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Maura Tierney, Adrien Brody, Terry Kinney, James Naughton, Laila Robins ... see more see more... , Paul Calderon , Dylan Baker , Frankie Faison , Olek Krupa , Slavko Stimac

A police detective is on the trail of a psychopath while dealing with demons of her own in the crime thriller Oxygen. Madeline Foster (Maura Tierney) is a plainclothes detective with the NYPD who isn'... read more read more...t especially happy with her job. She drowns her sorrows in alcohol and masochistic sex, though even her husband (Terry Kinney) is unaware of the full extent of her erotic obsessions. Madeline finds herself assigned to investigate an unusual kidnapping; Frances (Laila Robins), the wife of a prosperous businessman (James Naughton), has been kidnapped and buried alive. The perpetrators demand the ransom be paid within 24 hours, or the air will run out and Frances will be dead. Madeline surmises that the kidnapper is a career criminal known to the NYPD as "Harry Houdini" (Adrien Brody) for his remarkable ability to escape capture. It soon becomes clear that "Harry" knows who Madeline is, and for him this isn't an ordinary kidnapping but an elaborate psychological game; he is convinced they are alike in more ways than they're different, which makes it all the more fascinating for him. Oxygen received screenings at several 1999 film festivals, including Taos, Gen-Art and Cannes (market); it was later purchased by premium cable network HBO, who showed the film before it went into a limited theatrical run. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

52% liked it

3,047 ratings

Critics

75% liked it

12 critics

R, 1 hr. 30 min.

Directed by: Richard Shepard

Release Date: November 5, 1999

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DVD Release Date: January 11, 2000

Stats: 137 reviews

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Maura Tierney in Oxygen Adrien Brody in Oxygen Oxygen
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Flixster Reviews (137)

  • LWOODS04
    June 17, 2010
    LWOODS04
    CAST: Maura Tierney, Adrien Brody, Terry Kinney, James Naughton, Laila Robins, Dylan Baker, Paul Calderon

    DIRECTED BY: Richard Shepard

    SUMMARY: This made-for-cable mystery thriller stars Adrian Brody as an escape artist-kidnapper whose method of torture involves burying his... read more prey alive. When he strikes again, Maura Tierney is the policewoman who must track down Brody within 24 hours before he lets the air out of another one of his victims' hiding places.

    MY THOUGHTS; "It is definitely like a nightmare come true, being buried alive... This movie was good.. It's got Adrien Brody, who in my opinion played bad very good.. Didn't really look like he could pull it off to me.. But he ended up proving me wrong.. I say his portrayal of his character is what kept this movie afloat.. There was a bit of over acting from Terry Kinney, or maybe I just didn't like his portrayal of the husband. Just didn't seem to fit. Maura Tierney was good as the dark cop. All in all it wasn't a bad watch to find flipping through the TV today. I am still a bit worried that I thought the part where they found the dog was funny? I don't know, I just found Adrien to be a funny psychopath. Anyways, this movie is worth the watch if you come across it."
  • danieljparsons
    April 15, 2008
    danieljparsons
    A psychopath who dubs himself Harry Houdini (Adrien Brody) kidnaps the wife of a rich businessman, strips her, and buries her alive in a coffin with about an hour's worth of air, demanding a million dollars in cash in return for which he will reveal her location. If the ransom is... read moren't paid, or the police are involved, 'Harry' will not give up the details... the husband gets the police involved. The detective investigating, Madeline (Maura Tierney of Scotland PA, Diggers and ER fame) is now the only one who can try and solve the case. A damaged masochist with a drink problem, she'll have to think like Harry in order to find the burial site before the oxygen runs out.

