We're all spending a lot more time indoors than usual, so why not use our extra time to indulge in some movies? There are a ton of good films worth watching right now, but the 20 we've listed here may hit a little closer to home these days. That's because they're all movies about being trapped in a house. As Logic once asked in his popular song, "Who can relate?" Well, all of us.
Our situations may seem pretty rough these days, but these films may actually make us feel better. After all, at least we're not trapped inside with ghosts, killers, killer ghosts, or killer alligators (yeah, that's the plot of one movie). It's all about perspective, right? Plus, some of our favorite actors like Milo Ventimiglia, Dylan Minnette, Brie Larson, and more are in these movies.
The "trapped in a house" genre is most often used by horror movies, which is expected. One way to heighten the scare factor in a film is to trap the characters with the thing they're trying to escape. But not every movie on this list is categorized as horror. There's also a PG-rated murder mystery that take place in a mysterious mansion and a classic thriller about people-watching through the house windows, which is basically all we can do these days.
In addition to making things extra creepy, another benefit (for movie producers) of trapping people in a home is that it only requires one set. Movie budgets can stretch pretty high and multiple locations just build on that cost. One of the films on this list, Paranormal Activity, was produced for just $15,000 thanks to its one-house set. It went on to make almost $200 million at the box office, so that's quite a profit.
So whether we intentionally want to relate to these movies or we're just looking for a way to make our own situations seem a little better, check out these 20 terrifying movies about being trapped now.
'Room'
Based on the book of the same name, Room tells the story of a young girl who is kidnapped as a teen and locked in a small storage shed. Eventually, she gives birth to a child and raises him in captivity for years. To avoid her son knowing that there's a whole world out there that he's missing, the mom tells him everything he sees on TV is made up and that the world is really made up of just their tiny room.
'The Divide'
Gilmore Girls actor Milo Ventimiglia stars in this film about a nuclear attack that forces nine strangers to camp out in the basement of their NYC apartment building. Trapped and unable to resurface, they have to make dwindling supplies last even as tempers rise. Soon, the real threat may not even be the nuclear fallout above ground — it may be them slowly turning on one another.
'Rear Window'
This Alfred Hitchcock film takes place entirely through the lens of a photographer's camera. Played by Jimmy Stewart, Jeff is recovering from a broken leg and is unable to leave his apartment — so he spends all day watching his neighbors through their open windows with his long lens camera. While people-watching, he believes he's witnessed a murder. Soon, his discovery may land him in danger as well.
'Clue'
Has anyone else found themselves playing the board game Clue now that we're at home more? Check out the movie version as well. The story stars all the players from the game as they attend a dinner party at a mansion that soon turns into a murder mystery. Everyone's a suspect, and no one knows whom to trust — which makes it fun for the audience to try to solve as well.
'Panic Room'
Our houses and apartments may seem small these days, but Jodie Foster and young Kristen Stewart's characters had it worse when they became trapped in a small panic room in their New York apartment during a break-in. But what was designed to protect Meg and her daughter may be their undoing, because what the intruders really want lies inside the very panic room they're hiding in. Makes us glad to have a bit more square footage right about now.
'Paranormal Activity'
And at least our home doesn't have ghosts and evil spirits all around us! Paranormal Activity's found footage filming style makes the house its inhabitants are trapped in feel even creepier. It really feels like this might have happened and we're just watching a documentary about it. Maybe watching this right now will make us feel better about our own situation? It could be worse, apparently.
'What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?'
This classic thriller stars iconic actresses Bette Davis and Joan Crawford as sisters living in a dilapidated mansion. Blanche was previously injured in an accident and uses a wheelchair now, which limits her mobility even around her own house. Meanwhile, her caregiver Jane is plotting to get rid of her sister for good in order to attempt to reclaim the fame she once had as a child.
'House on Haunted Hill' (1999)
When an eccentric rich man offers strangers a million dollars just to stay in an abandoned building for the night, several people jump at the chance to make some quick cash. But the building turns out to be haunted and soon everyone fears for their life — including the millionaire and his wife who accidentally get trapped with the others. Forget the million dollars, the real prize may be making it to the morning.
