6 Best Elevator and Trapped-in-a-Building Movies

By Vlad Zakh · March 25, 2026

Few settings squeeze tension like a locked-down building. Skyscraper has a security expert rescuing his family from a burning, sabotaged tower, Non-Stop traps an air marshal in the sky with a killer, and Panic Room and Devil keep their strangers behind closed doors. High-Rise lets a luxury tower tear itself apart, while Tower Heist turns the penthouse tenant into the target.

Skyscraper (2018)

TMDB ★ 5.9

A security expert must rescue his family from a burning, sabotaged high-rise.

Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber · 1h 42m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV, TNT, TBS, tru TV · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

High-Rise (2015)

TMDB ★ 5.9

A luxury apartment tower's residents descend into class-based chaos and violence as services break down.

Directed by Ben Wheatley · 1h 59m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Philo, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel, Monsters and Nightmares Amazon Channel, Warriors and Gangsters Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Non-Stop (2014)

TMDB ★ 6.9

An air marshal must find a hijacker threatening to kill passengers aboard a transatlantic flight.

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra · 1h 47m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Philo, Starz Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Tower Heist (2011)

TMDB ★ 6.3

Workers at a luxury high-rise plot an elaborate heist against the penthouse tenant who swindled them.

Directed by Brett Ratner · 1h 44m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Devil (2010)

IMDb ★ 6.3 RT 49% Metacritic 44

Five strangers trapped in a stalled lift realise one of them may literally be the devil.

Directed by John Erick Dowdle · 1h 20m · Rated PG-13

2 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Panic Room (2002)

IMDb ★ 6.8 RT 76% Metacritic 65

A mother and daughter hide from home invaders inside their own reinforced safe room.

Directed by David Fincher · 1h 51m · Rated R

1 win & 9 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Elevator and Trapped-in-a-Building Movies

Skyscraper (2018)

High-Rise (2015)

Non-Stop (2014)

Tower Heist (2011)

Devil (2010)

Panic Room (2002)

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