When it comes to horror stories, a good setting is just as important as a good villain. After all, no one would be scared of Michael Myers if he decided to attack a well-policed metropolis where you’re never really alone, and no self-respecting poltergeist would ever choose to haunt a one-room apartment. However, some settings […]
When it comes to horror stories, a good setting is just as important as a good villain. After all, no one would be scared of Michael Myers if he decided to attack a well-policed metropolis where you’re never really alone, and no self-respecting poltergeist would ever choose to haunt a one-room apartment.
However, some settings are so creepy that they end up becoming the main source of scares – outshining even the monsters lurking in the dark.
I believe this is exactly the case with Markiplier’s big-screen adaptation of the hit 2022 video game Iron Lung, with this long-awaited indie horror flick telling the story of a convict (played by Mark himself) who’s forced to explore a literal ocean of blood from inside the confines of a coffin-like submarine. In honor of this single-location horror thriller making a killing at the box office, here’s a list recommending six other claustrophobic horror films to watch after Iron Lung!
While not all of these movies are quite as cramped as Iron Lung, they all share the idea of the location itself being a big part of the story. That being said, this isn’t a definitive list of all the best claustrophobic thrillers and horror movies out there, so don’t forget to comment below with your own favorites if you think we missed a particularly memorable one.
Originally meant to be the first entry in a three-part horror anthology produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Devil is a claustrophobic homage to Agatha Christie novels infused with a religious horror twist. You see, instead of imprisoning our suspects inside a stylish manor or even an isolated train, John Erick Dowdle’s film follows an ensemble of unlucky Philadelphians who become trapped inside an elevator with Satan himself.
Dowdle’s minimalist experiment suffers from over-the-top acting and a couple of contrived plot points, but it’s still an insanely fun throwback that wouldn’t have felt out of place as a feature-length episode of The Outer Limits. In fact, I still think it’s a shame that we never got to see the rest of Shyamalan’s proposed Night Chronicles trilogy – especially if they were all going to be as silly and unhinged as Devil.
5. Buried (2010)
I had the pleasure of watching Buried in theaters back when it was first released, and while this Hitchcockian thriller wasn’t marketed as a horror film, I actually saw several groups of people leave the theater because they simply couldn’t handle the terrifying tension of watching Ryan Reynolds slowly suffocate to death inside a wooden casket.
Looking back on it now, I actually think the flick is a miracle in pacing, as it consistently keeps the audience engaged despite the severely limited camera angles and single-character presentation. Of course, the ending is just as divisive now as it was back in 2010, so let us know in the comments how you reacted to that shocking finale!
4. The Descent (2005)
While I could be convinced to climb a mountain or maybe even jump out of an airplane with the proper equipment and financial incentive, caving is the one activity that I can’t imagine ever participating in. Don’t get me wrong, I can understand the thrill of entering a secluded space that no human being has ever set foot in before, but the mere thought of having to squeeze through narrow passages where the sun has literally never shone is enough to send chills down my spine.
And if there’s one movie that has ever accurately captured this unique form of claustrophobic despair, it’s Neil Marshall’s infamous creature feature, The Descent. A film so anxiety-inducing that it didn’t even need the cave-dwelling monsters to be scary, there’s a reason why this is still considered the pinnacle of claustrophobic filmmaking.
3. Penny Dreadful (2006)
Not to be confused with John Logan’s excellent TV series of the same name, Richard Brandes’ Penny Dreadful is a microbudget horror film about a car-phobic girl who finds herself trapped inside a vehicle after being attacked by a sadistic hitchhiker. What follows is one of the most underrated genre experiences of the 2000s, with this underrated gem actually being part of the first edition of the fan-favorite After Dark Horrorfest.
While it’s pretty obvious that the single location and overall minimalism are the result of Brandes trying to keep the budget under control, there’s no denying that this mean-spirited little thriller is punching way above its weight.
2. 1408 (2009)
From The Eagles’ Hotel California to the internet’s collective Backrooms mythos, the horror genre appears to have a love affair with stories about transitory/liminal spaces turning on people and trapping them in supernatural cycles of eternal suffering. In the world of film, the best example of this has to be Mikael Håfström’s fan-favorite Stephen King adaptation, 1408.
While this beloved thriller recycles and repurposes familiar concepts from King’s previous stories (with many of its ideas having been specifically borrowed from The Shining), 1408 still manages to get under viewers’ skin by playing with expectations and toying with our protagonist’s mind – to the point that the evil room’s presence remains even after John Cusack’s character manages to leave.
1. Below (2002)
There’s no talking about claustrophobic horror without bringing up the other great horror movie set inside of submarine, David Twohy’s criminally underrated Below. A WWII ghost story that takes place entirely within a navy submarine, this deep-sea thriller is another case of a piece of speculative fiction that didn’t even need supernatural elements to be scary. After all, being trapped inside a pressurized hunk of metal during wartime is terrifying enough without adding undead influences into the mix.
That being said, I actually like the idea that not even the unseen world of the paranormal is immune to the horrors of war, and that’s why I couldn’t help but include this film on the list.
