Last Updated on July 23, 2021
Ryan Reynolds may or may not bring us a DEADPOOL movie, and definitely seems like a good fit for his stint as GREEN LANTERN, but in the meantime he’s logged some time underground in the tight and nasty looking thriller BURIED. Claustrophobics beware.
Since I’m always looking out for my fellow horror fans, I got to thinking what are the movies that are best avoided if you fear being trapped in small spaces. Might seem like not that big a deal, but if a phobia can rip the backbone out of Charles Bronson in THE GREAT ESCAPE then I give it due respect.
So take a journey with me to enclosed spaces and hard escapes. Maybe bring along a paper bag if this sort of thing freaks you out. And share some of your experiences in film that made you feel totally boxed in by spitting bullets below.
WARNING – MAJOR SPOILERS (AND UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATIONS) BELOW!
5. ALIEN
All horror flicks on some level work on claustrophobia, because they try to create situations that seem inescapable. Alien starts things off right with a face hugger. Can’t get any more trapped than that. Then you find out that you’re going to be spending the rest of your very short lifespan trapped in a spaceship with an apex predator that will find you and kill you wherever you go, including stowing away with you on a small escape craft. Feeling the hairs on the back of your neck rise up yet?
4. THE THING
Trapped and in mortal danger is pretty much how the crew of this ice station goes through the whole damn movie. You can’t escape what’s trying to kill you all because there is nowhere to go. Your options are basically freeze to death, get killed by an alien, or go crazy. I’d personally pick crazy, but then you still get to fall victim to one of the other two. This is the type of movie that makes your guts twist because you know from the outset, no matter what the crew tries, they are all screwed.
3. THE VANISHING
I’m gonna go ahead and tell you to skip this one if you haven’t seen the film because you shouldn’t have it spoiled for you and I gotta talk about the ending. I am, of course talking about the original film, not the disappointing American remake (from the same director oddly enough). Here we’re given a man trapped in an existential manner, unable to escape from the thoughts of what happened to his lady. And because of that he finally gets physically trapped, buried alive by the psycho who did it to his woman. His only exit from the ignorance that chewed at him was at the expense of his own life. Awful stuff.
2. INSIDE
This flick messed me up a good bit and remains one that I only recommend to people with a warning they probably won’t like what they see. But the tension that INSIDE achieves is dizzying given the seemingly innocent setting. A pregnant woman is at home alone. Should be the safest, most sacrosanct scenario around. But it’s not. A vengeful woman, motives unknown, utterly terrifies the expectant mother, and us, offering no mercy and no chance of escape. Adding to the sense of claustrophobia is the fetus eye view of the exterior abuses taking place. You will most likely find yourself sick to your stomach, both literally and figuratively.
1. THE DESCENT
Y’know, this damn thing doesn’t really play fair. Long before any mutated humanoids start causing trouble, you’ve got a group of spelunkers already stressed out of their gourds because of rock tunnel cave-ins, interpersonal anger and injuries. Then while dealing with it all in spaces not much wider than a human body, the intrepid explorers also become prey. I’m not claustrophobic and this movie had me slinking down in my seat. Well played Mr. Marshall.
Got a Top 10 idea? Hit me up at [email protected]
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