THE TRAILER
THE DIRECTOR
Alexandre Aja
THE ACTORS
Mélanie Laurent, Lyah Valade, Mathieu Amalric, Marie Lemiale, Malik Zidi, Laura Boujenah, Pascal Germain , Eric Herson-Macarel, Marc Saez, Anie Balestra, Cathy Cerda
THE STORY
Alexandre Aja directed and produced Oxygen, based on a script by Christie LeBlanc. Co-produced by the United States and France. A young lady (Mélanie Laurent, 6 Underground, Inglourious Basterds) wakes up in a cryogenic pod and begins to question her existence. This woman has no memory of who she is or how she got to this place. To get out of the nightmare, she must rebuild her memories while running out of air.
PLOT:
An airtight medical cryogenic unit wakes a confined lady whose oxygen levels are quickly dropping. She is unable to recall who she is or how she got there due to memory loss. It refuses to unlock the cryogenic unit without a code from an administrator, but she is helped by a sophisticated artificial intelligence called M.I.L.O. (Medical Interface Liaison Officer). She can communicate with emergency services outside of the pod via MILO. She tells them the model and the serial number of the cryogenic unit, written on the inside of the unit. Three years ago, the device was destroyed, according to the manufacturer. When she cannot remember her memories, Elizabeth Hansen turns to the A.I. computer to seek clues about her past. As she begins to understand that she is a cryogenic doctor, she begins to weep. The lady responds when she phones her husband’s number, Léo Ferguson, which she discovers on social media. As Léo’s wife, she informs the lady that she must have a word with him. As a result of her confusion, the lady ends the call.
Her hallucinations intensify as the oxygen level drops, and she attempts to open the pod, only to be electrocuted as a result. She receives a call from an unknown lady who informs her that her husband has died. In response, the cops return her call, but she accuses them of concealing information. She also gives her the administrator code to open the pod but warns her that she will die unless she uses it properly if she opens the pod. Elizabeth enters the code and starts to float in the air without any resistance from the earth. Her hyper-sleep has been put for a 14 light-year trip to another planet. As a result of a terrible illness, she is on a covert mission to go to a new planet before humanity is wiped out. Léo, her spouse, was also murdered by the illness.
It breaks her heart to learn that her processor had become too hot to handle the data. She attempts to transfer the operations of the processor onto a non-essential processor but initially fails because of data overload. With oxygen levels dwindling, she plans for suicide by opening the pod as time passes. The next day, she finds that Léo is likewise hypersleep on the wrecked spacecraft with almost 10,000 others, but that he no longer has the scar on his forehead that he used to have. Elizabeth Hansen’s personality and memories have been implanted into her genetic clone, including recollections of Léo. It turns out that she has been chatting to the original Elizabeth Hansen, who is now old.
It initiates euthanasia because of Elizabeth’s zero chance of survival, but her clone deactivates it and successfully diverts the processor’s operations. She is then placed back into hypersleep. It ends with the clones of Léo and Elizabeth hugging each other in the new world.
MOVIE REVIEW:
A victim must ask the right questions to find out how to save her life in “Oxygen’s” opening half-hour. MILO is a supercomputer at her disposal, but it doesn’t think for itself. She can’t simply urge MILO to get a grip on his life and leave it at that. Asking the right questions can help her discover why she is there and how to get out. Why has MILO’s distress signal gone unanswered? The calls to her family and the authorities don’t appear to be having any effect. Why is it that she can’t even recall her history, except for a few short memories? “Oxygen” has the benefit of providing clear solutions to all of these issues at the end of the film. The elements of “Oxygen” fit together, unlike other recent high-concept sci-fi movies. Re-watching the film after its secrets have been disclosed may be interesting, but the initial viewing is what makes it so compelling.
Aja asks Laurent many questions, considering that the whole film takes place in the chamber (apart from flashbacks and recollections). She is a true professional. Laurent delivers one of the finest performances of 2021, displaying a wide range of emotions, from fear to rage to sorrow. In this role, she reminds audiences of her remarkable versatility, even if she is restricted to just her face and voice.
The last act of “Oxygen” may not satisfy everyone, but I believe it holds together and is undoubtedly impressive, even when seen just as an acting exercise. In particular, Aja’s pace and Laurent’s acting made it unexpectedly moving for a thriller of this kind. Before she runs out of air, Liz needs to find out how to rescue herself. However, the connection between COVID and these flashbacks is never clearly drawn in such a manner as to heighten the suspense. Unspoiled, it becomes a picture that interweaves both sorrow and hope, which sort of describes where the world is in 2021, evaluating what we’ve lost while yearning for the future.
It seems to be a good survival and horror movie. But this movie can be more dramatic, and you can get some extra shots that will enhance the movie’s look. Although the midway twist is entirely predictable (we know where she is from the opening frame), the film is enjoyable, and Laurent is excellent in an otherwise paper-thin role.