Buried

[Icewalker]

This is a movie which premiered at Sundance, just had some variety of small scale release, and is being really released in theaters in a couple of weeks. Basically, Ryan Reynolds is Paul Conroy, a man who is buried alive in a coffin. Going into the movie, you know nothing else, although there's quite a bit to it. The interesting part: the entire movie is filmed inside of this coffin. No flashbacks or anything. Just entirely inside of a small wooden box.

Now, when I heard about this, my response was that this would be one of two things: really, really boring, or a masterpiece of cinema (especially cinematography) and likely the first. I saw an early screening here at UCLA, and I must say, it was not at all what I was expecting. It's not an entirely philosophical/introspective piece, it has a full plot, characters, etc, and remains set entirely inside of a coffin. It's very well done. I heartily recommend it to anybody up for a quite intense (and rather psychologicall terrifying) movie.

[Lord Loss]

I've seen a few previews for it. I'm not quite sure what to make of it. I may see it in theaters, but if I don't, I'll most definitley rent it. (I'd see it but I want to see Devil, Case 39, Let Me In and The Last Exorcism as well so...)

[Athaniar]

Sounds... a bit too "non-standard" for me, but it still sounds oddly interesting. Can you give an example of how a movie like this can have "a full plot, characters, etc" while only taking place inside a coffin?

[Closet_Skeleton]

I remember seeing the trailer for this one when watching Scott Pilgrim and my simple thought was:

Should have been a radio play.

[Zen Monkey]

I'm not sure that Ryan Reynolds (or anyone really) in a box for two hours can really hold my attention. It's not that I need a bunch of explosions or special effects, just that it's a severe limitation on storytelling.

[drakir_nosslin]

In stockholm there's a movie theatre that sells a few tickets for those who really wants to have a claustrophobic experience. You watch the movie while lying in a coffin like box... I haven't tried it, since I don't have the time to go there, but I'd love to do so :smallbiggrin:

[VanBuren]

I'm not sure that Ryan Reynolds (or anyone really) in a box for two hours can really hold my attention. It's not that I need a bunch of explosions or special effects, just that it's a severe limitation on storytelling.

I've seen him in a bunch of awful RomComs, so I'm interested to see him try and pull this off.

[JadedDM]

Sounds... a bit too "non-standard" for me, but it still sounds oddly interesting. Can you give an example of how a movie like this can have "a full plot, characters, etc" while only taking place inside a coffin?

He has a cell phone, so that's how he interacts with other characters.

As for a full plot...I don't know what the OP means by that. Dude's in a box. He wants to get out. But he keeps doing stupid stuff that prolongs his suffering, like wasting his cell phone battery talking to his girlfriend, etc.

[Icewalker]

Sounds... a bit too "non-standard" for me, but it still sounds oddly interesting. Can you give an example of how a movie like this can have "a full plot, characters, etc" while only taking place inside a coffin?


I'm not sure that Ryan Reynolds (or anyone really) in a box for two hours can really hold my attention. It's not that I need a bunch of explosions or special effects, just that it's a severe limitation on storytelling.

To summarize the premise of the plot, which you generally go into not knowing:
He is a truck driver in Iraq, and his convoy was attacked, most of them were killed, but he was taken, and buried alive. He has a cell phone left by the attackers and gets reception, barely, and the movie is largely about his trying to be saved, contacting people like the FBI, hostage services set to fix this kind of thing in the area, or talking to family. Some other small complications occur as well...

What I mean by having a full plot, is that despite his being in a box for an entire movie, it's not 2 hours of introspection and philosophy and nothing else. There is a conflict which he has potential methods of resolving, there are events, there are characters, there are more paranoid and more intense and active scenes, etc.

[Obrysii]

Saw half the trailer and stopped watching it.

The trailer couldn't hold my attention - the movie most certainly won't, either.

[snoopy13a]

I don't want to watch the movie but I'd like to know the ending. The obvious guess is that he dies with an unresolved ending also being a possiblity. As this is an indie film, I don't see a rescue being likely. However, could someone spoil the ending (in spoilers obviously)?

[Syka]

As my boyfriend can't even watch the trailers, can you spoil the plot (and ending!) for me. Part of me wants to see it, but I'm not going alone and can't find anyone else to go with, lol.

So...pretty please?

[Icewalker]

The ending is extensive, a lot of things happen at the end especially, so it's hard to sum up, especially given how powerful some of it is (with the way previous things have developed). But, a bit:

This is of course a hideous mangling of a quite intense and well done plot which I feel most guilty for writing.
The super short version, he does die, but not until after being yanked incredibly up and down on his chances, constantly shifting between it looking like he will be saved, and that he will die. Eventually he resigns himself to death, then gets contacted with the confirmation that they know where he is and are on their way to rescue him. But they're wrong.