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BURIEDMovie Reviews
Thriller about a man, a truck driver in Iraq, who is taken hostage and buried alive in a coffin. Cast:Ryan Reynolds, Ivana Miño, Stephen Tobolowsky, Samantha Mathis, Diane Farr, José Luis García-PérezDirector:Rodrigo CortésRelease Date:September 24, 2010DVD Release:January 18, 2011From:LionsgateRating:RLength:1 hr. 34 min.
JANUARY 18, 2011
Buried, Good (Not Great) Reviews, Mixed Key Cities
Buried played in key cities to good not great reviews. Reviews were mixed. • Kyle Smith wrote in the New York Post, "...impressive, at times blisteringly suspenseful... if much of the middle of the movie is weak, the ending is a frenzied freakout." • And Josh Tyler wrote for Cinema Blend, "...works not because Ryan Reynolds is good (he is) but because director Rodrigo Cortes is even better." More Reviews Below...
Mary Pols, Time: MODERATE "...the movie is interestingly aggressive... it basically jams our fingers into our mouths and forces us to bite our nails to the quick..."(See all of Mary Pols's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 839 words, 09/23/10
Jake Coyle, Associated Press: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...an intriguing if somewhat absurd B-movie.... the interest here is getting an answer to: 'How'd they do that? How'd they make such an uncinematic movie?' "(See all of Jake Coyle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 549 words, 09/30/10
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: GOOD(cg) "...he's in a coffin. No one can hear him scream. Besides, screaming uses up oxygen. Are you feeling claustrophobic yet? Trust me, you will."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 211 words, 09/24/10
Claudia Puig, USA Today: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...plays on our most primal fears, boldly thrusting us into a situation most of us hope never to experience, at least not while we're alive."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 514 words, 09/24/10
Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...director Rodrigo Cortes and writer Chris Sparling are ingenious in creating more plausible action than you would expect possible."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 555 words, 09/23/10
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...isn't a lot of fun, but it is raw and compelling... taking your eyes away from Ryan Reynolds' hypnotizing performance is not an option."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 813 words, 09/23/10
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Kyle Smith, New York Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...impressive, at times blisteringly suspenseful... if much of the middle of the movie is weak, the ending is a frenzied freakout."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 461 words, 09/24/10
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...quite gripping and highly recommended for masochists of all stripes, except perhaps the ones wearing the American military kind..."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 564 words, 09/28/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...director Rodrigo Cortes and writer Chris Sparling are ingenious in creating more plausible action than you would expect possible."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 555 words, 09/23/10
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the tension keeps building, right to the end. Proving yet again that in movies, even though the space may get smaller, the picture doesn't have to."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 423 words, 10/08/10
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "Fears don't get any more primal than this.... the suspense cuts through any narrative sludge and never falters right to the surprising final frame..."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 574 words, 10/01/10
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "Reynolds is riveting, and it's possible to appreciate Cortés's bravura cinematic accomplishment. But that'll come much later, after you catch your breath."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 122 words, 09/30/10
KEY CITIES (10 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a breakout moment for Reynolds. Is it a fun hour and a half? No. But it succeeds within its own straitened contours. It's an intriguing squirm."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 408 words, 10/01/10
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: VERY GOOD(cg) "You have to remind yourself to breathe. It's not that you're literally stuck, in a coffin.... But this everybody's-worst-nightmare thriller makes feel that you are."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 507 words, 10/08/10
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...alive with white-knuckle tension. Ryan Reynolds gives a barnstorming performance in this nerve-racking thriller."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 560 words, 10/08/10
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...terrific, claustrophobic, fist-clenching... a compelling exercise in expert filmmaking, boosted by a fantastic performance by Ryan Reynolds."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 558 words, 10/02/10
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "It does have a glimmer of farcical damnation. But 'Buried' works better as an evocation of 'Twilight Zone' eeriness. Even then, it's silly and gimmicky."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 573 words, 10/01/10
Stephen Whitty, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...gripping... a standout performance by Reynolds.... At its best, it's a filmmaker's fondest double-dare challenge. And at its very best, it's considerably more."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 452 words, 10/08/10
Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a 90-minute exercise in down-and-dirty claustrophobic horror.... The effect is in-your-face familiarity with a single character."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 381 words, 09/24/10
Ted Fry, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "Nightmarish and gripping... There's genuine adventure and a mind-bending overlay of primal dread sealed inside the spellbinding and ingenious experience of 'Buried.' "(See all of Ted Fry's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 378 words, 10/01/10
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: GOOD(cg) "...one of the plainest films of the year -- of any year, really -- but it's satisfyingly complex, truly gripping, and altogether admirable."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 589 words, 10/08/10
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "...despite its seemingly impossible premise, by turns funny, suspenseful, moving and - in one heart-stopping sequence worthy of 'Indiana Jones' - incredibly exciting."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 452 words, 10/08/10
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: MODERATE(cg) "...a one-trick thriller... settles into a series of pseudo-ironic twists and a conclusion that will leave you gasping for air."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 163 words, 09/30/10
Noel Murray, AV Club: VERY GOOD(cg) "Reynolds is terrific... director Rodrigo Cortés and screenwriter Chris Sparling overlay a preposterous premise with familiar modern complaints."(See all of Noel Murray's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 298 words, 09/23/10
Simon Abrams, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...hardly the sum of its tantalizing parts, Cortés puts enough genuine craft and thoughtful execution into it to make his big breakthrough a smart little B movie."(See all of Simon Abrams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 399 words, 09/20/10
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "Reynolds is riveting, and it's possible to appreciate Cortés's bravura cinematic accomplishment. But that'll come much later, after you catch your breath."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 122 words, 09/30/10
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: OUTSTANDING(cg) "How did anyone dare to do this? Did anyone have any notion that such a recklessly bold premise for a film would possibly succeed this well?"(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 751 words, 10/05/10
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: EXCELLENT(cg) "...carried off with visual brilliance and technical polish, boasting a towering performance that should make Ryan Reynolds a major star and bona fide actor."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 677 words, 09/19/10
20.2 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Buried's reviews are separated by an average 20.2 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Buried (40 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Buried's reviews cover 85.4% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 17,626 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 441 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 23.5 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Buried's reviews on average broke 23.5 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Buried's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
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