Locked in a Room

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Tropes and genres
Synonym(s)Trapped in a Closet, Locked in a Closet, Locked in a Freezer,
See alsoTrapped In Elevator, Can't Escape The Room Unless, Seven Minutes in Heaven, Fuck Or Die
Related articles on Fanlore.

Locked in a Room is a popular trope in canon where multiple (often two) characters, whom usually share a large amount of animosity, get locked in a room (office, bedroom, safe, closet, etc.) and must spend the episode alone together. During which time they learn a new appreciation for each other... or admit their feelings for each other.

In fanfiction, it's most often used for the second reason so it would get two characters to admit their feelings or "clear the air" between the two. For fandoms that deal with magic or supernatural, like Harry Potter, it's often combined with a magical spell that seals the room until they kiss or more. This specific subversion is also called Can't Escape The Room Unless and particularly popular in Japanese Fanworks and Doujinshi of any kind.

Canon Examples

This is the central premise of Luis Buñuel's 1962 film El Angel Exterminador, the characters come for a fancy dinner party and discover they can't leave.

Fanworks

Wizards of Waverly Place:

Sailor Moon:

Yugioh:

Resources

References