Buriedalso known as “Enterrado Vivo,” “Haudattu,” “Pogrzebany”

Positive—This film is entirely shot in a coffin buried under the ground. There are no flashbacks or any other scenes that take the viewer outside of the coffin. Ryan Reynolds is the only actor cast in the movie. This movie is very ambitious because it uses only one actor and a very tight space, but the suspense is enough to keep viewers engaged.

The only moral objects that I can recall in the movie were a few scenes where the main character used bad language to illustrate his frustration. There was no nudity, but there was a couple scenes of violence, one that is shown on a cell phone video the main character is viewing and the other violent scene involved self-mutilation.

The ending scenes were dramatic and could be possibly upsetting to some, but, for me, these scenes just brought me to the edge of my seat in suspense. The movie centers around the theme of death and the desperation to stay alive. The main character is in a life or death situation, but he doesn’t pray, he just panics.

The most heartwarming scene of this dark film was when he contacted his wife and tearfully spoke to her and assured her that he would be ok. Compared to most of Hollywood’s offerings, this film wasn’t offensive. If you like ambitious filmmaking and good acting and you can stomach some bad language coupled with a few disturbing scenes and a dark tone, you will enjoy this movie as I did.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
—Keely, age 21 (USA)

Negative—As a movie-buff, I liked the movie for its originality and suspense, but as a Christian, it was a disaster for me morally. Any movie that elicits a strong sense of emotional involvement always rates highly with me for its filmmaking quality. At times, I felt like I was in the coffin with the victim. I watched the film on a 40-inch, flat-screened TV, so I imagine the feeling of being trapped was even more pronounced viewing it in a theater.

However, its moral rating is very offensive, but not because of the bad language or violence. There were expletives to be sure, words that I might also use if faced with a similar situation, and the violence is graphic, which is not surprising for a movie based on war and terrorism.

What I objected to was the total absence of faith in the victim. God was never sought nor called upon (even in vain!) in desperation or anger. I would expect most people in such dire circumstances to cry out to the Creator, certainly agnostics, who constitute the majority of non-believers. This was most curious to me and very disturbing generally of films made today depicting a worldview that buries any message of hope for this life and beyond through faith. In short, I enjoyed “Buried” for its artistic qualities, but I’m also critical of it for excluding "God… our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble" (Ps. 46:1).
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4½
—David, age 54 (USA)

…a horror movie with delusions of moral grandeur… Mr. Reynolds has never been a deep actor, and the emotional demands of his role are beyond his range. The crude screenplay does him no favors.…
—Stephen Holden, The New York Times

…Ryan Reynolds has limited space to work in, and body language more or less preordained by the coffin, but he makes the character convincing if necessarily limited.…[3½/4]
—Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

…On the minus side? It’s just Ryan Reynolds in a coffin for an hour and a half.… on a technical level “Buried” is impressive, at times blisteringly suspenseful, making the most of a ripping score and Reynolds' fully charged agony…
—Kyle Smith, New York Post

…Reynolds is excellent as the Everyman whose shoes we can easily slip on.… a powerful thriller, awash in terror. A few moments, however, test our suspension of disbelief and the limits of logic.…
—Claudia Puig, USA Today

…silly and gimmicky…
—Wesley Morris, The Boston Globe

…My admiration for Cortes' artistic integrity was tinged with irritation, that kind of good-for-you-but-please-stop-doing-that feeling you might get when an idealistic young relative starts lecturing you about American slaughterhouses just as you begin to carve the holiday roast.…
—Mary Pols, Time magazine