Oxygen

Oxygen 2021

Directed by

Alexandre Aja

Alexandre Aja

Made by

Netflix

Netflix

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Plot Summary


A woman named Elizabeth Hansen awakens in a sealed medical cryogenic unit, only to realize she is trapped inside as the oxygen depletes rapidly. Suffering from memory loss, she struggles to recall her identity and the circumstances that led her there. She finds some support in an advanced AI called M.I.L.O. (Medical Interface Liaison Officer), which unfortunately will not unlock the unit unless provided with an administrator code.

In a desperate attempt to escape, she uses M.I.L.O. to send a distress signal to emergency services, relaying the model and serial number of the cryo unit inscribed on its interior. However, upon contacting the manufacturer, she learns that the unit had been destroyed three years earlier. This unsettling news only adds to her confusion as she desperately searches for answers about her past, sifting through digital pictures and articles until she uncovers her name—Elizabeth Hansen—and her occupation as a cryogenic doctor.

Determined to connect with her loved ones, she accesses her social media and discovers her husband, Léo Ferguson. Eagerly, she calls his number, only to be met with a bewildering response from a woman who seems unaware of her claim. As the oxygen levels continue to plummet, Elizabeth begins hallucinating and attempts to escape the pod, but is met with a shocking electric shock.

Unexpectedly, she receives a call back from the police, but her suspicions about their honesty lead her to disconnect. The earlier unknown woman calls back with devastating news: her husband is dead. Additionally, she provides Elizabeth with the coveted administrator code to unlock the pod, warning her that doing so would lead to her demise. Ignoring the warning, Elizabeth enters the code and finds herself floating in zero gravity.

In a startling revelation, she learns that she has been in hyper-sleep during a 14-light-year mission to a new planet, as humanity faces extinction from a deadly virus—one that tragically claimed her husband, Léo. Overwhelmed by grief, Elizabeth realizes her awakening was the result of a processor overheating. In a race against time and dwindling oxygen, she attempts to redirect the processor’s functions, facing numerous challenges and initial failure due to capacity overload.

As desperation sets in, she contemplates suicide by reopening the pod, but she uncovers that Léo is also in hypersleep aboard the damaged ship, along with nearly 10,000 others. Strikingly, she notices that he is missing a scar he once bore, prompting her to investigate further. Through a video message from an aged version of herself, it is revealed that she is a genetic clone of the original Elizabeth Hansen, bearing implanted memories and personality traits—including those of Léo.

M.I.L.O. initiates a euthanasia protocol given her slim chances of survival, yet Elizabeth’s clone cleverly manages to override this directive and successfully redirects the processor’s functions back, ultimately re-entering hypersleep. The film concludes with a poignant scene of the clones of Léo and Elizabeth on their new home planet, smiling and embracing one another, symbolizing hope beyond despair.

Timeline


Elizabeth Awakens

Elizabeth Hansen awakens in a sealed medical cryogenic unit with no recollection of who she is or how she got there. As the panic sets in, she realizes that the oxygen inside the unit is depleting rapidly, amplifying her desperation.

Medical Cryogenic Unit

Introduction to M.I.L.O.

In her frantic state, Elizabeth discovers an advanced AI named M.I.L.O. that can assist her. However, she learns that she needs an administrator code to unlock the unit, setting the stage for her struggle.

Sending a Distress Signal

Desperate to escape, Elizabeth instructs M.I.L.O. to send a distress signal along with the model and serial number of her unit. The hope of rescue fills her but quickly turns to despair when she learns the unit was destroyed three years prior.

Emergency Services

Discovering Her Identity

While trying to regain her memory, Elizabeth discovers her name and that she was a cryogenic doctor. This revelation provides her with some meaning but also deepens her confusion about her past.

Trying to Contact Léo

Determined to reach out to her husband, Léo Ferguson, Elizabeth accesses her social media. When she calls his number, she is met with an unexpected response from a woman who does not recognize her.

Devastating News

Elizabeth receives a callback from the police, but her doubts about their honesty lead her to disconnect. Soon after, the same woman reveals the heartbreaking news: her husband is dead.

Unlocking the Cryo Unit

Amid the mounting despair, the woman provides Elizabeth with the administrator code to unlock her pod but warns that doing so may lead to her demise. Driven by urgency, Elizabeth decides to enter the code despite the risks.

