BURIED

Photos courtesy of Antena 3 Films

Ryan Reynolds finds himself six feet under in the Middle East in the claustrophobic thriller BURIED.

As the title eludes Reynolds’ Paul, a contractor working in Iraq, is trapped under ground in a casket after being ambushed by a group of Iraqis. Paul is left with a lighter, a cell phone and a couple of glow sticks, but little hope of returning above ground.

BURIED takes experimental cinema to the next level. Several films have taken enclosed or secluded confines to dramatic effect from 12 ANGRY MEN to PHONE BOOTH to OPEN WATER, but none more challenging than turning a roughly eight by four by two foot box into the entire setting for a suspense thriller.

Amazingly enough BURIED works, even if there are a few liberties taken to pull off the proceedings. Reynolds is the lone actor in the film, with voice talent provided by a handful of actors, and he delivers a genuine performance full of frustration, despair and anger. Reynolds typically plays confident, often cocky, individuals. As Paul it was refreshing to see the young actor have everything stripped from him, and essentially work from scratch. Without the benefit of acting off another, Reynolds is forced to react to a dire situation, possible outcomes, government bureaucracy and a few voices.

BURIED director Rodrigo Cortes takes advantage of Chris Sparling’s script that provides a generous number of situations despite the confined setting. These situations, at times contrived, but often necessary, give BURIED enough substance to substantiate a full-length runtime.

BURIED digs deep enough into Paul’s predicament thanks to a creative script, skillful direction and a solid lead performance.

Grade: B-