Buried (film)
Encyclopedia
Buried is a 2010 Spanish thriller film directed by Rodrigo Cortés
. It stars Ryan Reynolds
, and was written by Chris Sparling
.
The film revolves around Iraq-based American truck driver Paul Conroy (Reynolds), who, after being attacked, finds himself buried alive in a wooden coffin, with only a lighter, flask, flashlight, knife, glowsticks, pencil and a mobile phone to help him escape before the oxygen in the coffin runs out. Since its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival
, the film has received a positive critical reception.
), a US truck driver based in Iraq
, awakens buried alive in a wooden coffin
, bound
and gagged, with only a Zippo
and a BlackBerry
. Although he initially has no idea how he got there, he soon starts to piece together what has happened to him. He remembers that he and several other trucks were ambushed by insurgent
s, who killed the other truck drivers. After finding the cellphone, Conroy attempts to contact his wife and employers, but is able only to leave a message for both of them. Paul is able to contact the FBI, but they cut off before he can explain the situation. Conroy's kidnapper phones him and demands a ransom of $5 million to release him alive, which is later lowered to $1 million.
Conroy eventually gets into contact with the State Department, who pass him onto a hostage rescue group led by Dan Brenner (Robert Paterson). Brenner tells Conroy they are doing their best to find him; however, Conroy is not convinced and asks Brenner to name a person who they had saved before. Brenner tells him they saved a man called Mark White three weeks ago. The kidnapper calls Conroy back and demands he make a ransom
video, which he refuses to do. When the kidnapper threatens to kill his kidnapped co-worker, Conroy reluctantly agrees to do the video. While Paul is waiting on his kidnapper to respond to the video, he awakes to find a snake has made its way into the coffin. He uses his flask, filled with alcohol, and the lighter to set fire to the area where the snake is and the snake escapes through a hole in the coffin, and Paul barely has time to put the fire out before the overturned flask can ignite. After completing the ransom video, Conroy receives a video from the kidnapper showing the female employee he knew being shot in the head. Shortly afterwards, there is a violent shaking in the coffin, and sand starts to leak into it.
Later on, Conroy receives a phone call from his employers, who inform him that he was fired from his job that morning due to fraternizing with the same female employee and so if he dies, his family will not get any insurance money. Conroy states the two were just friends however his pleas are ignored. Brenner calls and explains that some F-16 fighter planes just bombed the area the coffin is in, even though they knew Conroy was in the area. Conroy begins to lose all hope and does a last will and testament in video form, giving his son all of his clothes and his wife his personal savings of $700. As time goes on the kidnapper calls with demands for blood instead of money and tells Conroy to cut his finger off and send a recording of it. The kidnapper lets Conroy know he has his home address, and states he will harm his family if he does not make the video however he will not harm his family and will tell the US government where Conroy is if he complies. Conroy films himself cutting off one of his fingers and sends the video.
Within a few minutes, Brenner calls saying they now know where he is, explaining that they were given details of where to find a man who was buried alive by an insurgent. Conroy receives a phone call from his wife and tells her he is going to be okay, and they express their love for each other. A few minutes later, Brenner calls saying that they are close and have found his location. They arrive at the apparent burial site and are about to dig up the coffin. Through the phone, digging is heard, but Conroy cannot hear digging around him. Sand begins to fill the coffin to dangerous levels, giving him seconds to live. When the group digs up the coffin, it turns out the insurgent led them to Mark White, the man Brenner earlier in the film claimed had been rescued. Paul hears his final words, that of Brenner saying over the phone, "I'm sorry, Paul. I'm so sorry" as the coffin fills with sand which eventually kills Paul as he tries to calm himself down.
-based Versus Entertainment in association with The Safran Company
and Dark Trick Films with the participation of Icon Film Distribution
.
It was shot in a time period of over 17 days in Barcelona
. One of director Rodrigo Cortés' inspirations for the film were the films of Alfred Hitchcock
.
on January 23, 2010. Lionsgate purchased the theatrical rights to the film and gave the film a limited theatrical release on September 24, 2010 and a wider release two weeks later on October 8, 2010. The film's first trailer premiered with A Nightmare on Elm Street
. The second trailer premiered at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International, and was attached with select prints of Dinner for Schmucks
, Resident Evil: Afterlife
, The Expendables
and The Last Exorcism
.
The film won the best European feature film of the year award at the best European Fantastic Film Festival of Strasbourg
in September 2010.
