Buried (2010)

Buried (2010) is an intense survival thriller directed by Rodrigo Cortés. The film follows American civilian Paul Conroy, played by Ryan Reynolds, who finds himself trapped in a wooden coffin with minimal supplies after being ambushed by terrorists while working in Iraq. As he tries to piece together his situation, he realizes he has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom by his captor Jabir. With only a Zippo lighter, pen, and BlackBerry phone at his disposal, Paul desperately tries to contact help but receives no assistance from 911, the FBI, or his employer. Faced with the possibility of being left to die in the coffin, Paul must also navigate through various items left with him including a script to read, a malfunctioning flashlight, a glow stick, alcohol flask, and pocket knife.

After getting in touch with the State Department, Paul is informed that the government policy does not allow them to negotiate with terrorists and therefore they will not pay the ransom. However, they assure him that they are working on a plan to rescue him. Paul is then connected with Dan Brenner, the head of the Hostage Working Group. Brenner urges Paul not to record the video that Jabir has requested and advises him to conserve his phone’s battery life. He also mentions that another hostage, Mark White, was successfully rescued by their team three weeks ago. In an attempt to get help from his family, Paul calls his mother who unfortunately suffers from severe dementia and is unable to recognize him. Jabir contacts Paul again and sends a photo of Pamela, another hostage, with a gun pointed at her head. He demands a ransom video and threatens violence if it’s not delivered.