Director: Alexandre Aja
Writers: Christie LeBlanc
Stars: Mélanie Laurente
Synopsis: A woman wakes up in a cryogenic chamber with no recollection of how she got there, and she must find a way out before running out of air.
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It’s always a challenge to craft a film with one character in a confined space that features enough effective narrative beats to maintain interest and intensity. Two years after he induced fear with a story of a father and daughter trapped in a hurricane-damaged house with alligators in Crawl, French director Alexandre Aja takes on the task in the new Netflix film Oxygen. The film combines the claustrophobic nature of Buried with the conversational aspects of Locke to deliver a mysterious story of a woman inexplicably trapped in a cryogenic chamber.
This woman, Dr. Elizabeth Hansen, is played by Mélanie Laurent. The film begins with her waking up in the chamber, panicking and clearly unsure of how she got there. In fact, she’s not even sure who she is. We’re first led to assume that she is in a hospital, but even this becomes questionable as the film goes on. The biggest dilemma, as the title suggests, is that she is running low on oxygen and has just under an hour to get out before she asphyxiates. Her only hope is to work with the AI that controls the pod, MILO, who is voiced by Mathieu Almaric. Through MILO, she is able to make phone calls, research information about herself, and control the chamber with hopes of extending her time.
That’s about as far as one can go with the plot without revealing a surprising detail, as the film is filled with twists even early on. This is par for the course in a film like this, as we are completely in the dark alongside Dr. Hansen. Aja and screenwriter Christie LeBlanc are able to achieve a nice balance in which Hansen can communicate with others from inside the pod, while maintaining the mystery of who exactly she is talking with. Inside this claustrophobic piece of advanced machinery (the film clearly takes place in the future), Hansen’s questions are almost endless, and the answers are rarely delivered explicitly. It’s a simple yet effective device that allows the narrative to flow without feeling overly tired.
Still, that’s not to say that the film completely avoids the trouble that can come with forging a narrative for a challenging story like this. MILO is a fascinating character on its own, and Amalric’s fruitful voice work creates a sense that it may become a sort of variation on HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey. But the existence and role of MILO also creates some discernible conveniences in the plot. Though MILO is mysterious and doesn’t always give Hansen exactly what she’s looking for, it’s pretty clear that the AI will always be the avenue to any sort of success she finds in her struggle, and it leaves a bit less to the imagination.
In addition to an effective script, the use of the camera is also essential to sustain intrigue as we sit inside a small pod with Hansen. Fortunately, Hansen rarely allows it to stay static. We certainly spend plenty of time in closeup with Hansen, catching every emotion displayed by Laurent, but it also shifts to explore the chamber and the actions she takes to survive in it. Though this seems odd for such a small setting, the chamber itself is also quite complex, and it helps to create a sense of space. Though at times even this may go a bit too far, such as a scene in which we inexplicably travel in circles with Laurent and the top of the pod as our center points while she makes a phone call.
Last but certainly not least, a film like this lives and dies with the performance of its lead, who we spend the entire runtime with. And in this case, the film undoubtedly lives. Laurent dives into this role at full force, adding to the sense of claustrophobia created by the setting. One of the most lovable things about this character, and the performance, is that she’s not presented as some sort of superhuman. She is unquestionably very intelligent, and that comes with a confidence that she can somehow work her way out of this situation. But she still displays the fear and anxiety that we should expect from anybody in a strange situation like hers. In short, she’s allowed to cry heavily, panic, and exhibit a sense of hopelessness. It results in a much more believable and grounded character that is easy to root for.
Alexandre Aja’s career has largely consisted of variations of horror films, from ultra-violent thrillers to creature features. Oxygen isn’t really a horror film, but it does deliver a similar case of uneasiness. It’s certainly recommended that those who are very claustrophobic and those who have a fear of needles proceed with caution. However, what really sticks with me after the film is the lead character and the ever-shifting plot. Granted, the film probably has too many wild twists for its own good, and the contrivances are severely noticeable at times. It’s not one that reinvents the wheel or results in a superb personal reflection, but it’s entertaining enough to hold its own with a challenging premise.