The film was presented at both the Deauville American Film Festival
, in competition, and the Toronto International Film Festival
, out of competition, in September 2010.
reports that 86% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 144 reviews, with an average score of 7.3/10. With the following consensus: "Wringing a seemingly impossible amount of gripping drama out of its claustrophobic premise, Buried is a nerve-wracking showcase for Ryan Reynolds' talent." Film critic Roger Ebert
, awarding the film 3.5 out of 4 stars, said that "Rodrigo Cortés, the Spanish filmmaker behind this diabolical, Hitchcock-influenced narrative stunt, makes merry mischief with camera angles and lighting". IGN
gave the film a perfect 10 out of 10. Alternatively Peter Travers
of Rolling Stone
awarded the film 2 out of 4 stars, stating: "Ninety minutes of being buried alive with Ryan Reynolds: Didn't we all suffer that in The Proposal
?".
(2011)
IGM Movie Awards
(2010)
MTV Movie Awards
(2011)
National Board of Review Awards 2010
Saturn Awards
Rodrigo Cortés
Rodrigo Cortés Giráldez is a Spanish film director, producer, screenwriter, editor, and occasional actor.-Career:Cortés' fondness for film making started at an early stage. At 16 he had already directed his first short film in Super 8...
. It stars Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian film and television actor, best known for his roles in such films as National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Waiting..., The Amityville Horror, Just Friends, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Green Lantern.One of his best known...
, and was written by Chris Sparling
Chris Sparling
Chris Sparling is an American screenwriter, director, and actor from Providence, RI. He is married to Kerri Morrone Sparling, author of the diabetes blog Six Until Me.-Career:...
.
The film revolves around Iraq-based American truck driver Paul Conroy (Reynolds), who, after being attacked, finds himself buried alive in a wooden coffin, with only a lighter, flask, flashlight, knife, glowsticks, pencil and a mobile phone to help him escape before the oxygen in the coffin runs out. Since its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
, the film has received a positive critical reception.
Plot
Paul Conroy (Ryan ReynoldsRyan Reynolds
Ryan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian film and television actor, best known for his roles in such films as National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Waiting..., The Amityville Horror, Just Friends, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Green Lantern.One of his best known...
), a US truck driver based in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, awakens buried alive in a wooden coffin
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
, bound
Bound
Bound may refer to:*Upper and lower bounds, observed limits of mathematical functions*Terms or bounds, segments of each astrological sign that are said to have different ruling planets*Bound state, in physics*Bounds checking, in computer programming...
and gagged, with only a Zippo
Zippo
A Zippo lighter is a refillable, metal lighter manufactured by Zippo Manufacturing Company of Bradford, Pennsylvania, U.S. Thousands of different styles and designs have been made in the seven decades since their introduction including military ones for specific regiments.-Establishment:George G...
and a BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
. Although he initially has no idea how he got there, he soon starts to piece together what has happened to him. He remembers that he and several other trucks were ambushed by insurgent
Iraqi insurgency
The Iraqi Resistance is composed of a diverse mix of militias, foreign fighters, all-Iraqi units or mixtures opposing the United States-led multinational force in Iraq and the post-2003 Iraqi government...
s, who killed the other truck drivers. After finding the cellphone, Conroy attempts to contact his wife and employers, but is able only to leave a message for both of them. Paul is able to contact the FBI, but they cut off before he can explain the situation. Conroy's kidnapper phones him and demands a ransom of $5 million to release him alive, which is later lowered to $1 million.
Conroy eventually gets into contact with the State Department, who pass him onto a hostage rescue group led by Dan Brenner (Robert Paterson). Brenner tells Conroy they are doing their best to find him; however, Conroy is not convinced and asks Brenner to name a person who they had saved before. Brenner tells him they saved a man called Mark White three weeks ago. The kidnapper calls Conroy back and demands he make a ransom
Ransom
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it can refer to the sum of money involved.In an early German law, a similar concept was called bad influence...
video, which he refuses to do. When the kidnapper threatens to kill his kidnapped co-worker, Conroy reluctantly agrees to do the video. While Paul is waiting on his kidnapper to respond to the video, he awakes to find a snake has made its way into the coffin. He uses his flask, filled with alcohol, and the lighter to set fire to the area where the snake is and the snake escapes through a hole in the coffin, and Paul barely has time to put the fire out before the overturned flask can ignite. After completing the ransom video, Conroy receives a video from the kidnapper showing the female employee he knew being shot in the head. Shortly afterwards, there is a violent shaking in the coffin, and sand starts to leak into it.
Later on, Conroy receives a phone call from his employers, who inform him that he was fired from his job that morning due to fraternizing with the same female employee and so if he dies, his family will not get any insurance money. Conroy states the two were just friends however his pleas are ignored. Brenner calls and explains that some F-16 fighter planes just bombed the area the coffin is in, even though they knew Conroy was in the area. Conroy begins to lose all hope and does a last will and testament in video form, giving his son all of his clothes and his wife his personal savings of $700. As time goes on the kidnapper calls with demands for blood instead of money and tells Conroy to cut his finger off and send a recording of it. The kidnapper lets Conroy know he has his home address, and states he will harm his family if he does not make the video however he will not harm his family and will tell the US government where Conroy is if he complies. Conroy films himself cutting off one of his fingers and sends the video.
