A Glean movie guide
High-Tension: Movies That Induce Pure Anxiety
Don't forget to breathe.
From relentless pacing to claustrophobic dread, these films never let you catch your breath.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Uncut Gems
A relentless, chaotic descent into high-stakes gambling where the noise and tension never stop.
A charismatic New York City jeweler always on the lookout for the next big score makes a series of high-stakes bets that could lead to the windfall of a lifetime. Howard must perform a precarious high-wire act, balancing business, family, and encroaching adversaries on all sides in his relentless pursuit of the ultimate win.
- 02
Whiplash
An intense exploration of perfectionism fueled by extreme psychological pressure and verbal abuse.
Under the direction of a ruthless instructor, a talented young drummer begins to pursue perfection at any cost, even his humanity.
- 03
Shiva Baby
A masterclass in social anxiety that uses horror-inspired sound design to turn a funeral into a pressure cooker.
College student Danielle must cover her tracks when she unexpectedly runs into her sugar daddy at a shiva - with her parents, ex-girlfriend and family friends also in attendance.
- 04
Boiling Point
A single-take look at the high-pressure world of professional kitchens during a restaurant's breaking point.
A head chef balances multiple personal and professional crises at a popular restaurant in London.
- 05
Good Time
A frantic, neon-soaked race through the underworld that escalates with every desperate decision.
After a botched bank robbery lands his younger brother in prison, Connie Nikas embarks on a twisted odyssey through New York City's underworld to get his brother Nick out of jail.
- 06
Buried
A terrifyingly claustrophobic thriller that traps you inside a coffin for a desperate, real-time survival mission.
As an American civilian truck driver working in Iraq, Paul Conroy's convoy is attacked by a group of Iraqi insurgents. Some time later, Paul awakes in a coffin with only a lighter, a cell phone, and his ever-growing anxiety. Faced with a dwindling oxygen supply and a dying battery, he must fight panic, despair, and delirium as he races against time to escape the claustrophobic death trap.
- 07
Green Room
A visceral, high-stakes survival story where a punk band is trapped in a room by a group of violent extremists.
A punk rock band is forced to fight for survival after witnessing an act of violence at a skinhead bar.
- 08
Victoria
Filmed in one continuous shot, this real-time heist movie transforms a night out into a breathless nightmare.
A young Spanish woman who has newly moved to Berlin finds her flirtation with a local guy turn potentially deadly as their night out with his friends reveals a dangerous secret.
- 09
Don't Breathe
A suspenseful game of cat-and-mouse where the slightest sound could mean the difference between life and death.
A group of teens break into a blind man's home thinking they'll get away with the perfect crime. They're wrong.
- 10
Krisha
An intimate, experimental drama that uses disorienting camera work to mirror a woman's internal spiral.
When Krisha returns to her estranged family for Thanksgiving dinner, past demons threaten to ruin the festivities.
- 11
Fall
A dizzying, high-altitude thriller that weaponizes the fear of heights to create constant physical unease.
For best friends Becky and Hunter, life is all about conquering fears and pushing limits. But after they climb 2,000 feet to the top of a remote, abandoned radio tower, they find themselves stranded with no way down. Now Becky and Hunter's expert climbing skills will be put to the ultimate test as they desperately fight to survive the elements, a lack of supplies, and vertigo-inducing heights.
- 12
Compliance
A deeply uncomfortable look at the abuse of authority that builds unbearable tension in a confined back office.
On a particularly busy day at a suburban Ohio fast food restaurant, manager Sandra receives a phone call from a police officer saying that an employee has stolen money from a customer.