an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

I'm often asked why I waste my time watching independent films. It's true, that many of them are a complete waste of time, but what I really enjoy about them is that it gives people the freedom to do what they want, without Hollywood turning it into something it's not, and occasionally, I find a movie like Oxygen. This film was just your ordinary story of the police fighting against the clock and an insane criminal, who gets off on messing with them. It had a few twists here and there, but in general it was a very basic story, however what I did focus my attention on was the cast. Being that it's an independent film, two performers who I really enjoy watching, got to step away from their usual roles and try something different. Maura Tierney is usually cast as the emotionless girl with a troubled past, but in Oxygen, she's this crazy, self-loathing, tough as nails cop, who wears her emotions on her sleeve. She's opposed by Adrien Brody who usually plays the sweet, good-looking, exotic stranger, but not this time. In this film, Brody is a deranged psychopath who will do anything and everything to get what he wants. The dynamic and chemistry were both fantastic and I loved seeing two actors, that I know very well, step away from their usual roles and work on something different. If I hadn't seen both stars in a ton of things prior to this, I may not have been as entertained by this film, as the story is common, and very little is unpredictable, however the performances were tremendous and Tiereny and Brody compliment each other perfectly.

Maura Tierney plays a tough New York cop with a secret life — she drinks too much and, though married, has a secret lover who burns her with cigarettes. Adrien Brody plays a sick pup of a kidnapper who has grabbed a middle-aged socialite and put her in an airless underground box to speed up the ransom. Oh, and he thinks he's some kind of reincarnation of Harry Houdini.Thus begins "Oxygen," a low budget made-for-Cinemax thriller that, I think, far exceeds expectations. First of all, Tierney, who very much reminds me of Lily Taylor, and Brody, who is impossibly young here, don't just chew up the scenery. They own this movie and make it their b*tch.At first, I was worried the movie would cave and ....MAJOR SPOILER... reveal that the husband was in on the snatch. Not.END OF SPOILERThis movie has bigger fish to fry and I was totally gratified that it went down dark places where cop and kidnapper realized that, on some level, they shared certain things. The two have a late scene in an interrogation room where they deliver volcanic performances.But once this psycho-thriller stuff is set aside, the movie comes to a swift ending. But right up to the end, you cannot predict what's coming next. Magicians, like Houdini, have things up their sleeve.Some terrific set pieces include a foot chase through a subway train in Steadi-Cam and a car chase in downtown NYC that is, though modest by "French Connection" standards, is still pretty ill.And, of course, there's the gritty and atmospheric NYC backdrop. The Twin Towers still stood tall when this came out in 1999.

Adrian Brody gives a very creepy tone to "Oxygen", which is a good thing. Maura Tierney is credible as a tormented cop. The screenplay about an ego driven kidnapper who idolizes Harry Houdini is different and intriguing. His ability to manipulate and outsmart the police and F.B.I. keeps things interesting and for about the first 75 minutes almost everything seems believable. Towards the end and especially with the ending, logic is completely suspended, the plot becomes contrived, and the audience is left with a preposterous conclusion. It is a real shame that "Oxygen" ends so badly, because the movie is highly watchable up until the wheels come off. - MERK

With a compelling cast and half decent screenplay this film had potential. The low budget didn't help. The cheezy cinematography didn't help. But it was the ending. The ending. Oh god, the ending. What a letdown. I give a lot of credit to Richard Shephard. He will make good films sometime soon. But what a crappy ending. As is the problem with most good thrillers, the villain is more likable than the hero. With everything so meticulously planned out, how could he not foresee the conclusion.Garbage.Again, I can only hope for better in the future from Mr. Shephard.Especially better endings.