Chamber Dramas
by IronDuck24 | created - 14 Feb 2020 | updated - 2 weeks ago | PublicWhat is a 'chamber drama'? Googling the term won't return a great deal of clear-cut information about this sub-genre of movie, nor a comprehensive list of examples. It's a shame, because I don't know anyone who doesn't appreciate the feelings of captivation, exciting tension and investment that the best ones offer their respective audience.
A chamber drama is essentially characterised by having one or a few characters confined to a small-to-medium-sized space or location for an extended period. Often driven by dialogue, tension and mystery, they typically explore the intriguing and in-depth interplay between several personalities (if not the pursuit of a solo individual) whilst tackling a core dilemma. They capture a moment and explore it in detail. Their sense of confinement magnifies the intensity and focus of the plot.
Quentin Tarantino brought the phrase chamber drama under the spotlight in 2018 when he released The Hateful Eight, a particularly elaborate example of one - and not the only one he's made! Here I present to you a selection of, in my opinion, the finest, most gripping and most entertaining examples of the format.
The movies on this list vary in how spatially confined they are. Many of these movies are entirely set in a single location. Others, whilst predominantly confined in this way too, feature some minimal deviation. Some take place in very small spaces (i.e., a room, a car, a coffin); others, a little more extended (i.e., a ship, a complex, a building). As such, for each movie, I have provided a rating of just how "chamber-y" they are, per these characteristics! (List order is random)
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Locke (2013)
R | 85 min | Drama
Ivan Locke, a dedicated family man and successful construction manager, receives a phone call on the eve of the biggest challenge of his career that sets in motion a series of events that threaten his carefully cultivated existence.
Director: Steven Knight | Stars: Tom Hardy, Olivia Colman, Ruth Wilson, Andrew Scott
Votes: 159,615 | Gross: $1.36M
Overall Score: 8/10
In A Word: Exceptional
Chamber Level: 4/4
2. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
R | 99 min | Crime, Thriller
When a simple jewelry heist goes horribly wrong, the surviving criminals begin to suspect that one of them is a police informant.
Director: Quentin Tarantino | Stars: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn
Votes: 1,088,589 | Gross: $2.83M
Overall Score: 9/10
In A Word: Classic
Chamber Level: 2.5/4
3. 12 Angry Men (1957)
Approved | 96 min | Crime, Drama
The jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam, John Fiedler
Votes: 865,522 | Gross: $4.36M
Overall Score: 9.5/10
In A Word: Legendary
Chamber Level: 4/4
4. Buried (2010)
R | 95 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Paul is a U.S. truck driver working in Iraq. After an attack by a group of Iraqis he wakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it's a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap.
Director: Rodrigo Cortés | Stars: Ryan Reynolds, José Luis García-Pérez, Robert Paterson, Stephen Tobolowsky
Votes: 168,562 | Gross: $1.03M
Overall Score: 7/10
In A Word: Compelling
Chamber Level: 4/4
5. Trapped (XVII) (2016)
Not Rated | 105 min | Drama, Thriller
A man struggles to survive after he unintentionally locks himself up in a high rise devoid of food, water and electricity.
Director: Vikramaditya Motwane | Stars: Rajkummar Rao, Geetanjali Thapa, Shiladitya Sen, Rahul Patel
Votes: 13,689
Overall Score: 7/10
In A Word: Desperation
Chamber Level: 3/4
6. Panic Room (2002)
R | 112 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A divorced woman and her diabetic daughter take refuge in their newly-purchased house's safe room when three men break-in, searching for a missing fortune.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, Forest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakam
Votes: 296,986 | Gross: $96.40M
Overall Score: 8/10
In A Word: Captivating
Chamber Level: 3.5/4
7. The Hateful Eight (2015)
R | 168 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
In the dead of a Wyoming winter, a bounty hunter and his prisoner find shelter in a cabin currently inhabited by a collection of nefarious characters.
Director: Quentin Tarantino | Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins
Votes: 660,118 | Gross: $54.12M
Overall Score: 7.5/10
In A Word: Outstanding
Chamber Level: 3.5/4
8. The Man from Earth (2007)
Not Rated | 87 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
An impromptu goodbye party for Professor John Oldman becomes a mysterious interrogation after the retiring scholar reveals to his colleagues he has a longer and stranger past than they can imagine.
