Oxygen

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Oxygen

2021

1h 41m

Mystery & Thriller

Sci-Fi

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

106 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Oxygen is a French survival thriller directed by Alexandre Aja. The film tells the story of a young woman (Mélanie Laurent, 6 Underground, Inglourious Basterds), who wakes up in a cryogenic pod. She doesn't remember who she is or how she ended up there. As she's running out of oxygen, she must rebuild her memory to find a way out of her nightmare.

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Critics Consensus

Oxygen gets the white-knuckle maximum out of its claustrophobic setting, with director Alexandre Aja and star Mélanie Laurent making this a must-watch thriller for sci-fi fans.

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Audience Says

Viewers expecting standard sci-fi might be a little put off by some of its more unexpected choices, but Oxygen is tremendously creative and rarely less than engaging.

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Stephen Romei

The Australian

All I will say is that after watching this movie you will want your passwords etched in stone.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 1, 2021

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Mark Kermode

Kermode & Mayo's Film Review

Absolutely pulpy, but gripping and well-done...

May 24, 2021

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Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

"Oxygen" takes us on a thrilling voyage and lands at an unexpected destination.

Rated: 3/4

May 20, 2021

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Anya Stanley

Vague Visages

Oxygen’s relevance strikes like lightning in a year when time is measured less by Earth’s tilt and more by first wave, second wave, red phase, yellow phase; not by time passing daily, but by how much danger remains in the room.

Jan 8, 2024

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Serena Seghedoni

Loud and Clear Reviews

Starring a superb Mélanie Laurent, Alexandre Aja’s Oxygen is both a claustrophobic survival thriller and an introspective drama about memory, identity, and the ethics of scientific advancement.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 15, 2023

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Manuel São Bento

MSB Reviews

Oxygen is a phenomenal example of one-location filmmaking done right. Brutal moral dilemmas, surprising discoveries about the mysterious protagonist, and a fantastic one-woman show from Mélanie Laurent keep the slow, flashback-heavy narrative engrossing.

Rated: A-

Jul 24, 2023

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Donald P

Incredible that the only featured speaking character is Melanie Laurant as Elizabeth Hanson. The only other discernable adult character is Alexandre Aja, who, other than memory flashbacks, appears for only a few seconds at the end. The acting required to hold the movie for the full period fell entirely upon Melanie, and it was phenomenal. She deserves an actress award!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/16/25

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Igor S

Simple but effective movie. Even if a little predictable, it still kept me interested throughout. Due to it being a claustrophobic and restrained type of movie, it needed someone who could deliver every single line, convincingly and with emotional weight, and Mélanie Laurent did. What an acting powerhouse!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/24/25

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Gargi N

Movie (Oxygen) really surprised me. Even though the whole story happens in one small space, it kept me hooked the entire time. Mélanie Laurent did an amazing job — you can actually feel her fear, confusion, and determination. The movie is intense, full of twists, and makes you think deeply about survival and humanity. A must-watch if you like smart thrillers.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/19/25

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Grete K

Overall a good watch but a tad slow on the pacing.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/08/25

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andrea c

Ottimo survival movie di carattere sci fi che riprende un tema molto diffuso negli ultimi anni e lo fa nel modo corretto; riuscendo a rendere la trama assolutamente originale pure con un concetto molto utilizzato. Melanie Laurent è assolutamente all'altezza e sostiene l'intera durata del film senza nessun problema; anche grazie alla grande varietà di situazioni che si vengono a creare e che aiutano a collegare i pezzi e ad arrivare ad una conclusione tanto originale quanto ben costruita. Il ritmo inizia a crescere molto velocemente ma non si ha mai la sensazione di stanchezza e di rilassatezza, merito dell'ottima variazione di temi e dell'utilizzo di qualche flashback utile anche se stilisticamente montato in maniera un po' "vecchia". Il finale non è la parte più soddisfacente ma riesce comunque a chiudere un cerchio ben elaborato. Peccato l'utilizzo non perfetto delle tempistiche; si sarebbe tranquillamente potuto far combaciare il tempo per l'ossigeno residuo con quello effettivo delle sequenze all'interno della capsula.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/10/25

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Audience Member

This film was so tense from start to finish. A must watch movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/18/24

Full Review

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Alexandre Aja

Director

Mélanie Laurent

Elizabeth Hansen

Mathieu Amalric

M.I.L.O

Malik Zidi

Léo Ferguson

Marc Saez

Ortiz

Eric Herson-Macarel

Capitaine Moreau

Oxygen: Trailer 1

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Oxygen: Teaser Trailer 1

0:55

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Synopsis

Oxygen is a French survival thriller directed by Alexandre Aja. The film tells the story of a young woman (Mélanie Laurent, 6 Underground, Inglourious Basterds), who wakes up in a cryogenic pod. She doesn't remember who she is or how she ended up there. As she's running out of oxygen, she must rebuild her memory to find a way out of her nightmare.

Director: Alexandre Aja
Producer: Brahim Chioua, Noémie Devide, Grégory Levasseur, Vincent Maraval, Alexandre Aja
Screenwriter: Christie LeBlanc
Production Co: Echo Lake Productions, Wild Bunch International Sales, Getaway Films
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Sci-Fi
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Streaming): May 12, 2021
Runtime: 1h 41m

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