Claustrophobic movies can be utterly terrifying. While not everyone suffers with claustrophobia, it’s near-enough impossible to watch one of these movies and not feel uneasy. Even if the movie falls into the thriller genre, the contained aspect propels it into horror territory.
Whether it be a character trapped in a compact location where threats are closing in, or a group of people facing a siege, claustrophobic movies unearth our deepest fears. If you’re looking for something different than your typical slasher horror movie this Halloween, we have you covered. Here’s our pick of the 5 best claustrophobic movies that will scare the life out of you.
5. As Above, So Below (2014)
As Above, So Below is a taut exploration of both psychological and physical entrapment. The film centres on Scarlett Marlowe, an alchemy scholar obsessed with finding the legendary philosopher’s stone. Her search leads her and a small film crew into the forbidden depths of the Paris Catacombs, an endless, winding maze housing the remains of six million people. What kicks off as a fun archaeological treasure hunt rapidly devolves into a terrifying descent into hell – both literally and metaphorically.
John Erick Dowdle‘s film weaponizes its environment. As the group ventures deeper, the narrow, winding tunnels shrink mercilessly, forcing the characters into agonizingly tight squeezes and dark, wet chambers. With handheld camera work and ultra close-ups, Dowdle induces sheer panic, trapping the audience directly behind the explorers as they crawl through barely human-sized holes. The unrelenting visual pressure – the constant threat of being crushed, stuck, or buried alive – establishes pure claustrophobia. This intensity, combined with the chilling atmosphere of walking through endless human remains, makes As Above, So Below an absolutely essential, breath-stealing watch for anyone seeking a truly inescapable dread on Halloween night.
4. Hush (2016)
Hush not only has the perfect confined setting to make for one of the best claustrophobic movies, it’s terror is also ramped up by audio, or its lack of it. Written and directed by horror maestro Mike Flanagan, this fast-paced slasher flick focuses on Maddie (Katie Siegel), a deaf and mute writer who, following a break up, retreats into the woods to live a quiet life. However, her tranquility is shattered and she must fight for her life when a masked killer shows up at her window. Flangan throws a much-needed twist onto the overdone slasher realm by having our protagonist truly out of her depths, unable to hear her assailant approaching.
As the killer stalks her around the home, she must adapt to her surroundings and use her other senses to outwit him. At a tight 82 minutes, the tension doesn’t let up for a second, leaving you gripping your arm rests. Hush is a fine example of a film that revels in its cliches but uplifts them with situations we haven’t seen in horror before.
3. Green Room (2015)
The most terrifying horror films are often those rooted in reality, where the monsters are flesh and blood rather than supernatural. Ghosts, monsters, and vampires may not exist, but unfortunately, neo-nazis do. Jeremy Saulnier‘s Green Room is a break-neck slice of terror that tells the story of a punk rock band who lock themselves in the green room of a music venue when they witness a horrific murder. As a syndicate of racist skinheads gather to eliminate the band, they must take a stand and fight back.
Patrick Stewart enthrals with a rare villainous role, bringing menace with his eerily calm performance of a brutal man with zero morals. The young cast shine amongst the seasoned thespian, as evident in the acceleration of their careers thereafter. With its relentless pacing and visceral violence unfolding in suffocatingly tight quarters, Green Room transforms a single backstage room into a pressure cooker of dread that will leave you gasping for air. Perfect for a Halloween night in front of the TV.
2. Gerald’s Game (2017)
Contained thrillers quickly morph into horror films as the painstaking heights increase. Gerald’s Game is a shining example of this. Based on the 1992 suspense novel by Stephen King, this Netflix original centres on Jessie (Carla Gugino) and Gerald (Bruce Greenwood), a couple who attempt to spice up their marriage with a visit to a remote lake house. In the middle of a sex game, Gerald dies unexpectedly, leaving Jessie handcuffed to their bed frame, fighting to break free as unexpected threats loom in.
Once again, with his highly-rated film, renowned horror filmmaker Mike Flanagan wastes no time in getting into the juice of the movie. As soon as Gerald dies, the tension climbs with every passing minute. What we are left with is a tour-de-force performance from Cugino, and an anxiety inducing pace that rattles all of your senses. Among claustrophobic movies, Gerald’s Game stands out for its singular setting. Trapped in one room with nowhere to run and her body literally restrained, Jessie’s nightmare becomes a masterclass in claustrophobic terror that will have you testing the strength of your own wrists.
1. Buried (2010)
You don’t need to be claustrophobic to resonate with the sheer terror of being buried alive. We saw it in scenes in movies like Kill Bill: Vol 2, and The Vanishing, but Spanish filmmaker Rodrigo Cortés took it to a whole new level with his 2010 movie Buried. Telling the terrifying ordeal of Paul Conroy, Ryan Reynolds delivers a career-defining performance as this American truck driver working in Iraq who wakes up trapped inside a wooden coffin buried somewhere in the Iraqi desert.
Armed with only a lighter, a cell phone, and rapidly depleting oxygen, Paul must navigate a nightmare of bureaucratic indifference and impossible demands from his captors as he desperately fights for survival. Reynolds manages to keep the audience in a vice-like grip as the only man on screen for the entire film, a testament to his screen presence and raw emotional range. Cortés never cuts away from the coffin’s suffocating interior, forcing viewers to experience every claustrophobic second alongside Paul as the walls close in and hope dwindles with each labored breath. As claustrophobic movies go, Buried is easily the one that captures it most authentically.
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