Oxygen is the kind of science fiction film Michael Crichton would write if he was still around.

Intriguing and twisty without playing on tropes or explaining things simply for the sake of the laymen audience; Oxygen is smart, savvy, and very aware of itself. This little French film has managed to create more atmosphere and intrigue in a single location shoot than many films manage with menageries of characters, locals, and top name writer/directors.

The score is good, the acting is fantastic, the story is very tasty, and the camera work is phenomenal. There are several scenes with stunning stills and a few that are worth studying for their technical and artistic brilliance. Oxygen's scenes of tension get you right into your bones, and will make you squirm for all the right reasons and none of the cheap, gratuitous ones. From a technical standpoint this film rivals and beats many AAA American films and should be given high marks simply for that. Those marks aside, it does not shine because of its ability to compete, it shines because those things are stunning in and of themselves.

The film does drag a little bit and could probably have used a small bit more editing, but overall the runtime is very well utilized and nothing feels wasted or frivolous. My biggest personal complaint is that I would have changed the ending in a very minor way. For a TV-14 film at 1:40 long? This was a seriously impressive ride.