Oxygen (2021) || Oh, This One Tested My Patience

So I have this list of ‘highly recommended’ movies I want to watch and I randomly pick one each time I feel like watching something hence how I got to this one titled *Oxygen*. I always say that sci-fi really isn’t my thing. And honestly? This film reminded me exactly why I don’t usually vibe with the genre. It’s clever, sure, but it also felt way too wrapped up in futuristic ideas and high-concept mystery when all I wanted was something grounded and relatable.  The whole film is basically about one woman, Liz (played by Melanie Laurent), trapped inside a futuristic cryogenic pod, trying to figure out who she is, how she got there, and how to survive before her oxygen runs out. That’s it. Ninety-plus minutes of one character in a box with a computer voice called Milo, talking back at her and you know the funny part? I sat through it all, watching at normal speed expecting that at least, she will get out of the pod(since that’s all she wanted to do) but nope, I was utterly disappointed.  I’m not a bad person so I’ll give credit where it’s due. Melanie carries the film on her shoulders. She’s frantic, she’s vulnerable and believable enough that I never doubted her panic. The tension of watching her oxygen levels tick down works. It made my chest tighten just looking at the screen. And for people who like sci-fi mysteries, I get how this claustrophobic setup might be brilliant.  But here’s where this movie completely lost me. It lost me at the heavy sci-fi twists and explanations. Artificial intelligence, cryogenic tech, memory loss, futuristic space stuff, after a while, I stopped caring about the “how” and “why.” It felt like the movie was too busy trying to be smart and mind-bendy, instead of just sticking to the raw human drama. For someone like me, who doesn’t care for futuristic jargon, it dragged the emotional impact down.  And pacing? Oof. Some parts felt stretched way too thin. A lot of the movie is just Liz screaming at a robotic voice, which, after 45 minutes, had me checking the time.  Would I recommend it? Honestly, not really, unless you’re a hardcore fan of science fiction and enjoy puzzle-box storytelling. If you’re like me and prefer thrillers rooted in something more tangible, you’ll probably find this frustrating, maybe even exhausting.  Rating? A 4/10 for me. The acting was strong, and I respect the concept, but the sci-fi trappings overshadowed the human story I would’ve rather focused on.