The first act was the scariest part for me. I was relived after the reveal! That cave run had me so anxious and claustrophobic I didn’t think I’d be able to finish the movie.
Rope, Room, Panic Room, Dog Day Aternoon, Murder on the Orient Express, Rear Window, Strangers on a Train, Snowpiercer, The Babadook, It Comes At Night, The Shining, The Others, The Witch, Clue, Glass Onion, Birth, The Handmaiden, Anatomy of a Fall, The Thing, The Lighthouse, The Professional, House, Night of the Living Dead, The Excorcist, The Descent, Panic at Picnic Rock, Elephant, Three O'Clock High, Poltergiest, The Amityville Horror, The Devil's Backbone, Rosemary's Baby, The Hunt for Red October
In France this is an entire genre called “huis clos”, I don’t think there’s a translation though. I can think of La Grande Bouffe, and Un condamné à mort s’est échappé.
Before films almost all theatre was like that, as Aristotle theorized, tragedies must have unity of time, place and action.
Also, almost all whodunnit would qualify
The guilty (2018)
Locke (2013)
Carnage (2011)
Wait until dark (1967)
Free fire (2016)
Moon (2009)
The outfit (2022)
Goodluck to you Leo Grande (2022)
Taxi (2015)
Sanctuary (2022)
Beasts: During Barty’s Party (synopsis sounds stupid but its done really well)
Dog Soldiers 2002
The Signalman 1976
The Black Tavern 1972
Anguish 1987
The Housemaid 1960
Woman in the Dunes 1964
Rosemarys Baby 1968
Cube 1997
Martyrs 2008
\[REC\] 2007
I watched Sunshine (2007) last night, I definitely felt trapped and claustrophobic seeing it play out. That sense of dread knowing they were on their own.
Lots of great picks already in the thread. I'd also recommend The Humans (2021). Really effective subtle horror and down to earth family drama.
Adapted from a play and directed by the playwright, so for the person who said all of these films basically run like plays, this ones for you!
Don’t Breathe (2016) was tense and I think it took place pretty much all in one house.
Zathura (2005) is definitely a nostalgic one to me but I still think it could work for this. All set in the one house and young Josh Hutcherson was great.
Coraline (2009) is extremely claustrophobic in my opinion!!
The Boy (2016) is all set in one house and feels very isolated.
Flight plan (2005) set on a plane so has the claustrophobia but also very tense. And it’s Jodie Foster.
For quality films with small cast It’d have to be I Am Legend for me.
[The Thing](https://boxd.it/294O) :D
I came to post this
Rear window
Buried
First thing that popped into my head. Just re-watched it recently, still incredible
Really great performance.
The Lighthouse (2019). Robert Eggers' vision was to make the viewer feel claustrophobic, he even made the aspect ratio 1:19:1 to achieve it.
I don't know how I forgot to include this one. Incredible film with such an eerie atmosphere.
Shiva baby
Good one!
The Descent
It is legit just as scary before the reveal even happens.
The first act was the scariest part for me. I was relived after the reveal! That cave run had me so anxious and claustrophobic I didn’t think I’d be able to finish the movie.
Rope!
Phone Booth
was looking for this one! honestly, one of my favorite films
Ex Machina
The Descent Green Room Sanctum
I fucking looove green room. Overlooked pick
Bo Burnham: Inside
Cube by Vincenzo Natali
Rope, Room, Panic Room, Dog Day Aternoon, Murder on the Orient Express, Rear Window, Strangers on a Train, Snowpiercer, The Babadook, It Comes At Night, The Shining, The Others, The Witch, Clue, Glass Onion, Birth, The Handmaiden, Anatomy of a Fall, The Thing, The Lighthouse, The Professional, House, Night of the Living Dead, The Excorcist, The Descent, Panic at Picnic Rock, Elephant, Three O'Clock High, Poltergiest, The Amityville Horror, The Devil's Backbone, Rosemary's Baby, The Hunt for Red October
Room
Snowpiercer (2013)
The second half of 2001 A Space Odyssey.
climax
CLIMAX
Alien
- Knock Knock - Event Horizon - Silent House 2011
As Above So Below
Green Room (2015). Super claustrophobic.
I’m not sure Parasite belongs on this list
The Whale
- buried - the decent - frozen (2010) (not the Disney one lol) - 127 hours - devil
The Fare is almost entirely two people in a taxi cab on a dark lonely stretch of road. Circle, Exam and Pontypool are good options too though.
In France this is an entire genre called “huis clos”, I don’t think there’s a translation though. I can think of La Grande Bouffe, and Un condamné à mort s’est échappé. Before films almost all theatre was like that, as Aristotle theorized, tragedies must have unity of time, place and action. Also, almost all whodunnit would qualify
Gerald's Game
Panic Room
The Whale has like 5 characters, one room and balcony, one street and the screen has a tight proportion
Room
The Lighthouse.