Director: Richard Schenkman | Stars: David Lee Smith, Tony Todd, John Billingsley, Ellen Crawford
Votes: 200,244
Overall Score: 8/10
In A Word: Enthralling
Chamber Level: 4/4
9. The Sunset Limited (2011 TV Movie)
TV-MA | 91 min | Drama
Through a chance encounter, two men of opposing ideologies deliberate spiritual, philosophical, and profound matters in a New York City apartment.
Director: Tommy Lee Jones | Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Tommy Lee Jones
Votes: 31,850
Overall Score: 7.5/10
In A Word: Philosophical
Chamber Level: 4/4
10. Unknown (I) (2006)
Not Rated | 85 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Five men wake up in a locked-down warehouse with no memory of who they are. They are forced to figure out who is good and who is bad to stay alive.
Director: Simon Brand | Stars: Jim Caviezel, Greg Kinnear, Bridget Moynahan, Joe Pantoliano
Votes: 31,467 | Gross: $0.14M
Overall Score: 6/10
In A Word: Engaging
Chamber Level: 3/4
11. Cube (1997)
R | 90 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A group of strangers awaken to find themselves placed in a giant cube. Each one of them is gifted with a special skill and they must work together to escape an endless maze of deadly traps.
Director: Vincenzo Natali | Stars: Nicole de Boer, Maurice Dean Wint, David Hewlett, Andrew Miller
Votes: 247,697 | Gross: $0.50M
Overall Score: 7/10
In A Word: Thrilling
Chamber Level: 4/4
12. Phone Booth (2002)
R | 81 min | Crime, Thriller
Publicist Stuart Shepard finds himself trapped in a phone booth, pinned down by an extortionist's sniper rifle. Unable to leave or receive outside help, Stuart's negotiation with the caller leads to a jaw-dropping climax.
Director: Joel Schumacher | Stars: Colin Farrell, Kiefer Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, Radha Mitchell
Votes: 285,850 | Gross: $46.57M
Overall Score: 8/10
In A Word: Nail-biting
Chamber Level: 4/4
13. Saw (2004)
R | 103 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Two strangers awaken in a room with no recollection of how they got there, and soon discover they're pawns in a deadly game perpetrated by a notorious serial killer.
Director: James Wan | Stars: Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Danny Glover, Ken Leung
Votes: 466,886 | Gross: $56.00M
Overall Score: 8/10
In A Word: Iconic
Chamber Level: 4/4
14. Saw II (2005)
R | 93 min | Horror, Mystery
A detective and his team must rescue 8 people trapped in a factory by the twisted serial killer known as Jigsaw.
Director: Darren Lynn Bousman | Stars: Donnie Wahlberg, Beverley Mitchell, Franky G, Emmanuelle Vaugier
Votes: 276,517 | Gross: $87.04M
Overall Score: 7/10
In A Word: Absorbing
Chamber Level: 3/4
15. The Shining (1980)
R | 146 min | Drama, Horror
A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where a sinister presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from both past and future.
Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers
Votes: 1,107,168 | Gross: $44.02M
Overall Score: 8/10
In A Word: Chilling
Chamber Level: 2.5/4
16. Clue (1985)
PG | 94 min | Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Six guests are anonymously invited to a strange mansion for dinner, but after their host is killed, they must cooperate with the staff to identify the murderer as the bodies pile up.
Director: Jonathan Lynn | Stars: Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd
Votes: 109,355 | Gross: $14.64M
Overall Score: 7/10
In A Word: Entertaining
Chamber Level: 3/4
17. Tape (2001)
R | 86 min | Drama
Three old high school friends meet in a Michigan motel room to dissect painful memories from their past.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, Uma Thurman
Votes: 21,137 | Gross: $0.49M
Overall Score: 7/10
In A Word: Gripping
Chamber Level: 4/4
18. Dial M for Murder (1954)
PG | 105 min | Crime, Thriller
A former tennis star arranges the murder of his adulterous wife.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock | Stars: Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings, John Williams
Votes: 188,871 | Gross: $0.01M
Overall Score: 8/10
In A Word: Puzzling
Chamber Level: 4/4
19. Rear Window (1954)
PG | 112 min | Mystery, Thriller
A wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his Greenwich Village courtyard apartment window and, despite the skepticism of his fashion-model girlfriend, becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock | Stars: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Thelma Ritter
Votes: 522,242 | Gross: $36.76M
20. Hard Candy (2005)
R | 104 min | Drama, Thriller
Hayley's a smart, charming teenage girl. Jeff's a handsome, smooth fashion photographer. An Internet chat, a coffee shop meet-up, an impromptu fashion shoot back at Jeff's place. Jeff thinks it's his lucky night. He's in for a surprise.
