DVD Reviews

Buried - Blu-ray Review

By Jeff Swindoll Jan 31, 2011, 15:29 GMT

Paul Conroy is not ready to die. But when he wakes up six feet underground with no idea of who put him there or why, life for the truck driver and family man instantly becomes a hellish struggle for survival. Buried with only a cell phone and a lighter, his contact with the outside world and ability to piece together clues that could help him discover his location are maddeningly ...more

Claustrophobic?  If so, then this may not be the film for you.  Buried is a film that could go wrong in so many ways, yet it creates a level of suspense that chills to a memorable level. 

Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) awakens and finds himself buried alive.  Conroy is a contract truck driver in Iraq and when his convoy was attacked he blacked out and discovers himself in a rickety wooden coffin in parts unknown.  He does have a cell phone and his lighter, but in 90 minutes the air in the coffin will run out and he will die. 

What follows is a harrowing 90 minutes of film timed to the amount of air that Reynolds has in his cramped prison.  So many things could’ve gone wrong with the film.  For one, we’re basically in a single cramped location with one actor the whole time.  The film also begins in total darkness, but this only focuses the audience as we wonder what’s going on as much as Conroy does. 

It even causes us to be put in his shoes somewhat (our air isn’t going to run out).  If that one actor hadn’t carried off the feat of keeping our attention then Buried would have been sunk. 

However, Reynolds is up to form as is the cramped location that the entire movie spends time in.  Director Rodrigo Cortes instead of fashioning flashbacks or other ways to get out of the coffin instead embraces the opportunity against all odds and scores mightily. 

The audience is just as engulfed in claustrophobia and darkness as Conroy and this only causes us to be drawn into the suspense of the film.  It may have worked better in the darkened theater but it is still a great film. 

Unfortunately, the film, though highly regarded and reviewed, really didn’t get the theatrical push it deserved.  However, it’s now ripe for discovery on home video but be prepared to be terrified. 

Buried is presented in a 1080p high definition transfer (2.35:1).  Special features are presented in standard definition.  The 18 minute “Unearthing Buried” is a marking of.  You also get the 1 minute teaser trailer and the 90 second theatrical trailer.  The disc is also BD-Live enhanced and the second disc is a DVD copy. 

Buried is 90 minutes of extreme horror and tension.  It’s only elevated by Reynolds’ performance and the skill of director Cortes.  It should be interesting to see what other cinematic projects that Cortes has to offer in the future. 

Buried is not exactly his first film, but the creativity and bravery has certainly earned him a place on my “to watch” list.  The film certainly should be on your “to watch” list if you’re needing to add some tension to your life.

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