5 Best Single-Location Thrillers

While many films rest on multiple exotic locations and big set-pieces, some of the best thrillers in recent years are those which stick to a simple premise, and use the setting itself as part of the thrill. We love a good situational thriller, so, we’ve rounded up some of the must-watch single-location rollercoasters to keep your palms sweaty and heart rate up.

Phone Booth

2002 psychological thriller Phone booth sounded like a ridiculous premise on paper, but it turned out to be one of the most captivating thrillers of the last two decades. Starring Colin Farrell, Phone booth sees a man being blackmailed and having to repent for some bad behaviour after answering a random payphone in New York City. The catch is that Farrell’s character Stuart is not only being watched by the mysterious caller, but also happens to have a sniper rifle pointed right at him. Seeing how Stuart has to try and get his way out of the circumstance without raising suspicion under the watchful eye of his captor is thrilling and makes for one of the best single-location films in quite some time.

The Shallows

2016’s The Shallows, which stars Blake Lively as a surfer who finds herself trapped on a rock while trying to evade a Great White Shark, is one of the better modern shark movies that also makes great use of its environmentally-hazardous location. Having to make the most of the limited tools she has, along with the rising tide inevitably going to allow the shark to reach her, The Shallows keeps you guessing from beginning to end with the ticking clock in the form of a giant apex predator reminding you that there’s always terror beneath the surface.

Buried

Ryan Reynolds gets a lot of praise for his comedic efforts, but the Canadian actor showed a far more serious and anxiety-inducing side with his 2010 thriller, Buried. Playing a man who wakes up buried alive in a coffin, he must use the few items in his pockets to try and secure his survival before running out of air. For anyone with a fear of small spaces, it’s a tough watch, but for those who can handle some confinement, it’s an intriguing ride.

Devil

Signs and The Village director M. Night Shyamalan’s own films get a lot of attention, but some of the other films he has worked on do tend to slip under the radar. One of them is Devil, which was adapted from a Shyamalan script. The film revolves around five strangers who become trapped in an elevator with Lucifer himself, which results in a lot of close-quarters tension, paranoia, and some unexpected turns throughout the story. It’s not going to go down as a horror classic, but it’s one of the more creative single-location spins you’ll find.

Red Eye

Wes Craven’s Red Eye is an underrated psychological horror gem that takes place on a single plane. The film follows a hotel manager (Doctor Strange and Mean Girls‘ Rachel McAdams) who is ensnared in an assassination plot by a terrorist while aboard a red-eye flight to Miami. Cillian Murphy (Batman Begins, Sunshine) is a standout, playing the haunting yet deceivingly suave villain, and the film is a must-watch for anyone who enjoys being on the edge of their (plane) seat.