Director: David Slade | Stars: Patrick Wilson, Elliot Page, Sandra Oh, Odessa Rae
Votes: 168,118 | Gross: $1.01M
Overall Score: 6.5/10
In A Word: Distressing
Chamber Level: 3/4
21. Exam (2009)
Not Rated | 101 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Eight candidates for a highly desirable corporate job are locked together in an exam room and given a final test with just one seemingly simple question. However, it doesn't take long for confusion to ensue and tensions to unravel.
Director: Stuart Hazeldine | Stars: Adar Beck, Gemma Chan, Nathalie Cox, John Lloyd Fillingham
Votes: 125,342
Overall Score: 6.5/10
In A Word: Entrancing
Chamber Level: 4/4
22. Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
R | 141 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
1969. Four strangers check in at the El Royale Hotel. The hotel is deserted, staffed by a single desk clerk. Some of the new guests' reasons for being there are less than innocent and some are not who they appear to be.
Director: Drew Goddard | Stars: Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm
Votes: 164,685 | Gross: $17.84M
Overall Score: 8/10
In A Word: Exhilarating
Chamber Level: 2/4
23. Identity (2003)
R | 90 min | Mystery, Thriller
Stranded at a desolate Nevada motel during a nasty rain storm, ten strangers become acquainted with each other when they realize that they're being killed off one by one.
Director: James Mangold | Stars: John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, John Hawkes
Votes: 267,310 | Gross: $52.16M
Overall Score: 7/10
In A Word: Intriguing
Chamber Level: 2.5/4
24. Carnage (2011)
R | 80 min | Comedy, Drama
Two pairs of parents hold a cordial meeting after their sons are involved in a fight, though as their time together progresses, increasingly childish behavior throws the discussion into chaos.
Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, John C. Reilly
Votes: 133,042 | Gross: $2.55M
Overall Score: 7/10
In A Word: Relentless
Chamber Level: 4/4
25. Hush (I) (2016)
R | 82 min | Horror, Thriller
A deaf and mute writer who retreated into the woods to live a solitary life must fight for her life in silence when a masked killer appears at her window.
Director: Mike Flanagan | Stars: John Gallagher Jr., Kate Siegel, Michael Trucco, Samantha Sloyan
Votes: 153,825
Overall Score: 7/10
In A Word: Tense
Chamber Level: 3/4
26. The Method (2005)
115 min | Drama, Thriller
7 Spanish top corporate job candidates are left in a room and informed on computer screens about their tasks and that one of them is an observer. Let the psyching begin.
Director: Marcelo Piñeyro | Stars: Eduardo Noriega, Najwa Nimri, Eduard Fernández, Pablo Echarri
Votes: 12,165 | Gross: $0.01M
Overall Score: 7/10
In A Word: Arresting
Chamber Level: 4/4
27. Fermat's Room (2007)
Not Rated | 89 min | Mystery, Thriller
4 mathematicians are invited to solve an enigma. Once there, they're locked in a mechanically shrinking room and given 1 minute to solve each puzzle via cellphone while also figuring out why they're there.
Directors: Luis Piedrahita, Rodrigo Sopeña | Stars: Alejo Sauras, Elena Ballesteros, Lluís Homar, Santi Millán
Votes: 22,814
28. Rope (1948)
Approved | 80 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Two men attempt to prove they committed the perfect crime by hosting a dinner party after strangling their former classmate to death.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock | Stars: James Stewart, John Dall, Farley Granger, Dick Hogan
Votes: 153,708
Overall Score: 8/10
In A Word: Riveting
Chamber Level: 4/4
29. The Platform (2019)
TV-MA | 94 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A vertical prison with one cell per level. Two people per cell. Only one food platform and two minutes per day to feed. An endless nightmare trapped in The Hole.
