Buried

I'm sad to say that this claustrophobic spectacle didn't impress me at all. I acknowledge that the screenplay writer and director achieve maximum results with minimal space and resources to keep the viewer's attention, but it's still a very relative success. What matters to me is that I can't believe in the film. Granted, with other genres, I don't concern myself as thoroughly with the logic of what I see, and I'm not strict in my assessment because otherwise, I wouldn't enjoy them at all. However, the fact that this thriller is based on nonsense should be easily uncovered even by an elementary school student. Overall impression: 40%. (21/03/2015)

Yeah, Buried is a very interesting film that takes place in one coffin with one man, one lighter, one mobile phone, one pen… but to tell you the truth, all that minimalism ends up being almost too limiting. I would have liked to have a look somewhere out of that box, which is proof that the creators didn’t fully manage to turn an attractive premise into a feature film. Buried is certainly worth watching, it’s one of the best thrillers of the year, but it didn’t make me bite my nails or get up from my chair in tension, and the logic leaves the stage too often for my taste. 70 % (25/12/2010)

I can't say I was bored, but some of the script choices really spoiled the overall impression for me, like the snake and the frustratingly inept people on the phone. The same premise was handled much better in the two-part episode "Grave Danger" from CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, directed by Quentin Tarantino. However, I do give a thumbs up for the intense and surprising ending. Overall, though, it felt like a bit of a missed opportunity for such an interesting concept. (09/05/2018)

Buried is surprising in that it’s not an indie festival flick, but a mainstream movie. Some viewers may consider that to be a drawback, but for me, the film’s ability to captivate and move the masses with a single actor in such a small place is its greatest asset. It thus comes closest to Joel Schumacher’s Phone Booth, in which the desperate protagonist squirms in an equally confined space, though standing upright and with a better view:-). Buried is superbly written, filmed and acted, with an ending that delivers an uncompromising knock-out blow. (06/12/2011)

Logic takes a beating in a much harsher way than I'm used to in the thriller genre, and everything relies solely on Ryan Reynolds. He delivers a performance as likable as usual, but unfortunately he doesn't have, nor could he have, the ability to carry the whole film on the surface of a single coffin, even with enough oxygen and signal. The salvation of this good but poorly executed concept is the ending, which, despite my slight apathy towards the protagonist's actions, stretched me to the brink of breaking. (10/01/2011)