Bell nearing the end of his three year contract of harvesting Helium-3 on the far-side of the moon. With communication on Earth limited to pre-recorded messages, and his only assistant a computer called GERTY, isolation begins to take its toll. With only a few weeks left of his time on the moon, Sam’s journey takes a turn for the worse when he starts to uncover some startling home truths about his mission. Haunting and well written, Moon is a really gripping sci-fi tale. So there we have it, our 10 Movie picks to keep you busy after watching Oxygen on Netflix. What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!
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