The Abyss
The ocean is strange, as it’s a massive place that can still manage to make you feel trapped and claustrophobic. No movie has moments that capture that better than The Abyss (though Sanctum is a nice B grade version).
The Abyss is director James Cameron RIGHT BEFORE he became the sort of “Michael Bay James Cameron” he is now. Seriously, there are scenes in The Abyss that are a claustrophobe’s worst nightmare. I mean, even the masks they wear fill up with water. That is like claustrophobia squared.
But the kicker was the scene when Lindsey drowns willingly so that Bud can survive and bring her up to the platform where there is a chance he can bring her back to life with a tense, but cheesy CPR scene. Though the ending goes idealistic on us (which is a running theme of most American movies), the actual drowning scene is up there for the best “I can’t breathe while watching this” moments in cinema.
You know what, enough talk though, how about I just end this article with the scene and fuck everyone up (especially those of you who are claustrophobic)?