History Main / UncomfortableElevatorMoment

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/Catscratch'' has the bear, a recurring character which keeps trying to eat Mr. Blik, take an elevator to the top of a building to get at the cat, [[ItMakesSenseInContext who has been inflated into a living parade balloon]], and a man already in the elevator looks very worried standing next to the perfectly calm and silent bear.

* VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake: If you choose to take the Elevator during the Shinra HQ, instead of going stright to the 59th floor, they end up makes several stops along the way because [[RealityEnsues Well, because it's Shinra HQ; people work there]]. The first couple of times it's Shinra MP's on patrol, so the third time it happens the party preps themselves for another fight... only to scare the witts out of some poor OfficeLady. The 4th stop is some guy talking on the phone to his mother, apparently oblivious to the party. Cue a hilarious moment where he continues the conversation, warning her to be on the lookout for more Avalanche[[note]](i.e ''The Main Characters'')[[/note]] attacks [[https://www.ordinaryreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/final-fantasy-7-remake-what-happens-if-use-elevator.jpg while Barret, Cloud, and Tifa stand in the corner]] trying to avoid his attention.

''[{{beat panel}}]''

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}'' manages to have such a moment with a {{Magitek}} elevator in season 2 episode 4 -- complete with an elevator music remix [[ThemeTuneCameo of the opening theme]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}}'', Roxanne and Megamind (disguised as Bernard) share an elevator in the [[AddedAlliterativeAppeal Metro Man Museum]]... just before it's going to blow up, thanks to actions by the latter of the pair.

* ''Film/SpiderMan2'' Peter Parker suddenly loses his powers at the top of a building, and can't get out by web swinging or sticking to the walls. Thus, he is forced to use the elevator whilst in full costume when another man is present. Depending on which version of the film you're watching, one of two scenes ensues:

* ''Film/{{Devil}}'' Things are uncomfortable in the elevator ''before'' the Devil starts murdering people. Once that happens...

** ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'' plays with this when Steve is on an elevator at S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ as several STRIKE agents get on. One agent, Brock Rumlow, discusses recent events, and even converses with Steve. After several stops, as it begins to dawn on him that each agent getting on was to set-up an attack, Steve breaks the uncomfortable tension with a typically polite, "Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?" Cue ''the'' ElevatorActionSequence.

* A very [[PlayedForDrama not-funny]] example in the season two finale of ''Series/CobraKai'', when Johnny and Daniel wind up sharing an elevator after their [[EscalatingWar escalating feud]] has resulted in [[spoiler:a brutal riot breaking out at the high school that left Miguel in the hospital with a spinal injury, Robbie on the run from the law, the rest of their students either traumatized or swearing allegiance to [[BigBad Kreese]], and both their personal lives going down to hell.]] Neither can bring themselves to say ''anything''; they just stare at each other, [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone filled with remorse and clearly realizing that they have no one to blame for the situation but themselves]].

** A non-elevator variant: later on, Matt, Luke and Jessica are riding the subway. Jessica grabs a passed out homeless guy's beer and chugs the entire thing down in one gulp while Matt, Luke, and the other passengers on the train give her silent looks of confused amusement.

* ''Series/{{Mindhunter}}''. Holden Ford and Bill Tench are given permission to establish a study of serial killers, but because their boss is afraid of the potential controversy they're allocated a storeroom in the basement beneath Behavoiural Sciences. Being a veteran agent, Bill in particular is not happy and turns to give Holden a DisapprovingLook during the long elevator ride down there. The protocol of always facing forward in an elevator had been lampshaded by Holden earlier, so instead of expressing his feelings Bill just picks up his box again and faces forwards.

* ''Series/{{Mindhunter}}''. Holden Ford and Bill Tench are given permission to establish a study of serial killers, but because their boss is afraid of the potential controversy they're allocated a storeroom in the basement beneath Behavoiural Sciences. Being a veteran agent, Bill in particular is not happy and turns to give Holden a silent DisapprovingLook during the long elevator ride down there.