    Opening with a kinetic chase through a subway train, Oxygen immediately makes an impression. Its greatest asset is the well thought out characters, who so clearly have had lives before the film begins. In particular, Madeline is an absolutely fascinating protagonist and the bits of information we get build into something that makes the dénouement doubly exciting. The premise is excellently handled but this isn't a one-trick pony of a film and the sub-plots are equally well executed. Maura Tierney and Adrien Brody both give refreshing performances (a sort-of skew on the Hannibal/Clarice relationship in Silence of The Lambs) and the supporting cast (which includes Terry Kinney and Dylan Baker in a small role) is decent. The low budget is occasionally evident (a car-chase through New York City isn't exactly high-speed) but higher production values might have resulted in something more sensationalist and less imaginative. In any case, this is a solid, exciting little flick.
  • TonyPolito
    August 16, 2010
    TonyPolito
    Solid B-level stuff, but still a somewhat interesting flick - due to its second-rate sampling of "Silence of the Lambs" and "The Vanishing" plotlines as well as 1970ish NYC copper chase-scenes and location-shoots.

    Act I ends with kidnapper Brody in a police station sweatbox aft... read moreer his poorly conceived ransom pick-up and a wimpy car-chase down Park Avenue and the roadways orbiting Grand Central Station.

    Then it's copper Tierney and Brody playing out their extended interrogation headgame. Tierney, the sexual masochist, and sadistic Brody find each other emotionally and intellectually bonding during her gaming for the location of Brody's buried-alive, time-running-out victim.

    Technically speaking, Act III does deliver some plot twists, but lowered expectations regarding such are well advised.

    Also, viewers shouldn't expect much in the way of true sexual content out of Tierney, this being made-for-late-night Cinemax stuff. Rather, it's implied through Tierney's cigarette burn-marks, whimpering semi-submissive phone calls and such.

    Tierney here delivers a mildly titillating and otherwise uninteresting characterization; Brody's got his toes right up on the edge of the fine-line defining ham.

    This could have actually been a more interesting, more enduring product - with stronger dialogue, acting and chase choreography.

    RECOMMENDATION: Lifetime coughed this puppy up one summer Saturday afternoon, making it the best basic cable cinema available at the moment; recommended to others only under similar circumstance.
  • jam233
    January 2, 2010
    jam233
    An excellent "sit on the edge of your seat" thriller, very exciting, always engrossing. Good performances from all, especially Adrien Brody. He plays a sadistic killer incredibly well. Some truly horrifying scenes, a great film.
  • StaisilD
    December 21, 2008
    StaisilD
    Poughskeepie police detective Madeline Foster is assigned to a case where kidnappers have abducted the wife of wealthy Clark Hannon and buried her in a coffin in the woods and are demanding a million dollar ransom before the 24 hours of oxygen she has left runs out. The police su... read morecceed in apprehending Harry, the leader of the operation. But he proves a criminal genius who manipulates the police and FBI in a series of games. He becomes fascinated with Madeline, being drawn to her sexual masochism, and insists that he will tell only her where the body is buried.

    Full review coming soon
  • elektrikstar
    July 8, 2007
    elektrikstar
    A VERY good movie, yet not well-known. Brody proves his acting range in this one as a psychotic killer out for a good laugh. Very gripping, in my personal opinion and I recommend it.

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Critic Reviews

Michael Dequina
October 23, 2006
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com

Tierney definitely has what it takes to carry a film; it's unfortunate that this vehicle doesn't give her much of substance to carry. Full Review

Clint Morris
March 31, 2005
Clint Morris, Moviehole

A well-performed, well-written edge of the seat thriller

Dennis Schwartz
January 1, 2000
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Brody gives the performance of his career, so far. Full Review

Owen Gleiberman
September 7, 2011
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

Click to read the article Full Review

January 1, 2011
Entertainment Weekly

Click to read the article Full Review

Ken Eisner
June 17, 2008
Ken Eisner, Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Kevin Thomas
August 15, 2002
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Lawrence Van Gelder
January 1, 2000
Lawrence Van Gelder, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Amy Taubin
January 1, 2000
Amy Taubin, Village Voice

Click to read the article Full Review

Emanuel Levy
September 3, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

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Oxygen Trivia

  • In the movie Apollo 13, what was the name of the main alarm that went off when the oxygen tanks exploded?  Answer »
  • Which actor became high on oxygen in the film Blue Velvet?  Answer »
  • Tag line : One breath of oxygen and it explodes in a deadly rage. Name what movie this is from.  Answer »
  • What film had this tag line : One breath of Oxygen and it explodes in a deadly rage ?  Answer »
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