Synopsis: Paul (Ryan Reynolds) is a U.S. contractor working in Iraq. After an attack by a group of Iraqis he wakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it's a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap.If you decide to make an entire movie with only one guy on the screen the entire time, buried in a coffin, that one guy better be damn good. And Ryan Reynolds is just that here. He's got a cell phone, flashlight and a Zippo but it's all him. And he goes through fear, anger, panic, sadness, happiness, depression and acceptance all convincingly.
I thought the script was great as well. The pace of the film is perfect as the suspense builds and the shots within the coffin keep it from getting bogged down somehow. If you are claustrophobic, avoid this. I beg you. You're in the coffin with him for 90 minutes.
The only thing I can think of to compare this to is the CSI 2-parter (Grave Danger) back in season 5 that Quentin Tarantino co-wrote and directed where Nick gets buried in a glass casket and has a video camera on him while the team tries to find him and get to him. I also thought a bit of Colin Ferrell in Phone Booth back in 2002 for some reason.
So just one actor in an edge-of-your-seat thriller? In one location? Yes, it's possible. And the finale is mind-blowing. Good movie.
8/10
