Buried Movie Review: Much Too Close For Comfort Chiller

It’s enough to send shivers down your spine. Horror can also come in small packages, even a coffin. The no frills, literally underground thriller Buried impressively confirms this. Think interior decorating, and the many flourishes you can add to even a one room apartment if you let your imagination go to wild enough extremes, as Spanish director Rodrigo Cortes does in this internment for ransom thriller. Hopefully the genius machinations of screenwriter Chris Sparling’s stylishly deranged hostage script won’t go to any terrorist heads anytime soon. Sparling makes novel moves while scheming a high price tag kidnapping.

Ryan Reynolds takes suffering for your art to unimaginable new depths in Buried as Paul Conroy, a war zone truck driver in Iraq who signed on to deliver rebuilding supplies because he was in serious need of the cash. Paul is no clueless contractor unaware of the dangers he’s facing, but the blue collar working stiff was apparently swayed by assurances from the company that his safety would not be on the line.

So when Paul wakes up after being knocked out temporarily from a head wound and finds himself buried alive in a wooden coffin in complete darkness and only a cigarette lighter and somebody else’s Arabic cell phone for company, he’s confident that his company, or in the least the US government, will make his rescue a top priority on their to-do list. Think again, Paul.

With little air and less patience, the frantic hostage does the dial-a-kidnapper thing, and even attempts to summon help with long distance calls to family and friends who’d rather go shopping. Facing exorbitant insurgent demands that government cheapskates don’t care to meet, company suits fretting over distancing themselves from any liability, and a series of connections to answering machines, dial-up push button computerized voice commands, and being put on hold with elevator music by bureaucrats who’d rather not get involved, Paul makes do with just figuring out how to survive as long as possible.

And Reynolds excels at reaching into the theater and grabbing viewer minds, while subjecting the now likewise hostage held audience to vicarious frazzled nerves. As we face this nightmarish ordeal with him every step of the way, whether we care to or not.

Never has sheer dread ruled the screen and wreaked quiet havoc utilizing such assured scare tactics, with only a few gadgets and what amounts to a too close for comfort one-man show in terrifying real time, and while rarely moving a muscle in tight quarters. Which gives a radically spine tingling, not to mention awfully unpleasant new meaning to the notion of being embedded in a war zone.

Buried
Lionsgate
Rated R
3 stars

Hot this week

Did David Wineland and Serge Haroche Steal Idea For The Nobel Physics Prize?

Dr. Omerbashich says the Royal Swedish Academy is a Crime Scene and he has the proof that Nobel laureates stole his discovery.

New Approaches to Disaster Relief Challenges

Disaster relief has always been a challenge. NASA, Google,...

3 Legitimate Money Making Methods to Supplement Your Income

In a perfect world, when your landlord raises your...

2016 Predictions by World Renowned Medium and Psychic Lindy Baker

World renowned medium and psychic Lindy Baker is interviewed by The Hollywood Sentinel, discussing psychic power, the spirit world, life after death, areas of concern in 2016, and much more.

Digital Coupon Customers Spending More Than Double At Stores

A new study shows that customers who use digital coupons go shopping more for groceries and other household goods more often and spend more on their shopping trips.

Kanat Kopbayev and the Next Generation of Leadership in Central Asia: A Kusto Group Perspective

Kanat Kopbayev, through his strategic role at Kusto Group, has been instrumental in nurturing young leaders to meet the demands of today’s business world.

Designing the Perfect Control Room: Essential Features and Modern Trends

Key Takeaways Discover the fundamental aspects of creating an...

The Five Leading Tech Marketers in Israel

Israel’s high-tech sector has earned its place as a...

Lies And Deception Is Hamas Victory

Hamas is the manipulation master of Westerners' minds. They learned well how the West thinks [or does not] and they manipulate the West to concede to them. A Hamas victory is not what Westerners would expect.

Peer Review Under Pressure: Scientists, Journals and the Struggle for Trustworthy Research

Peer review under fire: critics say it’s flawed, slow and biased. Replication may offer a better test — but it’s still rare.

Legendary Peace Tour: Top African Former Professionals to Arrive in Somalia

Somalia prepares to welcome three of Africa’s most senior football legends; Jay-Jay Okocha, {Nigeria} Emmanuel Adebayor {Togo} and Samuel Eto'e {Cameroon}

Myocarditis Risk From mRNA Vaccines Called “Well Documented” in Major New Review

A major new review urges withdrawal of mRNA COVID vaccines, citing high myocarditis risk in young men and calling for urgent action.

The Calculated Extermination Of Jews In Auschwitz Death Camp

A reminder to the Jews: never forget what was visited upon you in WW2. Every Jewish generation - present and future – must fully understand what was done to the Jewish people during the 20th century.

Related Articles

Popular Categories