Director: Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia | Stars: Ivan Massagué, Zorion Eguileor, Antonia San Juan, Emilio Buale
Votes: 272,712
Overall Score: 8/10
In A Word: Allegorical
Chamber Level: 4/4
30. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
R | 125 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Three amateur bank robbers plan to hold up a bank. A nice simple robbery: Walk in, take the money, and run. Unfortunately, the supposedly uncomplicated heist suddenly becomes a bizarre nightmare as everything that could go wrong does.
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Al Pacino, John Cazale, Penelope Allen, Sully Boyar
Votes: 273,137 | Gross: $50.00M
Overall score: 7.5/10
In A Word: Engrossing
Chamber Level: 3/4
31. Captain Phillips (2013)
PG-13 | 134 min | Action, Biography, Crime
The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the U.S.-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.
Director: Paul Greengrass | Stars: Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Catherine Keener
Votes: 492,802 | Gross: $107.10M
Overall Score: 7.5/10
In A Word: Unsettling
Chamber Level: 2/4
32. 1408 (2007)
PG-13 | 104 min | Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
A man who specialises in debunking paranormal occurrences checks into the fabled room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel. Soon after settling in, he confronts genuine terror.
Director: Mikael Håfström | Stars: John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McCormack, Tony Shalhoub
Votes: 294,271 | Gross: $71.99M
Overall Score: 7/10
In A Word: Disquieting
Chamber Level: 2.5/4
33. Devil (2010)
PG-13 | 80 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A group of people are trapped in an elevator and the Devil is mysteriously amongst them.
Director: John Erick Dowdle | Stars: Chris Messina, Caroline Dhavernas, Bokeem Woodbine, Logan Marshall-Green
Votes: 156,995 | Gross: $33.58M
Overall Score: 6.5/10
In A Word: Gratifying
Chamber Level: 2.5/4
34. The Breakfast Club (1985)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Drama
Five high school students meet in Saturday detention and discover how they have a great deal more in common than they thought.
Director: John Hughes | Stars: Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy
Votes: 436,698 | Gross: $45.88M
Overall Score: 8/10
In A Word: Profound
Chamber Level: 3/4
35. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)
R | 94 min | Drama, Music
Tensions rise when trailblazing blues singer Ma Rainey and her band gather at a recording studio in Chicago in 1927.
Director: George C. Wolfe | Stars: Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo
Votes: 57,949
Overall Score: 7/10
In A Word: Spellbinding
Chamber Level: 1.5/4
36. REC (2007)
R | 78 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A television reporter and cameraman follow emergency workers into a dark apartment building and are quickly locked inside with something terrifying.
Directors: Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza | Stars: Manuela Velasco, Ferran Terraza, Jorge-Yamam Serrano, Pablo Rosso
Votes: 196,776
Overall Score: 7.5/10
In A Word: High-octane
Chamber Level: 2.5/4
37. Ten Little Indians (1987)
137 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A psychological thriller based on the novel by Agatha Christie. Ten strangers are forced to come face to face with their dark pasts after receiving invitation to an isolated island off the coast of England.
Director: Stanislav Govorukhin | Stars: Vladimir Zeldin, Tatyana Drubich, Aleksandr Kaydanovskiy, Aleksey Zharkov
Votes: 3,115
Overall Score: 7.5/10
In A Word: Stirring
Chamber Level: 2/4
38. Inside (2007)
R | 82 min | Horror
Four months after the death of her husband, a woman on the brink of motherhood is tormented in her home by a strange woman who wants her unborn baby.
Directors: Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury | Stars: Alysson Paradis, Jean-Baptiste Tabourin, Claude Lulé, Dominique Frot
Votes: 44,715
Overall Score: 7/10
In A Word: Traumatic
Chamber Level: 3.5/4
39. Blood Red Sky (2021)
TV-MA | 121 min | Action, Drama, Horror
A woman with a mysterious illness is forced into action when a group of terrorists attempt to hijack a transatlantic overnight flight.
Director: Peter Thorwarth | Stars: Peri Baumeister, Carl Anton Koch, Alexander Scheer, Kais Setti
Votes: 54,724
Overall Score: 6/10
In A Word: Immersive
Chamber Level: 3/4
40. Coherence (2013)
Not Rated | 89 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Strange things begin to happen when a group of friends gather for a dinner party on an evening when a comet is passing overhead.
Director: James Ward Byrkit | Stars: Emily Baldoni, Maury Sterling, Nicholas Brendon, Elizabeth Gracen
Votes: 146,163 | Gross: $0.07M
Tell Your Friends