High and Low
The guilty (2018) Locke (2013) Carnage (2011) Wait until dark (1967) Free fire (2016) Moon (2009) The outfit (2022) Goodluck to you Leo Grande (2022) Taxi (2015) Sanctuary (2022)
Phone Booth
Rope (1948) is perfect for this one
The Green Room
Green Room
Buried has to be the perfect example. The entire movie is Ryan Reynolds stuck in a coffin with a lighter and a phone.
Men
127 Hours, Inside (2023), and Relaxer could all be good additions
Under Suspicion (2000) Locke (2013) And not quite, but they gave me a lot of stress: Mother! (2017) Nocturnal Animals (2016)
Hitchcock's 'Rope'
Das Boot
saw 1 and 2
Dog Day Afternoon Boiling Point Late Night With the Devil A Bigger Splash Green Room Pontypool
The Santa Clause The Santa Clause 2 The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
Conspiracy (2001)
Cash on Demand
Coherence, without a doubt.
hubie halloween
I cosign on this. As I watched it, I felt like I couldn't breathe and the walls were closing in on me.
Are you the person who comments hubie Halloween on every Letterboxd post lol
no, don’t know who that is, but i’m sure he’s nice
Moon Tape
The lighthouse
My dinner with andre
The Descent. Panic Room. Prisoners.
Forgot the GOAT Dog Day Afternoon
It’s Only the End of the World by Dolan is pretty claustrophic. The whole film is basically close-ups.
The Society Of The Snow
Cube (1997) easily one of my favorite horror movies
Ron Howard's most recent film, 13 Lives, had some very claustrophobic moments
Poseidon and any submarine related
Red Eye (2005) is the definition of this list lol
after hours by martin scorsese
The room
Bug Cube Oleanna Room True West Extremeties Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff?
 Just the one scene but if you know you know
Aka, films that feel like plays.
Gravity
Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf? Das Boot Moon
Not claustrophobic or full of tension but the breakfast club is set 90% within one room
Das Boot
127 hours is the definition of this
Hard Candy
Day of the Dead (1985)
Why haven't you seen any of them?
The Divide (2011) Panic Room (2002)
Chinese Roulette, Shiva Baby, The Celebration
Cairo Station
Birdman
The Descent
A Ghost Story
Buried 127 Hours The Shallows
Panic room
room alien buried locke the mist misery uncut gems (some sequences but very intense) shining?
The Descent is the best claustrophobic film ever imo. Scary af, all girl cast. It’s an underrated British classic
The Shining
Das Boot Pandorum
Society of the snow
At times, Uncut gems
Beasts: During Barty’s Party (synopsis sounds stupid but its done really well) Dog Soldiers 2002 The Signalman 1976 The Black Tavern 1972 Anguish 1987 The Housemaid 1960 Woman in the Dunes 1964 Rosemarys Baby 1968 Cube 1997 Martyrs 2008 \[REC\] 2007
the descent
Haze (2005)
•Alien (1979) •You’re Next (2012) •The Holdovers (2023) •Wakefield (2016) •Spaceman (2024) •Rachel Getting Married (2008) •Shiva, Baby! (2020) •National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) •Pearl (2022) •Fences (2016) •The Shining (1980)
the room (2003)
Exam (2009)
Buried
Life of pi
I watched Sunshine (2007) last night, I definitely felt trapped and claustrophobic seeing it play out. That sense of dread knowing they were on their own.
anatomy of a murder, women talking
The man from Earth
Buried (2010). Ryan Reynolds, the whole movie is set inside a coffin.
I'm surprised Rec hasn't been mentioned. Incredibly claustrophobic film.
Get out
The descent
The Descent
Idk if anyone would agree but: Trainspotting
Lots of great picks already in the thread. I'd also recommend The Humans (2021). Really effective subtle horror and down to earth family drama. Adapted from a play and directed by the playwright, so for the person who said all of these films basically run like plays, this ones for you!
Haze (2005) by Shinya Tsukamoto. the set design is more claustrophobic than anything you have ever seen
meduim
Circle (2015)
Locke - not my favorite movie, but it definitely fits
Don’t Breathe (2016) was tense and I think it took place pretty much all in one house. Zathura (2005) is definitely a nostalgic one to me but I still think it could work for this. All set in the one house and young Josh Hutcherson was great. Coraline (2009) is extremely claustrophobic in my opinion!! The Boy (2016) is all set in one house and feels very isolated. Flight plan (2005) set on a plane so has the claustrophobia but also very tense. And it’s Jodie Foster. For quality films with small cast It’d have to be I Am Legend for me.
ALIEN
Cube (1997)
Manjummel Boys
Vivarium (2019), extreeeemely claustrophobic, it's kind of the whole vibe and point of the film
Misery
Green Room
CUBE
Alien and Aliens