6 Movies Like Oxygen You Must See

‘Oxygen‘ (also known as Oxygène in its native French) is a sci-fi film that revolves around a woman named Elizabeth Hansen, who mysteriously wakes up in a cryogenic pod with no memory of how she got there. She must uncover her past by jump-starting her memories before she runs out of oxygen. It unravels in the form of a thriller as the many pieces of Elizabeth’s past connect slowly while she struggles to survive in the present. The movie is directed by Alexandre Aja (‘Crawl‘) from a screenplay written by Christie LeBlanc. It stars Mélanie Laurent (‘Operation Finale‘), Mathieu Amalric, Malik Zidi in the lead roles.

It has received an overwhelmingly positive response from critics and audiences, with praise directed towards Laurent’s performance, the screenplay, and direction. It also features a mesmerizing background score that drills in the story’s impending sense of urgency. If you enjoyed watching the movie, we have compiled a list of similar films that should also entertain you. You can watch most of these movies like ‘Oxygen’ on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu.

6. Phone Booth (2002)

‘Phone Booth’ is a thriller film directed by Joel Schumacher. It revolves around Stuart Shepard (Colin Farrell), a publicist who answers a phone call at a public phone booth and becomes the target of a mysterious sniper. It is filled with layers of nerve-wracking revelations and puts an interesting spin on the life and death scenario trope. ‘Phone Booth’ uses its tense premise and intriguing twists to examine some deeper philosophical themes akin to ‘Oxygen.’

5. 127 Hours (2010)

Directed by Danny Boyle, ‘127 Hours’ is a survival film based on an epic true story of courage and determination. It follows Aron Ralston (James Franco), a canyoneer trapped underneath a boulder inside an isolated slot canyon. It features a terrific performance from its lead star, a beautiful background score (from Academy Award-winning music composer A. R. Rahman), and claustrophobia-inducing sequences very much like ‘Oxygen.’

4. I Am Mother (2019)

Grant Sputore’s directorial feature, ‘I Am Mother,’ is a sci-fi thriller movie about the bond between a young girl and her mother, an artificial intelligence-powered robot tasked with repopulating the earth. While it follows a plot drastically different from that of ‘Oxygen,’ both films feature a female protagonist aided by an A.I. looking to resolve a string of unanswered questions.

3. Buried (2010)

‘Buried’ follows Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds), a truck driver who finds himself buried alive in a coffin. It is directed by Rodrigo Cortés and follows a similar plot to that of ‘Oxygen.’ Both movies feature characters trapped in a confined space trying to survive with limited resources. ‘Buried’ is cleverly written and slickly directed, making it a visual treat despite its singular setting.

2. Gravity (2013)

‘Gravity‘ is a sci-fi film directed by Alfonso Cuarón, about Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock), who finds herself stranded and fighting for survival in the vast expanse of outer space. The movie received numerous accolades and is credited with breathing new life into the space-thriller genre. It is a poignant exploration of painful isolation told through a woman’s perspective and an overall stunning cinematic experience similar to ‘Oxygen.’

1. The Father (2020)

‘The Father‘ is director Florian Zeller’s debut feature film based on his play ‘Le Père.’ The drama movie tells the story of Anthony (Anthony Hopkins), an aging man with progressive signs of dementia who must deal with his increasingly distorted memories. Like ‘Oxygen,’ it is a visual mirage that hyphenates the power of memories and is a kaleidoscope of human emotions. Both films also showcase exceptional French talent and denote France’s impact on world cinema, making ‘The Father’ our top pick for this list.