Buried: I Need a Hug

I've been dreading the moment when I would watch Buried for a long time now. Ever since I heard that A. The entire movie takes place with Ryan Reynolds being buried underground and B. That it was good. Unless something involves a shark, if I know something is being well regarded then there's no way that I can ignore it--no matter how upsetting the premise may be. Yes, Buried had joined ranks there for a while as being again, the snakes in the pet store that I did not want to save---but found that I had to. Sigh.

Buried alive movies and even just thinking about the concept send me off into whirlwinds of panic. I remember vividly watching the Quentin Tarantino directed episode of CSI where Nick Stokes was buried alive. I was crying hysterically and freaking out which technically could have been attributed to the fact that at the time, I had a huge and burning crush on Nick Stokes but more than likely it was because the whole idea of it was so terrifying. I also remember coming close to a panic attack when my drama class went to go see Aida in New York. With talk of being buried alive, you cannot help but place yourself instantly into the situation. Hence, making it difficult to breathe and suffering the need to receive a hug, a Valium and a giant cocktail.

Buried is an hour and 30 minutes of watching Ryan Reynolds in a coffin. It's also insanely well made, and manages to hold your attention and more importantly "terrify" you for its entire running time. I use the term terrify loosely as some of you may just find that you're on the edge of your seat rather than terrified, but for the sake of describing my feelings let's use the word terrify. Armed only with a cell phone, some lights, and a knife---Paul Conroy wakes up in a coffin buried underneath the ground after his trucking company was ambushed by insurgents in Iraq. Or terrorists or whatever. Mean people in Iraq basically is the operative word here. The important thing to remember is that he is buried alive but really, how can we forget that?

You wouldn't think that a film that remains entirely with one character in one tiny little space would be interesting after say...10 minutes. Buried however manages to introduce all sorts of nail biting situations and scenarios that keep things interesting. This includes naturally the introduction of SNAKE midway through the film. Don't ask questions, just accept the snake. There's also plenty of interactions thanks to that handy cell phone that those mean Iraqi's stuck in the coffin with Paul. And the best part (worst part) is knowing that Paul is running out of time the longer the film goes on. And it's almost maddening to sit through.

That isn't to say Buried is not a film you should experience. By all means experience this film for yourself, just be careful that you may find yourself crying and clutching your cat or the nearest animal and/or bottle of alcohol by the film's end. I've seen some shit in my day. Like literally I've seen shit in movies and people eating it and girls getting raped with pointy rocks and babies being raped but I have never, NEVER seen something as painstakingly disturbing as what happens at the end of this movie.

Don't think crazy conspiracies or mind blowing twists either. And definitely do not think gore because there is none. Even in a moment of desperation and what could easily be classified as something grade-A Saw worthy---the camera cuts away. No, what happens at the end of Buried is the kind of horror that we rarely encounter when we watch movies. Obvs I can't talk about it in any real detail without completely ruining the movie for everyone but just know that shit is serious. So serious, that I'm not sure I'll be able to get these feelings out of my head for a long, long time.

I think we could all use some cuteness to soften things up a bit...

Oh yes, that is better.