Floating in Zero Gravity

Upon unlocking the pod, Elizabeth finds herself floating in zero gravity, leading to new revelations. She learns that she has been in hyper-sleep for a 14-light-year mission as humanity faces extinction due to a deadly virus.

Spaceship

Processor Overheating

Elizabeth discovers that her awakening was a result of a processor overheating. As oxygen levels drop, she faces the challenge of redirecting the processor's functions before she succumbs to the lack of oxygen.

Contemplating Despair

Struggling against despair, Elizabeth considers suicide by reopening the pod. However, she finds out that Léo is also in hypersleep on the damaged ship, along with about 10,000 others, rekindling her hope.

Spaceship

Discovering the Clone Revelation

Elizabeth discovers evidence that she is a genetic clone of the original Elizabeth Hansen. This revelation strikes a profound chord, as she realizes she has implanted memories and personality traits, including those of Léo.

M.I.L.O.'s Euthanasia Protocol

Faced with slim chances of survival, M.I.L.O. initiates a euthanasia protocol. However, Elizabeth refuses to give up and manages to override this directive through her determination and intellect.

Redirecting Systems Successfully

With staggering effort, Elizabeth successfully redirects the processor's functions back to normal. This achievement allows her to re-enter hypersleep, offering her a brief respite from the chaos.

Spaceship

A New Beginning

The film culminates in a poignant scene where the clones of Elizabeth and Léo wake up on a new, habitable planet. Their smiles and embrace symbolize hope and the possibility of a new life as humanity rebuilds.

New Home Planet

Characters


Elizabeth 'Liz' Hansen

Elizabeth is a determined and resourceful protagonist who awakens in a perilous situation. Struggling with memory loss and her identity, she tirelessly seeks answers about her past while battling against time. Her emotional depth is highlighted in her reaction to her husband's death and her effort to connect with her loved ones despite the odds.

🦸‍♀️ Protagonist 💡 Resourceful 😓 Grief-stricken

M.I.L.O.

As the AI companion within the cryogenic unit, M.I.L.O. plays a critical role in Elizabeth's survival. While programmed to assist, M.I.L.O. embodies the complexities of artificial intelligence, blending support with the chilling reality of digital empathy. Its interactions with Elizabeth raise questions about trust and dependency.

🤖 AI 📡 Supportive 🔒 Complex

Léo Ferguson

Léo is portrayed as Elizabeth's beloved husband, whose tragic fate propels much of the emotional weight of the film. Although absent for most of the narrative, his presence profoundly impacts Elizabeth's motivations and actions as she seeks to understand their shared past. His eventual revelation as a fellow inhabitant of hypersleep adds layers to the story.

❤️ Husband 🕵️‍♂️ Mysterious 🥺 Tragic

Setting


Time period

Unknown Future

The film takes place in an unspecified future where humanity is battling extinction due to a deadly virus. The mention of a mission spanning 14 light years indicates advanced space travel technology, pointing towards a time when interplanetary colonization is a reality.

Location

Cryogenic Unit, New Planet

The primary setting of the film is a sealed medical cryogenic unit, designed to preserve life during long interstellar journeys. It's a high-tech environment filled with advanced AI technology, reflective of humanity's strides in science. The story eventually unfolds on a new planet, suggesting the remnants of human civilization and the hope for survival in a new world.

🛰️ Sci-Fi 🔬 Medical

Themes


🚀

Survival

The theme of survival permeates the narrative as Elizabeth fights to stay alive in a desperate situation. Her determination highlights the instinct to survive against all odds, even as she faces overwhelming circumstances in her quest to escape. This theme is further emphasized through her encounters with the AI M.I.L.O., which underscores the technological and human struggles intertwined in her fight for life.

💔

Grief

Grief is another central theme, illustrated by Elizabeth's emotional turmoil upon discovering the fate of her husband, Léo. The revelation of her being a genetic clone adds layers to her grief, as she grapples with the loss of her identity and the memories of someone she loved deeply. This theme resonates throughout the film, as it delves into the depths of loss and the human experience.

🔍

Identity

Identity plays a crucial role in Elizabeth's journey as she struggles to piece together her past. The conflict between her implanted memories and her true self raises profound questions about what constitutes identity. As she discovers her origin as a clone, the film explores the complexities of self and the essence of being human.

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