Buried

My Grade:  A

I like watching unique movies. I don’t always enjoy the actual movie, but it’s nice to see something that isn’t like every other movie out there. Buried is one of those flicks that is different and probably shouldn’t be that good. But it is. It’s very good. And it proves Ryan Reynolds has some solid acting chops beyond sarcastic comedy.

Buried tells the story of Paul, a U.S. truck driver working in Iraq. We pick up his story after he has been attacked by insurgents and he wakes up buried alive in a coffin with a lighter, a cell phone and only a few other items. Then, the whole film is his race against the clock to escape his deadly claustrophobic predicament. 

Yes, the entire film is 95 minutes of Ryan Reynolds in a coffin talking to people on the phone. There is one other scene that takes place outside of the coffin but we only see it how Paul sees it:  on his cell phone. We stay in the coffin with Paul for the entire film and it is mesmerizing. For that, we have Reynolds to thank because he is captivating as he gets progressively desperate. 

While the situation is probably not very realistic, it feels very real. And, by keeping us in the coffin with Paul, the director (Rodrigo Cortes) makes us feel every ounce of desperation Paul feels. He also packs on the severity of the situation. As if being buried alive wasn’t enough, add in a snake, sand pouring into the coffin, suffocation, and more. Amping up the intensity with every minute makes this a top-notch thriller.

Finally, the last 10 minutes or so of this film might be the most tense final moments of any film I have ever seen. You really have to see it to get the full effect. You’ve heard of people being “on the edge of their seat” during movies. Well, I was literally on the edge of my seat and let out an audible gasp at the end. Buried draws you in and never lets you go.

Overall, this film is engrossing even though it seems like it shouldn’t be. You wouldn’t think that spending 95 minutes with a guy in a coffin would make a very good film... but when that guy is Ryan Reynolds, the director is Rodrigo Cortes, and the writer is Chris Sparling... it makes a very good film. So, if you can find a copy of Buried somewhere (I’m not sure if it’s on Netlfix) then do yourself a favor and watch it.