Blake Lively stars in The Shallows as a surfer who gets stranded on a small rock just 200 yards from shore after being attacked by a great white shark. Injured and isolated, she must use her wits to survive against the persistent predator. While not directly about running out of air supply, the constant threat of falling back into the water and the inability to reach the safety of the beach means drowning is an ever-present danger. The film is largely a one-woman show for Lively, who effectively conveys the character's fear and determination in this tense, contained thriller.

This South Korean disaster film delivers large-scale spectacle as a fire breaks out in a luxurious 120-story skyscraper on Christmas Eve. Like many fire disaster movies, the immediate threat isn't just the flames, but the smoke and the lack of breathable air as stairwells fill and exits become impassable. The film follows various characters trapped within the building, from firefighters battling the blaze to residents and visitors trying desperately to escape. It's known for its impressive visual effects and intense sequences portraying the chaos and danger of being trapped in a burning high-rise.

A classic of the disaster genre, The Poseidon Adventure features an all-star cast aboard a luxury liner that is capsized by a rogue wave on New Year's Eve. The film follows a small group of survivors led by a rebellious priest (Gene Hackman) as they attempt to climb their way up through the inverted ship to reach the hull and potential rescue. While the primary threats are drowning, structural collapse, and fire, the struggle involves navigating flooded corridors and air pockets in a world turned upside down. It won an Oscar for its iconic song "The Morning After" and remains a benchmark for disaster films.

From Australian director Andrew Traucki, known for his nature-based thrillers, The Reef follows a group of friends whose yacht capsizes off the coast of Australia. Their only hope is to swim to a distant island, but they find themselves stalked by a great white shark. Much like Open Water, the terror stems from being stranded in the open ocean. The fight for survival involves not just avoiding the predator, but also the constant struggle against the elements and the ever-present risk of drowning in a hostile environment. Traucki effectively builds tension by focusing on the psychological toll of the situation and using real shark footage.

Based on a chilling true story, Open Water is a stark and minimalist survival horror film. A couple on a diving trip is accidentally left behind in the middle of the ocean by their boat. Stranded miles from shore, they face exposure, exhaustion, and the terrifying realization that they are at the mercy of the sea and its inhabitants. The film's low budget and handheld camera work contribute to a sense of unsettling realism. While the threat isn't about running out of air supply, the fundamental horror is being in an environment where breathing surface air is impossible, constantly struggling to stay afloat and avoid drowning in the vast, indifferent ocean.

Another horror film set in a subterranean environment, The Cave follows a team of explorers and scientists investigating a newly discovered cave system beneath a Romanian monastery. They soon find that the cave holds a deadly ecosystem of its own. Directed by Bruce Hunt, this film leans more into creature feature territory than psychological horror. While the main danger comes from the monsters, the setting itself – a vast, dark, and potentially inescapable cave – means that being trapped, running low on supplies, and the basic need for breathable air become underlying sources of tension as the team tries to survive and escape.

Neil Marshall's The Descent takes the claustrophobia of being trapped underground and ratchets it up to eleven, then adds monsters. A group of friends goes spelunking in an uncharted cave system, only to get trapped by a rockfall. As they try to find a way out, they discover they are not alone. While the primary threat is the creatures lurking in the dark, the sheer act of being lost and trapped deep underground, with limited resources and no easy access to breathable surface air, adds layers of psychological horror and desperation. The practical effects used for the creatures are genuinely unsettling, and the all-female cast delivers powerful performances as their friendships fray under pressure.

James Cameron returns to the deep sea with The Abyss, a film about a civilian oil rig crew called upon to help a Navy SEAL team investigate a sunken submarine. What they find goes far beyond anything they expected. This film was groundbreaking for its underwater sequences and visual effects, particularly the fluid water creature effect. The harsh environment of the deep sea, the crushing pressure, the risks of nitrogen narcosis, and the constant reliance on air supply systems are central to the plot and the characters' survival. Ed Harris stars as the rig foreman trying to hold his crew and his marriage together under unimaginable pressure, both literal and figurative.

Inspired by real events, Sanctum dives deep into the terrifying world of cave exploration. A team of divers exploring a vast, uncharted cave system gets trapped by a sudden flood. With their exit cut off, they must navigate a labyrinthine underwater world, hoping to find another way out before their air tanks run dry. Executive produced by James Cameron, the film boasts impressive underwater cinematography that captures both the beauty and the crushing danger of the environment. The tension comes from the claustrophobia, the risks of deep diving, and the dwindling supply of precious oxygen in a place where a single wrong turn could be fatal.

Taking the isolation of space in a more horror-oriented direction, Life follows a group of scientists aboard the International Space Station who discover what they believe to be the first evidence of extraterrestrial life. Of course, things go horribly wrong, and the rapidly evolving organism becomes an immediate threat. While not solely focused on running out of air, breaches in the station's hull or spacesuits mean the vacuum of space and the lack of atmosphere are constant, deadly dangers. The film features a strong ensemble cast including Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, and Ryan Reynolds, delivering a tense and often gruesome creature feature where the environment itself is as hostile as the alien.

Prepare to be visually stunned and utterly stressed by Gravity. Alfonso Cuarón's masterpiece plunges you into the terrifying isolation of space alongside Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, playing astronauts whose shuttle is destroyed, leaving them stranded with limited oxygen and no way home. The film is renowned for its breathtaking, photorealistic visual effects that create an almost unbearable sense of being adrift in the void. Bullock delivers a powerful, Oscar-nominated performance as the rookie astronaut fighting for survival. The sound design is particularly noteworthy – the silence of space is used just as effectively as the score and dialogue to heighten the feeling of exposure and the preciousness of every breath.

If the thought of being trapped in a box makes you squirm, then Buried will have you on the edge of your seat, possibly hyperventilating. This film stars Ryan Reynolds as a truck driver who wakes up buried alive in a coffin with only a lighter and a cell phone. The entire movie takes place inside that coffin, a bold and incredibly effective choice by director Rodrigo Cortés. Reynolds carries the entire runtime on his shoulders, delivering a raw and desperate performance as he fights against dwindling oxygen, poor cell signal, and bureaucratic indifference. It's a masterclass in tension and claustrophobia, proving that you don't need a large cast or multiple locations to create utterly gripping cinema.

Get ready for a truly intense ride with Oxygen. This French sci-fi thriller puts you right into the mind of a woman who wakes up in a cryogenic unit with no memory of who she is or how she got there. The absolute kicker? Her oxygen supply is rapidly depleting! Directed by Alexandre Aja, known for his work in horror, this film masterfully uses its single location and lead actress, Mélanie Laurent, to create an atmosphere of suffocating dread and urgency. It's a race against time, relying heavily on Laurent's compelling performance and a computer's voice to unravel the mystery before the air runs out. The tension is relentless, making you feel every gasp for air along with her.