Top 10 Claustrophobic Movies

Set almost entirely within the confines of Ivan Locke’s BMW, this drama is a one-man show in which the construction foreman takes a series of phone calls that turn his life upside down. After his performance as Bane in “The Dark Knight Rises,” Tom Hardy turns in one of the best performances of his career, carrying the whole film with his compelling and powerfully desperate turn. The steel can of his car is the cage from which there is no escape and for 84 minutes, we feel every piece of this man’s life slowly crumbling away.

An Alfred Hitchcock ‘limited-setting’ classic, this one sees a diverse set of battle survivors struggle to stay alive aboard a lifeboat. Initial hopes of rescue rapidly dwindle and the tensions rise within the group as each member’s backstory and history are aired with no place to hide. It’s a plot that has been done a lot since, but this one came out during World War II, so the sense of hopelessness and desperation felt that much more genuine. Inspired by a John Steinbeck story, this adventure drama is a fascinating look at what humans will do to survive in a situation we couldn’t possibly comprehend.

A unique idea for a movie, in this sci-fi psychological horror film, a group of strangers meets in a structure made of individual cubes, any of which could kill you for no obvious reason. As they attempt to navigate out of their prison, the stress levels ramp up as it transpires that anything can trigger the booby traps. Each cube is almost identical and trying to find a way out is maddening, or more accurately, fatal, while the repetition of the cramped environment is just as much a psychological test as the traps themselves.

Adapting a novel that was widely thought to be impossible to film, this adventure drama flick sees Pi attempting to survive on a lifeboat that he shares with a huge Bengal tiger. Despite taking place in the expanse of the Pacific Ocean, the boat is his only refuge, while at the same time being the very thing that could kill him. And then, once the tiger, dubbed Richard Parker, first rears his head, Pi realizes he can be killed at any point. So the lack of wiggle room to protect himself means he is constantly vulnerable, and this keeps us on the edges of our seats throughout the film.

For this thriller, revered director David Fincher was inspired by real-life stories of panic rooms, which seems like the perfect material for big screen adaptation. In “Panic Room,” when burglars invade the home of a mother and daughter, the pair retreats to their safe room. The plot revolves around the thieves’ attempts to lure them out. At first, the room keeps them safe but as the film progresses, it becomes a hindrance to their survival. The duo knows there is little they can do to protect themselves, and as their safety is wholly reliant on their environment, it truly makes for a terrifying concept and a suspenseful film.

Being trapped in uncharted caves would be a frightening premise on its own, but add the fact that mysterious humanoids are hunting you down into the mix, and the fear factor goes through the roof. The mystery of the unknown makes for an incredibly eerie subterranean story in this British horror film, as anything could be lurking in the darkness - but it’s a case of ‘go through that tiny space or die’ here. With barely any natural light, the caves feel like a ready-made tomb for the group that ventures down there, and it’s enough to put you off spelunking for life.

Colin Farrell cannot move from a phone booth and there’s a reason; he’s got a sniper trained on his chest, ready to kill him if he doesn’t comply with the shooter’s demands. Now a hostage, protagonist Stu Shepard is forced to choose between his wife or his mistress, while the one he doesn’t choose will be killed. It’s an incomprehensible ultimatum that is made all the more agonising by the fact that the lead is trapped within the walls of a phone booth.

This harrowing true story tells the tale of Aron Ralston, a canyoneer who becomes trapped in a canyon by a falling boulder that pins his arm. No rescue materialises and he is left with few options to save himself. With the use of a home video camera to document the incident, we’re thrust right into the shoes of Ralston. There is nowhere to go and the isolation he endures makes us a witness to the deterioration of his mental state as he comes to terms with what will have to be done if he is to survive.

A classic piece of filmmaking, this epic war film expertly portrays the ultimate futility of war as the crew of a German U-boat does whatever it takes to survive - yet achieves none of their objectives. As the condition of their sub begins to worsen, the individual and ideological differences of the crew are exacerbated by the cramped proximity. Other than running away, there are few counter measures to repel an attack, with the sub feasibly being a giant metal coffin for them all. The German flick is a somber, intelligent drama in which the relationships are just as fragile as the underwater craft they are in.

Before our top pick sends claustrophobes over the edge, here are a few honorable mentions.
- “Fury” (2014)
- “Devil” (2010)
- “12 Angry Men” (1957)
- “Pandorum” (2009)

The entirety of this Ryan Reynolds film takes place in a coffin. Although this may sound like a limited setting for a film, it allows the audience to create their own tension and terror through their interpretation of what is happening away from the main character. Kidnapped and held for ransom, U.S. authorities attempt to locate Reynolds’ location throughout the film. But his makeshift tomb soon gets even tighter as distant explosions cause the box to fill with sand. Our heart rate flies up as his chance of rescue runs thin, and things worsen as we see his life is out of his hands and we are taken through the full spectrum of emotions.

Do you agree with our list? What films made you never want to go into a cupboard again? For more tense top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.