Within a few minutes, Brenner calls saying they now know where he is, explaining that they were given details of where to find a man who was buried alive by an insurgent. Conroy receives a phone call from his wife and tells her he is going to be okay, and they express their love for each other. A few minutes later, Brenner calls saying that they are close and have found his location. They arrive at the apparent burial site and are about to dig up the coffin. Through the phone, digging is heard, but Conroy cannot hear digging around him. Sand begins to fill the coffin to dangerous levels, giving him seconds to live. When the group digs up the coffin, it turns out the insurgent led them to Mark White, the man Brenner earlier in the film claimed had been rescued. Paul hears his final words, that of Brenner saying over the phone, "I'm sorry, Paul. I'm so sorry" as the coffin fills with sand which eventually kills Paul as he tries to calm himself down.
Cast
- Ryan ReynoldsRyan ReynoldsRyan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian film and television actor, best known for his roles in such films as National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Waiting..., The Amityville Horror, Just Friends, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Green Lantern.One of his best known...
as Paul Steven Conroy - José Luis García Pérez (voice) as Jabir
- Robert Paterson (voice) as Dan Brenner
- Stephen TobolowskyStephen TobolowskyStephen Harold Tobolowsky is an American actor. He is well known for his role as Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day, as well as portraying Commissioner Hugo Jarry in Deadwood for nine episodes and Bob Bishop in Heroes for eleven episodes over the second and third seasons...
(voice) as Alan Davenport - Samantha MathisSamantha MathisSamantha Mathis is an American actress. The daughter of actress Bibi Besch, Mathis made her film debut in Pump Up the Volume , opposite Christian Slater...
(voice) as Linda Conroy - Ivana Miño as Pamela Lutti
- Warner Loughlin (voice) as Maryanne Conroy / Donna Mitchell / number lady
- Erik PalladinoErik PalladinoErik Palladino is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Dr. Dave Malucci in the NBC drama series ER. He was also a series regular on the critically praised FX Television series Over There.-Early life:...
(voice) as Special Agent Harris
Production
The film was produced by BarcelonaBarcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
-based Versus Entertainment in association with The Safran Company
Peter Safran
-Early life:Safran graduated from Princeton University. He earned his law degree at the New York University School of Law. He worked as a corporate attorney in New York City, before becoming an assistant at UTA.-Movie career:...
and Dark Trick Films with the participation of Icon Film Distribution
Icon Productions
Icon Productions LLC is an American independent production company founded in August 1989 by actor/director Mel Gibson and Australian producing partner Bruce Davey.-History:Icon started when Gibson was having trouble in financing the 1990 film Hamlet...
.
It was shot in a time period of over 17 days in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. One of director Rodrigo Cortés' inspirations for the film were the films of Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
.
Release
Buried premiered at the Sundance Film FestivalSundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
on January 23, 2010. Lionsgate purchased the theatrical rights to the film and gave the film a limited theatrical release on September 24, 2010 and a wider release two weeks later on October 8, 2010. The film's first trailer premiered with A Nightmare on Elm Street
A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010 film)
A Nightmare on Elm Street is a 2010 American slasher film directed by Samuel Bayer, and written by Wesley Strick and Eric Heisserer. The film stars Jackie Earle Haley, Kyle Gallner, Rooney Mara, Katie Cassidy, Thomas Dekker and Kellan Lutz...
. The second trailer premiered at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International, and was attached with select prints of Dinner for Schmucks
Dinner for Schmucks
Dinner for Schmucks, a 2010 screwball comedy film, is the American adaptation of the French film Le Dîner de Cons , being described by the director as "inspired by" the original rather than a remake of it...
, Resident Evil: Afterlife
Resident Evil: Afterlife
Resident Evil: Afterlife is a 2010 Canadian-German 3D science-fiction horror action film written and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. It stars Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Kim Coates, Shawn Roberts, Spencer Locke, Boris Kodjoe, and Wentworth Miller. The film marks Anderson's second time to direct in...
, The Expendables
The Expendables (2010 film)
The Expendables is a 2010 American ensemble action film written by David Callaham and Sylvester Stallone, and directed by Stallone. Filming began on March 28, 2009, in Rio de Janeiro, New Orleans, and Los Angeles, and the film was released in theaters on August 13, 2010 in North America.The film is...
and The Last Exorcism
The Last Exorcism
The Last Exorcism is a 2010 American found footage horror film directed and edited by Daniel Stamm. It stars Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Iris Bahr, and Louis Herthum....
