Oxygen
Movie Info:
đ§ Overview of the Plot
A woman wakes up in a cryogenic medical pod and realizes that she is sealed inside with no recollection of who she is or how she got there. The only company she has is her artificial intelligence companion called MILO, which monitors her vital signs and offers basic functionalities.
In her battle for survival, the woman soon learns that her podâs oxygen supply is depleting and she only has around 90 minutes to escape, receive help, or be doomed to die.
From her fragmented memories, she uncovers more about herself and in this case, she is Elizabeth Hansen, a brilliant geneticist participating in a dangerous scientific mission. Further pursuing the mystery only leads to more chilling answersâEarth’s fate, what it truly means, and why she was really placed in the pod.
The film consists entirely of sequences filmed in the cryo unit, evoking a sense of claustrophobia, unending suspense, and a ticking-clock survival psychological thriller interweaved with deep ethical questions.
đ„ Key Characters
MĂ©lanie Laurent as Elizabeth âLizâ Hansen â Displays a powerful one-woman performance that carries emotional intensity and physical vulnerability, skillfully delivering multifaceted layers of her character.
Mathieu Amalric as MILO (voice) â Calm, collected, and unsettlingly passive, the voice of MILO brings to life a character that exists solely to augment the tension within the film.
Marc Saez, Malik Zidi, and others as supporting voices and in recollective roles.
đ„ Directing & Film Technique
Ajaâs thriller films, High Tension and Crawl, have placed him among horror genre contemporaries, but with Oxygen, he displays maturity and restraint that is refreshing in the genre.
With regard to cinematography, the film is visually restrictive, employing tight framing, jarring lighting, and close shots to create a sense of claustrophobia and confinement.
In spite of taking place in one primary location, the film does not feel static or repetitive. Aja sustains momentum with the use of sound design, dynamic lighting, and powerful performances.
đ§ Themes & Symbolism
đ« Survival vs. Identity
Lizâs struggle for self-rediscovery mirrors the suffocation she faces from a lack of oxygen. She fights for more than just air; she battles to understand the womanâif anyâworth saving lies within.
𧏠Memory, Ethics, and Technology
The plot raises questions of medical ethics, cloning, and artificial intelligence, leaving the audience to ponder concerning the notions of memory, identity, and humanityâs position in scientific advancement.
đ From Humanity to Extinction
In later narrative turns, Oxygen considers the fate of Earth and human life outside of it. Without revealing too much, it becomes apparent that Lizâs plight is integral to civilizationâs survival, thereby transforming what begins as a personal crisis into an existential sci-fi epic.
đ Critical Reception
Critics praised: MĂ©lanie Laurent’s emotionally gripping and powerful solo performance The efficiency with which the film’s script is paced The minimalist yet high-concept aspirations of the sci-fi elements
Critics noted: The overarching narrative has some similarities to Moon, Buried, or Gravity, and some twists might feel repetitive Heavy reliance on exposition during the final act
Although these issues were highlighted, Oxygen was still largely regarded as a well-thought out and executed survival thriller, even with its singular setting.
đŻ Why It Stands Out
Oxygen is one of the rare French-speaking sci-fi movies that attained international fame through Netflix An infrequent single-actor feature film that sustains tension for an uninterrupted 100 minutes Provides emotional resonance while also offering food for thought