'Night of the Living Dead' (1990)
To escape from a zombie apocalypse, a small group of human survivors barricade themselves in a farmhouse. But as in The Divide, sometimes the biggest threat isn't what's outside. As the zombies get closer, tensions rise among the group inside the house. They all have differing ideas of how to escape, and their argumentative attitude may be their true undoing after all — not the zombies.
'Saw II'
In this follow-up to the popular horror movie, eight people are trapped in an abandoned house about to fall prey to Jigsaw's sadistic torture games. Their only possible saving grace for escape is that Detective Eric Matthews is on the hunt to save them — since his son is one of the eight people trapped in the house. To add to the stress of the situation, the house contains deadly nerve gas which could overcome the hostages at any moment. Every second counts when they're attempting to escape.
'Quarantine'
This fittingly titled film stars Jennifer Carpenter of Dexter fame. She plays a reporter who gets trapped in a Los Angeles apartment building while working on a story. When the CDC seals the building from the outside, she learns that they might not be sheltering from a threat outside, but rather one from within. Her fears are confirmed when a rabid old woman suddenly attacks them, and that's just the beginning.
'The Strangers'
A couple books a relaxing weekend away at a vacation home that soon turns into their worst nightmare. Three masked intruders enter the home, trap the couple inside, and attempt to torture them. This movie is based in part on the true story of the Sharon Tate Manson Family murders, because the director always wondered what it must have been like for Sharon and her house guests to not know who their attackers were or why it was happening.
'Wolves at the Door'
Speaking of the Manson family, this movie is also based on the Sharon Tate murders carried out by the cult group. Two couples think they're going to have an elegant farewell party in their fancy house, but they're soon tormented and killed for no reason by Charles Manson's followers. It's a deadly case of mistaken identity and one of the most gruesome crimes in recent history.
'Silent House'
The Olsen twins' sister Elizabeth jump-started her acting career with this film. In it, she plays Sarah, who is renovating an old house with her dad and uncle. But when she gets separated from her family and trapped in the house with no electricity, she begins to panic. Unable to contact anyone on the outside, things go from bad to worse when ominous forces begin to surround her.
'Murder by Death'
This is an older movie (it came out in 1976), but it still holds up today — especially subject matter wise. In it, five detectives are invited to a dinner party at a castle and asked to solve a murder. Whoever cracks the supposedly unsolvable case wins a million dollars. But when someone else dies, too, the house guests begin to worry that they've been led to their doom inside this mysterious palace.
'Escape Room' (2019)
Wouldn't we all like to escape our rooms right about now? Good thing our rooms aren't quite as scary as the ones in this movie. The plot follows six strangers who partake in a multi-room escape room for a $10,000 prize. Soon after their adventure begins, they realize that the puzzles they're solving in each area of the house are literally life and death — and, despite the title, they may never escape.
'Crawl'
This is kind of the Sharknado of alligator movies. During a category 5 hurricane, Haley tries to rescue her dad from his home. But she soon finds herself trapped in the house as flood waters rise and bring along an even more dangerous threat: alligators. So if a hurricane, a flood, being trapped, and trying to save her dad weren't dangerous enough for Haley, she might also get eaten.
At least we don't have alligators.
'Don't Breathe'
13 Reasons Why fans will recognize actor Dylan Minnette in this horror movie. It follows a group of young thieves who decide that a blind man's house will be an easy target. But they soon realize that he's got his own set of tricks, and he's clearly just been waiting for someone to try something so that he could trap and torture them. It will take all they have to escape the home alive before they become the victims themselves.
'Hidden'
Big Little Lies actor Alexander Skarsgård stars in this disaster thriller/horror film. In it, a family is hiding out in an underground shelter to avoid an outbreak that's infected the humans above ground. But when the family accidentally signals to the outside world where they are, the deadly threat could come crashing in. In horror movies, even shelters designed to protect people aren't really safe.
'Sheltered'
It's a vacation gone wrong in this movie. A big storm threatens the safety of a group of tourists, so the local bartender offers them refuge in his home. But when they learn that there's a killer among them, and the storm continues to rage outside, they're left fighting for their lives inside the home with nowhere to escape to. Some vacation, huh? All of these movie plots make being in our own homes sound like a vacation in itself.
