Movie Review: Buried (2010)

It's hard to know what you're really getting into with a movie like Buried. I only knew that the entire movie took place inside a coffin, and that it was supposed to be in real time. I couldn't imagine how much story could be dragged out of a guy trying to get out of an underground box. Thanks to one little prop, this movie was able to deliver suspense, drama and character development that I never expected.

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Ryan Reynolds is an American contractor in Iraq who wakes up in a pine box underground. He has a Blackberry left by his kidnappers with a few other supplies. He has no food, no water, no air and no idea where he is. Through a series of phone calls, we learn about his life, how he got in the box and who put him there.



I'll admit that the first thing I thought of when Paul Conroy wakes up and lights his Zippo was Uma Thurman in Kill Bill. I thought, "Hey, just use a series of short little punches, and you'll be out in no time!" Not quite the same situation. Reynolds is really good here, and he helps to create a claustrophobic panic. The phone calls keep the story in motion, which is good, because you never leave the box.

You feel closed in and a little anxious throughout the movie. There were a few shots that I didn't like. One stretched high above Reynolds and made it look like he was in a mine shaft. I didn't like that, because it takes you out of that tight cramped space. It almost lets you breathe, and this movie never should. Aside from that, it was good to see Reynolds as something other than a smartass or a hero. He's kind of a panicky puss, and that's definitely not typical for him. Buried was really compelling. It shows that you can get a lot out of very little.