A rapid heart rate, or the sensation of the heart racing can occur as the body attempts to compensate for the low levels of oxygen in the blood. So how will our subject, who suffers with claustrophobia be affected by Netflix’s new movie Oxygen (2021)? If you’re not familiar with the director, Alexandre Aja, take a look at our results from Crawl, one of our highest heart racing films of 2019.
SYNOPSIS:
A woman who wakes in a cryogenic chamber with no recollection of how she got there, must find a way out before running out of air. Language: French
Where to Watch:
Test Subject: Kristin
Age: 31
Gender: Female
Fears: Claustrophobia
Resting HR: 60-65bpm
Walking HR: 80-85bpm
ANALYSIS:
Oxygen begins with creepy and claustrophobic film work which created minor anxiety in our subject. The slow pace however, did not allow her subtle heart rate fluctuations to build. An uncomfortable moment at 24:30 needled her insides and produced a decent spike to 72bpm. We recorded two major jump scares, one at 35:00 and another at 1:09:00. These caused rapid jolts in her heart rate level, but quickly dropped back to her resting average. Several of the scenes may have been more effective on a subject with a fear of needles rather than claustrophobia. Near the middle build, the sci-fi story took center stage and the creators forgot to check in on the lack of oxygen scenario. It wasn’t until a cringeworthy finale did we see our subject’s peak heart rate of 77bpm.
CONCLUSION:
Oxygen (2021) is a slow burn that leads to a thought provoking finale. This new sci-fi film did not have the suspense we’ve come to expect from director Alexandre Aja and it’s clearly visible on our FearScale. It’s a movie that keeps you guessing and eventually answers all of your burning questions. The complex and fascinating trip of Oxygen compelled our subject's brain to think, but unfortunately struggled to make her heart race. Share on X
Oxygen (2021): Burns an average of 131 Calories
On average, about five calories are burned for every one liter of oxygen that you consume
How many Fear Calories did you burn watching Oxygen? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