* The Ben Carson movie, ''Gifted Hands'', has this. On his first day at work, he is the only colored person in the elevator, and the only one to give a cheery good morning to the other doctors. This doesn't stop him from saying good morning the next time, though.

* From George Carlin:

" From George Carlin:

* The music video to Music/{{Radiohead}}'s "Lift" has [[SurrealMusicVideo a uniquely surreal take]] on the concept, with frontman Thom Yorke taking an elevator down and encountering various oddities after another passenger [[ElevatorButtonMash presses the buttons for all the floors for him]]. Later accompanying passengers include about a group of bald businessmen, [[MythologyGag a man dressed as Robin from the band's "Paranoid Android" video]], two separate janitors mopping the floor and fixing the lights, a quartet of dancers Thom helps take a photo for, and more. [[{{Bizarrchitecture}} The floors themselves the elevator stops by are also strange]], including one directly opening to an elderly couple's dining room, an entirely upside-down floor, and a bedroom viewed from the ceiling.

* The music video to Music/{{Radiohead}}'s "Lift" has [[SurrealMusicVideo a uniquely surreal take]] on the concept, with frontman Thom Yorke taking an elevator down and encountering various oddities after another passenger [[TheGadfly presses the buttons for all the floors for him]]. Later accompanying passengers include about a group of bald businessmen, [[MythologyGag a man dressed as Robin from the band's "Paranoid Android" video]], two separate janitors mopping the floor and fixing the lights, a quartet of dancers Thom helps take a photo for, and more. [[{{Bizarrchitecture}} The floors themselves the elevator stops by are also strange]], including one directly opening to an elderly couple's dining room, an entirely upside-down floor, and a bedroom viewed from the ceiling.

* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' had several of these, the most famous of which [[LeaveTheCameraRunning was stretched out just about as far as it could be]] (about a ''minute''). Then to show it wasn't just StockFootage they re-animated a shortened-but-equally-awkward version scene in TheMovie (or rather the second movie... it's complicated).

* ''Series/Batwoman2019''. In "Down Down Down", Kate Kane steps into an elevator in Tommy Elliot's skyscraper to find her step-sister Mary being bodyguarded by her ex-girlfriend Sophie Moore. Stuck in the middle between these two, Mary can only stare at the still-climbing level indicator and gripe about why Tommy needs to live in such a tall tower.

* VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake: If you choose to take the Elevator during the Shinra HQ, instead of going stright to the 59th floor, they end up makes several stops along the way because [[RealityEnsues Well, because it's Shinra HQ; people work there]]. The first couple of times it's Shinra MP's on patrol, so the third time it happens the party preps themselves for another fight... only to scare the witts out of some poor OfficeLady. The 4th stop is some guy talking on the phone to his mother, apparently oblivious to the party. Cue a hilarious moment where he continues the conversation, warning her to be on the lookout for more Avalanche[[note]](i.e ''YOU'')[[/note]] attacks, [[https://www.ordinaryreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/final-fantasy-7-remake-what-happens-if-use-elevator.jpg while Barret, Cloud, and Tifa stand in the corner]] trying to avoid his attention.

* FinalFantasyVIIRemake: If you choose to take the Elevator during the Shinra HQ, instead of going stright to the 59th floor, they end up makes several stops along the way because [[RealityEnsues Well, because it's Shinra HQ; people work there]]. The first couple of times it's Shinra MP's on patrol, so the third time it happens the party preps themselves for another fight... only to scare the whits out of some poor OfficeLady. The 4th stop is some guy talking on the phone to his mother, apparently oblivious to the party. Cue a hilarious moment where he continues the conversation, warning her to be on the lookout for More Avalance (i.e ''YOU'') attacks, [[https://www.ordinaryreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/final-fantasy-7-remake-what-happens-if-use-elevator.jpg while Barret, Cloud, and Tifa stand in the corner]] trying to avoid his attention.