.
The film won the best European feature film of the year award at the best European Fantastic Film Festival of Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
in September 2010.
The film was presented at both the Deauville American Film Festival
Deauville American Film Festival
The Deauville American Film Festival is a yearly film festival devoted to American cinema, taking place since 1975 in Deauville, France. It was established by Lionel Chouchan and André Halimi....
, in competition, and the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
, out of competition, in September 2010.
Reception
Buried has received critical acclaim. Review aggregate Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reports that 86% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 144 reviews, with an average score of 7.3/10. With the following consensus: "Wringing a seemingly impossible amount of gripping drama out of its claustrophobic premise, Buried is a nerve-wracking showcase for Ryan Reynolds' talent." Film critic Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
, awarding the film 3.5 out of 4 stars, said that "Rodrigo Cortés, the Spanish filmmaker behind this diabolical, Hitchcock-influenced narrative stunt, makes merry mischief with camera angles and lighting". IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the film a perfect 10 out of 10. Alternatively Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Peter Travers is an American film critic, who has written for, in turn, People and Rolling Stone. Travers also hosts a celebrity interview show called Popcorn on ABC News Now and ABCNews.com.-Career:...
of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
awarded the film 2 out of 4 stars, stating: "Ninety minutes of being buried alive with Ryan Reynolds: Didn't we all suffer that in The Proposal
The Proposal (film)
The Proposal is a 2009 American romantic comedy film set in Sitka, Alaska. Directed by Anne Fletcher and written by Peter Chiarelli, the film features Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds as the leading roles, with Mary Steenburgen, Betty White, and Craig T. Nelson in supporting roles...
?".
Awards and nominations
25th Goya Awards25th Goya Awards
The 25th Goya Awards were given on February 13 of 2011 to honour the best in Spanish films of 2010. Black Bread by Agustí Villaronga won nine awards, including Best Film and Best Director.-Major awards:-Other award nominees:...
(2011)
- Won: Best Original Screenplay (Chris Sparling)
- Won: Best Editing (Rodrigo Cortés)
- Won: Best Sound
- Nominated: Best Film
- Nominated: Best DirectorGoya Award for Best DirectorThe Goya Award for Best Director is one of the Goya Awards, Spain's principal national film awards.In the list below the winner of the award for each year is shown first, followed by the other nominees.-1980s:...
(Rodrigo Cortés) - Nominated: Best ActorGoya Award for Best ActorThe Goya Award for Best Actor is one of the Goya Awards, Spain's principal national film awards....
(Ryan Reynolds) - Nominated: Best CinematographyGoya Award for Best CinematographyThe Goya Award for Best Cinematography is one of the Goya Awards, Spain's principal national film awards.In the list below the winner of the award for each year is shown first, followed by the other nominees....
(Eduard Grau) - Nominated: Best Original Score (Víctor Reyes)
- Nominated: Best Original Song ("In The Lap of the Mountain" - Víctor Reyes and Rodrigo Cortés)
- Nominated: Best Special Effects
IGM Movie Awards
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
(2010)
- Nominated: Best Performance (Ryan Renolds)
MTV Movie Awards
MTV Movie Awards
The MTV Movie Awards is a film awards show presented annually on MTV . It also contains movie parodies that used official movie footage with hosts and other celebrities and music performances. The nominees are decided by producers and executives at MTV. Winners are decided online by the general...
(2011)
- Nominated: Best Scared as S**t PerformanceMTV Movie Award for Best Frightened PerformanceThis is a following list for the MTV Movie Award winners for Best Frightened Performance. The award was firstgiven out in 2005 and then 2006. In 2010 this award was renamed Best Scared-As-S**t Performance.-References:...
(Ryan ReynoldsRyan ReynoldsRyan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian film and television actor, best known for his roles in such films as National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Waiting..., The Amityville Horror, Just Friends, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Green Lantern.One of his best known...
)
National Board of Review Awards 2010
National Board of Review Awards 2010
The 82nd National Board of Review Awards, honoring the best in film for 2010.All films are in alphabetical order-Top Films:films listed alphabetically except top, which is ranked as Best Film of the year*The Social Network...
- Winner: Best Original Screenplay (Chris SparlingChris SparlingChris Sparling is an American screenwriter, director, and actor from Providence, RI. He is married to Kerri Morrone Sparling, author of the diabetes blog Six Until Me.-Career:...
)
Saturn Awards
- Nominated: Best Actor (Ryan ReynoldsRyan ReynoldsRyan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian film and television actor, best known for his roles in such films as National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Waiting..., The Amityville Horror, Just Friends, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Green Lantern.One of his best known...
)