Oxygen
Netflix | Release Date (Streaming): May 12, 2021 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
67
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews
Positive:
15
Mixed:
5
Negative:
0
Watch Now
Stream On

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoMay 12, 2021
With robust direction in an incredibly confined space and Laurent’s phenomenal work, Oxygen should feel like a breath of fresh air for people looking for something to watch on Netflix. (Sorry.) Read full review
83
The PlaylistBrian FarvourMay 20, 2021
Oxygen may not be the most unique film, but its terrifically panicky and suffocating qualities will leave you breathless nonetheless. Read full review
83
The Film StageBrian RoanMay 11, 2021
Working off a tight, clever script from writer Christie LeBlanc, Aja has delivered a nail-biting, thought-provoking, fleet-footed film, the likes of which will shake even the most jaded and tired viewers out of any quarantine-induced stupor they may find themselves in. Read full review
80
We Got This CoveredScott CampbellMay 12, 2021
It’s lean, mean, and boasts one hell of a lead performance, so fans of both sci-fi and the thriller in general will find a lot to love about Oxygen. Read full review
80
EmpireIan FreerMay 12, 2021
A modest, taut nailbiter. It lets itself down in the final third, but for the most part Oxygen leaves you gasping for air. And Mélanie Laurent, in practically every frame, is terrific. Read full review
80
The New York TimesLena WilsonMay 12, 2021
The premise is simple, but this twist-filled script by LeBlanc gives Laurent ample opportunity to shine. Because of its limited setting, the film hangs on Laurent’s acting ability, and she gamely vaults between elation, terror and determination. Read full review
78
Paste MagazineLex BriscusoMay 11, 2021
Oxygen and Laurent’s performance rely on how human nature manifests in us all: With a desire to live, no matter the cost. And none of what is achieved in this claustrophobic mystery would be possible without Laurent. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattMay 14, 2021
A film literally made from thin air, the French thriller Oxygen (on Netflix starting Friday) is a neat little sci-fi nightmare; a cool-toned exercise in claustrophobia that nearly pulls off the innate improbabilities of its high-concept nonsense. Read full review
75
Original-CinThom ErnstMay 14, 2021
The dubbing is a distraction that undermines Laurent’s efforts and robs the movie of much of its intensity and some of its integrity. Still, the movie engages as a mystery with a countdown element that effectively raises the stakes to nail-biting anxiety. Read full review
70
CNNBrian LowryMay 11, 2021
Oxygen won't quite leave you breathless, but it should leave you thinking -- and surprised. For this sort of movie, that's perhaps the most precious fuel of all. Read full review
70
VarietyPeter DebrugeMay 11, 2021
A clever example of creativity thriving within the strict protocols of the coronavirus pandemic, tense confinement thriller Oxygen plays like “Buried” in outer space. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyMay 3, 2021
There's enough here to keep you engrossed, particularly once the camera pulls back in a majestic reveal of the environment surrounding the pod. The visual effects are slick, but the most indispensable effect is the human element of Laurent's performance — by turns distraught, desperate, tough, determined and resourceful. Read full review
67
The A.V. ClubKatie RifeMay 11, 2021
As one might expect, much of the responsibility for keeping Oxygen compelling rests on Laurent, who runs through all the stages of grief, from denial to acceptance, as she thrashes against her high-tech prison. She’s supported by ingenious filmmaking. Read full review
63
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliMay 12, 2021
If not for the contrived resolution, this might have been one of the better little thrillers to emerge from the pandemic. Instead, it feels a little disappointing, if only for the unlikely “twist” applied during the closing moments. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineChuck BowenMay 3, 2021
At its best, Oxygen successfully approximates the feel of an escape room. Read full review
60
Total FilmMatt MaytumMay 17, 2021
As much as Oygen pulls you along in the moment, it doesn’t leave you with anything that’ll particularly linger. Read full review
60
The GuardianPeter BradshawMay 13, 2021
In some ways, this works better without the metaphorical reading – as just a far-fetched, but quite ingenious entertainment, with some bold climactic touches. Read full review
60
The Irish TimesTara BradyMay 7, 2021
The appearance of Malik Zidi rounds off a fine cast and introduces intriguing echoes of the amnesiac romance of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. That and decent tech specs, including some nifty shots from veteran horror cinematographer Maxime Alexandre, offset the slightly cobbled-together feel of the material. Read full review
50
IndieWireDavid EhrlichMay 11, 2021
Oxygen is the sort of sly exercise in cinematic anxiety that demands a certain suspension of disbelief, and earns just enough of it to entertain. Read full review
40
New York Magazine (Vulture)Alison WillmoreMay 12, 2021
Aja knows what sort of product he is turning out and does it ably, if without much excitement, as though understanding he is filling a hole in a lineup. It’s actually Laurent, who is too classy to be here, who doesn’t entirely grasp the assignment. She keeps overreaching, giving her cutout character shows of realistic emotion that the film she is appearing in can’t support. Read full review
More From This Movie

67 Critic Reviews

6.9 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL