I wouldn’t say I’ve ever been particularly claustrophobic, but after watching Netflix’s first trailer for the German thriller “Brick,” I can definitely feel the nightmare of confinement setting in.
The premise is simple but intriguing: a couple wakes up to find their apartment building completely encased by an impenetrable brick wall that appeared overnight.
The plot immediately reminded me of “The Platform” and “10 Cloverfield Lane,” which are two of my favorite claustrophobic thrillers. So, it’s no surprise this one went straight onto my summer watchlist.
“Brick” will land on Netflix on July 10, 2025, and judging by the first trailer, it looks like a mystery thriller viewers will devour (and maybe come to fear enclosed spaces a little more).
The trailer opens with Olivia (Ruby O. Fee) telling her partner, Tim (Matthias Schweighöfer), that she’s leaving him and not coming back. But as she tries to walk out of the apartment, she’s met with a brick wall. Confused, they soon realize their entire building is surrounded by this strange structure.
Like anyone would, they start kicking and throwing themselves against it, but it doesn’t budge. The water doesn't work, there’s no cell reception and even drilling through the brick gets them nowhere. Instead, they manage to break through a plastered wall and find their neighbor on the other side just as panicked as they are.
You can feel the tension start to rise as Tim, Olivia, and the rest of the building’s residents try to figure out what’s happening and how to escape. But as the fear and claustrophobia set in, it’s clear the real danger might be what’s happening inside, not just outside.
The trailer might reveal a bit more than it should, so the movie will need to pull off a truly unexpected twist to keep the story engaging and leave a lasting impact.
‘Brick’ on Netflix — what we know about this movie so far
Along with the trailer and release date, Netflix's synopsis reads: “Tim and Olivia awake trapped in their apartment behind an impenetrable, futuristic wall which has materialized overnight … and they are not alone. The entire building and its residents seem to be enclosed.
“What happened? Who built that wall and why? Without any chance of outside help, they must band together to find a way out. Can they solve the mystery of the wall in time — and survive?”
Nearly four years after starring together in “Army of Thieves” (the prequel to “Army of the Dead”), real-life couple Matthias Schweighöfer and Ruby O. Fee reunite for another Netflix project with “Brick,” this time in a much darker, more suspenseful setting.
“Brick” is directed by Philip Koch and features a strong ensemble cast alongside Fee and Schweighöfer, including Frederick Lau, Salber Lee Williams, Murathan Muslu, Axel Werner, Sira-Anna Faal, and Alexander Beyer.
Koch has a real knack for creating tense, atmospheric stories that feel just a little off-kilter in the best way, like he did with “Tribes of Europa.” With “Brick,” he seems to be bringing that same energy, turning a simple, contained setting into something eerie and unpredictable. There’s a good chance this won’t just be a survival thriller, as it looks to explore how people unravel under pressure.
Given his background in sci-fi and psychological thrillers, Koch knows how to make familiar spaces feel strange and claustrophobic. If this new movie leans into that, it could end up being something really memorable.
This is very much a claustrophobic thriller and one that will probably have you guessing until the very end. The trailer suggests a story that leans heavily into psychological pressure, exploring what happens to people when their world suddenly shrinks and the rules no longer make sense. Plus, it’s perfect for anyone who enjoys a good single-location thriller.
Visually, though, it actually looks pretty sharp and stylized, and I’m curious to see how it balances dread and mystery in the right way. Thankfully, we don’t have long to wait to see the mystery unfold.
If you're drawn to stories that thrive on slow-building tension, this one looks like it’ll have you hooked from the first minute. “Brick” starts streaming on Netflix from July 10. In the meantime, see what got added to Netflix in June 2025.
