The other week, I asked all of you what your worst fears were, while highlighting a few of my own. One of my biggest fears is cleithrophobia, which is the fear of being trapped or locked in an enclosed space, thereby causing restricted movement. I always thought I was claustrophobic, but this is a much more distinct fear. I can handle small spaces like elevators and small rooms, but when the space is so small that I am unable to move my arms freely, I have a panic attack. Sometimes, even watching someone trapped in an enclosed space causes my heart to race and my head to spin. The films on the following list are scenes that have actually caused me to turn away from the screen.
The Descent – Stuck Between a Rock and….Another Rock
The scene where Sarah gets stuck in the extremely narrow tunnel before the cave-in is one of the most traumatizing scenes for anyone who doesn’t like small spaces. Her arms are unable to move and she begins to panic, which is exactly what I would do in this situation.
Thir13en Ghosts/Saw V – Wall Splat
These two take the same spot on this list because they’re basically the same scene, though Saw V took it to a much gorier route when Luke from Gilmore Girls Scott Patterson get’s crushed between two glass walls. The idea of walls closing in on you, knowing there is nothing you can do to prevent your imminent death, is absolutely terrifying.
Buried – The Whole Damn Thing
If you have cleithrophobia, don’t watch Buried. The whole movie takes place inside a coffin. To make matters worse, there is a scene where a snake gets in there with him, so if you happened to catch Buried in theaters and have cleithrophobia and ophidiophobia, you probably didn’t have the best experience.
Aliens – Bishop In the Tunnel
This scene isn’t particularly memorable, but there’s something about the way Cameron frames the shot of Bishop crawling through the piping conduit (for hundreds of meters)
Do any of you also suffer from cleithrophobia? What are some movie scenes that had you sweating bullets? Let me know in the comments below or shoot me a Tweet!
