Director: Rodrigo Cortés

Starring: Ryan Reynolds

Certificate: 15

Running Time: 95 minutes

DVD & Blu-Ray release: 14 February 2011

Whether it turned out to be a success or fall flat on its face Buried was always destined to make an impression. It’s an exciting film to journey into as you know you’re witnessing something historical, unique and never done before. When reports first came in regarding Buried, critics and fans alike wondered if it would really stay true to the ninety minutes in a box with no outside interference and how successful this would be. It’s a mixed bag of a film, but overall Reynolds and Cortes have created something to be proud of.

It’s as if Samuel Beckett, Edgar Allan Poe and Stanley Kubrick met up one day and conjured up a ridiculous idea for a film. A US truck driver in Iraq finds himself ambushed and buried in Iraq. Upon awaking he finds himself buried alive in a coffin, with little more than a mobile phone, lighter, beads of sweat and trepidation. Upon waking he lets out the expected petrified stomach curdling scream that anyone would howl, given the predicament. This sets the scene for what is essentially a claustrophobic’s worst nightmare.

Last year’s mediocre offering Devil promised an uncomfortable, claustrophobic vision, offering five strangers stuck in an elevator. However it didn’t really utilise the premise to its full potential, cutting to the police, the CCTV surveillance team and other outside interference. Buried doesn’t compromise in such a way. Cortés is not one to shy away from the concept, if he says he’s going to bring you Ryan Reynolds in a box for the best part of ninety minutes then he’s going to do exactly that. Whilst the concept may sound absurd, the execution is surprisingly good. After the initial shriek, Reynolds fumbles about, sweat glazing down his cheeks, dripping off his face, gasping for air and manages to locate a mobile phone.

Buried not only manages to create a tense, trapped atmosphere but it also raises questions about just who we can rely on and trust. In this paranoid society based on fear there are many conspiracies and theories that fuel our anxiety, Buried taps into this and gives us further food for thought. Whilst there are minor qualms and problem areas such as the phone signal deep underground, this is a well made film that for the most part manages to create a dark, distressing environment.