"Buried": A claustrophobia-inducing thriller featuring Ryan Reynolds's best work

Buried is a film with a deceptively-simple concept: a man, Paul Conroy, is locked in a wooden box. Having no idea how he got into the box, his only lifeline is to use the cell phone in the box to call anyone that could help him. For this film, I'm not going to talk much about the plot, simply because the plot is so contained within the box saying anything more about it would ruin the viewing experience.

The film is entirely a showcase for Reynolds's acting ability. Any naysayers would likely have their doubts silenced within the first 20 minutes, with Reynolds making Paul's increasing panic and frustration very palpable. Even as more of the situation is pieced together, the film retains its claustrophobic feel, which is accomplished by the camera never leaving the wooden box and Paul's perspective. All the things about the world outside the box are only given through the phone or inferred through the noises Pail hears. The only seen actor is Reynolds. That's how stripped down this film is. However, precisely because of how simple it is, your enjoyment of it it really depends if you enjoy this sort of single-location. Some people just don't, in spite of how tense it is, and may find it boring. If you stick with it, however, you will find a very unsettling thriller giving you a deep sense of dread.

According to Reynolds, by the time the filming process ended, the experience was so grueling that he said he never wanted to do anything like that. I'm sure most viewers would agree that the film is a very uncomfortable watch. I definitely felt a deep sense of discomfort throughout the entire viewing experience, because for me, and I'm sure many others, the thought of being helplessly trapped in darkness is extremely unpleasant. Due to the tense narrative and the wonderful performance from Reynolds, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I watched it.

There is not a dull moment in this taut, single-location thriller. Simple? Yes. Suffocating yet brilliantly suspenseful? Definitely!

Verdict: Buried is a wonderfully tense one-man thriller with a standout performance by Ryan Reynolds. Must see!