Movie Monday: Claustrophobic Movies

I never realized this about myself but I must have the opposite of claustrophobia, at least when it comes to movies.

I really love movies that take place in confined spaces with high anxiety situations.

My husband pointed that out to me one day when we watched a trailer for a movie called Restless.

We got halfway through that trailer and Alex said to me: “Yup. Your kinda movie!”

I thought he was just referring to the suspense of it all but he went on to say that it was purely for the fact that I love movies that all take place in just one tiny space.

In the case of Restless (which I haven’t yet seen but I do agree, it does look good), it looks like it mainly takes place in that woman’s home.

I loved the Ryan Reynolds movie Buried where he’s trapped in a box or a coffin or something really small for the entire movie. I watched it so long ago that I don’t remember what he was buried in but that probably still ranks as one of my all time favorites!

Most of the movie Watcher (starring Maika Monroe) takes place in her apartment, watching out her window. I really liked it!

The M. Night Shyamalan movie Devil mainly takes place in a stuck elevator and I was all in! (Also, I stand behind my love of M. Night’s movies. Don’t be hatin’ on my man!)

Heck, even The Breakfast Club fits my bill. It all takes place in a school library during detention (except for the small hallway, closet, and end scene when they’re walking out of the school). And yes- I love that one, too.

There’s another movie with Tom Hardy called Locke. The entire movie is him driving in his car, talking on the phone. And it is GREAT!

So yes, whatever the opposite of claustrophia is, I must have that. I love the idea of being locked in with the characters.

Which brings me to the most recent movie I watched over the weekend, appropriately titled: Locked.

I didn’t realize until midway through the “trapped inside a vehicle” plot that this was exactly what drew me to it. It was just my cup of tea….if tea was served in a tiny kitchen that I was held captive in. Yes, please!

Bill Skarsgård was great as Pennywise in the movie It. He was great in Barbarian. While I hated Nosferatu, it wasn’t really because of him. But his performance in Locked is probably my favorite one of his so far.

It doesn’t hurt that Anthony Hopkins is just the best at every role he plays.
There’s a little hint of Hannibal Lector that doesn’t even exist in the script but in my mind, Hannibal is always there just waiting in the shadows in all his characters. So Hopkins was great as always, too.

To my other claustrophobic movie loving friends, do yourself a favor and settle in for a wild ride inside a tricked out SUV and give Locked a watch. I think you’ll like it, too.

Want to recommend a movie to Laura McKenna? Email anytime, she’d love to hear from you: Laura.McKenna@civicmedia.us
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