Claustrophobia is a common fear that plenty of thrilling films use to cause tension and intrigue in their stories. But what’s uncommon is when films confine their characters to a single room, elevator, box, or void for the entire film, where escape evades their wildest attempts. From Cube (1997) to Buried (2010), these films will make the most fearless viewers scared of being trapped, stuck, or confined.
1- Cube (1997)
When a group of strangers wakes up locked in a strangely lit room with trap doors leading into identical rooms on each wall, the ceiling, and the floor, they have no memory of how or why they got there. As they explore their strange prison, they realize some rooms feature deadly traps. Can the strangers work together to find a way out and, more importantly, uncover why someone put them there?
2- Phone Booth (2002)
Phone Booth is a thrilling film that takes place inside a photo booth after a man calls his mistress. After he hangs up with her, the phone rings, and he answers it. On the other end is a mysterious man with a sniper rifle with a terrifying request. The man must call his wife and tell her about the affair, or the caller will kill him.
3- Trapped (2016)
4- The Outfit (2022)
Passengers traveling at night get stuck on their train when it hits and deer and derails. When the conductor goes outside to investigate, a horrifying monster kills him, leaving the survivors terrified to leave the train and search for help.
5- Green Room (2015)
When a downtrodden band gets a gig at a remote bar, they don’t realize its patrons are white supremacists until they arrive. After the show, one band member accidentally witnesses a horrible crime, and the entire band becomes targets of the sadistic bar patrons as they’re trapped inside the bar for a night of horrors.
6- Elevator (2011)
As nine employees at a high rise on Wall Street get stuck in an elevator on their way up to a company party, they discover one of them has a bomb after she suddenly dies of a heart attack. Now the others must escape the elevator or disarm the explosive before it’s too late. But can they work together, or will their fear and desperation cause them to turn against each other?
7- 12 Angry Men (1957)
12 Angry Men takes place in a jury room after the conclusion of a murder trial, and the jurors must decide whether or not to give the accused a guilty verdict and the death penalty. While most jurors agree the suspect did it, the twelfth juror believes their bias against lower-class people blinds them from the truth.
8- 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
When a woman wakes up injured inside an underground bunker after falling unconscious in a car accident, the man who took her there tells her he saved her from an apocalyptic attack that left the surface inhabitable. But the woman isn’t sure if the man is telling the truth and wonders whether he is her savior or her captor.
9- Don’t Breathe (2016)
Three women searching for better lives for their families hatch a plan to rob a wealthy blind man’s home to get what they think will be easy money. But the burglars realize they chose the wrong victim when the tables turn, and they become trapped in the darkness as their initial target hunts them down in his home.
10- Oxygen (2021)
When a woman wakes up, she discovers she’s trapped in a cryogenic chamber with no memory of who she is or why she’s there. With the guidance of the machine’s A.I. system, she learns the chamber is running out of oxygen quickly but won’t let her out without the administrator code. As she fights for her escape, she manages to contact a support team who provides information that changes everything.
11- Circle (2015)
This tense thriller begins with fifty people standing in a strange room configured in two concentric circles. As panic sets in, some people attempt to leave their station, but a mysterious laser kills anyone who moves out of formation. Soon, the strangers learn the laser kills a new victim every two minutes, and the people in the circles have the power to vote on the next victim.
12- Panic Room (2002)
When a single mother and her daughter move into a luxurious New York City brownstone, they have no idea the grandson of the home’s future owners hatched a plan to break in and steal a valuable left behind. When the men break in, the mother and her daughter take refuge in the panic room, not knowing the item of attraction is hidden within its confines.
13- Frozen (2010)
On the last run of the night at a skiing mountain, three friends become trapped on a ski lift after the operators make an error in their headcount. The friends know they may be stuck there for days because the ski resort closed in preparation for an upcoming storm. As the storm descends, the friends risk their lives as they pursue all potential escape routes.
14- Fall (2022)
One year after losing her husband in a tragic climbing accident, a once-talented mountaineer now spends her days isolated and drunk. But when a friend asks her to come along on one last climbing trip to scatter her husband’s ashes, she decides to take the opportunity to find closure. The two trek into the middle of the desert to climb a 2,000-foot abandoned radio tower. When they reach the top, a terrifying accident causes the two women to dangle helplessly in the air, hoping for rescue.
15- 47 Meters Down (2017)
16- Buried (2010)
After a terrifying ambush, an American civilian working in Iraq wakes up to find himself buried alive. Trapped in a coffin with only a few belongings, he learns his only chance of escape is to pay a hefty ransom before he runs out of air.
17- Devil (2010)
18- The Platform (2019)
On the platform sits a feast that prisoners at the top of the prison can feast upon, but it dwindles by the time it reaches the lower levels. As the new prisoner comes to terms with his new surroundings, he hopes he doesn’t wake up at the bottom of the prison next month.
19- House of 9 (2004)
After a young woman is kidnapped, she wakes up in a house with eight other people and discovers they’re trapped inside. Soon, the captives learn they must kill each other until only one survivor remains. Whoever wins not only leaves with their life but a massive cash prize.
20- 1408 (2007)
When a writer famous for debunking supernatural myths checks in at a hotel with a famously haunted room, he forces the reluctant manager to let him stay there. As he settles in, he realizes he made a grave mistake as ghosts appear, and his attempts to leave the room continue to fail.
21- 127 Hours (2011)
This biographical survival drama tells the story of the worst week of mountaineer Aron Ralston’s life. After embarking on a solo-hiking trip without telling any of his loved ones, a climbing accident leaves him trapped with a boulder crushing his right arm. As he spends day after day trapped and alone, he realizes his only chance at escape means leaving his arm behind.
22- The Method (2005)
Seven applicants for an elite position at a successful company enter a conference room for their final, intensive portion of the interview process. Together, they undergo psychological tests, and the company weeds out each applicant individually until they identify their ideal candidate. But one of the seven is a mole who watches the participants as they undergo each test.
23- Would You Rather (2012)
A young woman who became her terminally ill brother’s caretaker after her parents’ deaths struggles to pay the bills in this chilling psychological horror film. After meeting with her brother’s doctor, he introduces her to a wealthy man who invites her to a dinner party where guests will compete in a contest to walk away with the money they desperately need. But when the guests arrive, they realize their only chance of survival is winning the sadistic game.
24- Exam (2009)
When eight candidates for a mysterious position at a high-end tech company enter the exam room, they’re given cryptic instructions that leave them all wondering how on earth to pass the test. As they try to understand how to complete the test, they learn secrets about the company and each other, sending shock waves through the exam room.
25- 12 Feet Deep (2017)
12 Feet Deep is a twisted psychological horror about two sisters who go for a swim at their local pool when the manager mistakenly traps them under the pool’s cover at closing time. Unable to escape, the situation worsens when the pool’s sadistic ex-con janitor realizes she has two easy victims to play with.
Maya (she/they) is a queer entertainment and culture journalist. They cover interviews, reviews, roundups, news, and more. She loves horror, history, and creativity. They hope their writing both entertains readers and inspires them to think critically. Her favorite pastimes include needle felting, gaming, and drawing.
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