Desperate times call for desperate measures, or desperate creative solutions. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused many films to either delay filming, or find new creative ways to make movies in a safe and relatively isolated environment. Oxygen, filmed in 2020 according to The New York Times, incorporates the limitations created by filming during the pandemic into the heart of its narrative. The film revolves around a woman (Mélanie Laurent) who wakes up in a sealed cryogenic chamber with a rapidly depleting oxygen supply and no memory of who she is or how she got there. As she struggles to find a way out, her memories slowly begin to return, and she realizes that her situation is far more out-of-this-world than she thought.
The film takes place almost entirely within the enclosed space of the cryogenic chamber, as the woman tries to understand and escape from her situation. This is the kind of film that cannot exist without a talented lead actor, and, luckily for Oxygen, Laurent carries that responsibility with ease. She makes the desperation and pain of her situation feel visceral and believable, even when the circumstances are fantastic. No matter what the script threw at her, she gave it her all. The visuals of the film are also enthralling. You would think it would be hard for a film that is essentially set inside a box to have interesting editing, but this film does! The camera work and special effects keep the film engaging, even when contained to one set.
What brings the film down, sadly, is its pacing. The strongest aspects of Oxygen are its speculative fiction philosophical ponderings, and its weakest aspects are its horror. Perhaps it’s the fantastical nature of the situation, but the horror and claustrophobia just fail to make an impact. Everyone can imagine and empathize with the horror of being trapped inside a small space, but a small space with an AI and a working telephone and apparently internet connection? It doesn’t feel the same. The film spends too much time lingering on these weak aspects, and doesn’t devote enough time to the parts of its story that are unique and most intriguing to watch. The third act twist, while perhaps unnecessary, pushes the film into so-wild-it’s-good territory. The film would’ve been more enjoyable overall if it had gotten to this point sooner.
Generally, the film would’ve benefitted from a shorter run time and more of a focus on the sci-fi aspects of its plot, as opposed to the horror. The truth is that you can only watch someone struggle inside a cryogenic chamber for so long before it gets boring. The film has a solution to that problem, and it’s a good solution, but it doesn’t come soon enough. If Oxygen had leaned into the sci-fi, embraced the bizarre existential horror of its plot, it would have been a much more enjoyable viewing experience.
Oxygen is a pandemic film, both on a structural and narrative level. The film’s portrayal of loneliness and isolation rings true, even in its fantastic and sometimes overly convoluted context. Unfortunately, Oxygen is interesting despite its gimmick, not because of it. The film is certainly interesting, and maybe if it had embraced what makes it unique it could’ve been a true pandemic classic. Instead, it’s just a concept we’ve seen before with an added twist. Still, it’s not a terrible way to spend 100 minutes of your day, especially if you’re interested in the ways films are adapting and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. All in all, the film is promising, but still fails to realize its full potential.
3/5 STARS