Horror Film of the Month

It’s that time of the month again! Although this film came out earlier in the year, I haven't had a chance to watch it until December! 

'Buried' is a type of high concept film that Alfred Hitchcock might have made. It depicts a man, Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) buried alive. The film opens with a climax of his discovery and terror of his confinement. This horror movie is a frightfully affective scare story. The film is ambitious in every way. For one there are no cutaways, flashbacks or scenes filmed outside the wooden coffin. Hitchcock would be very proud of the technique! It uses simplistic camera work that manages to capture every painful angle of the Paul’s battle. Throughout the film the camera is focused on one man and the audience are only aware of what the protagonist knows, hears and sees. The lack of light further enforces the tense atmosphere, engaging the audience and helping us to comprehend the struggle he faces. The film must be commended for its unflinching and brutal anti-Hollywood ending. 

I have already said far too much because this is one of those films where the less you know, the better it is, purely because the mystery adds to the thrill. 

The last time I saw an effective buried alive sequence was Uma Thurman in Kill Bill. However the only difference in this case is that there isn't any super human strength or ability to escape.

The trailer is innovative; it's made up of a montage of images. Also notice the use of lines that are very similar to the opening of Hitchcock's 'Psycho'. It doesn't reveal anything specific about the plotline, instead it showcases the reviews and ratings the film received from critics and newspaper/film magazine reviewers. It includes a backdrop of minimal dialogue that is fast paced and leaves you wanting more...