Just Buried

This funeral home based dark comedy is somewhat of a rarity. It does not pull any punches, at times is gritty, and resolves itself with quite a satisfying ending. The fact that other than Graham Greene's character, no one will elicit any sympathy just adds to the fun. If you like death as a motivation for personal gain, then "Just Buried" is a must see. The acting and character development is quite good for this limited budget endeavor. It is funny, never boring, and at times unpredictable. The conclusion especially is surprisingly original. I recommend this black comedy for both it's creativity and entertainment value. - MERK

To me this movie felt like a combination Fargo and The Trouble With Harry. It's witty, hilarious unpredictable black comedy with one specific scene (you'll know which one when you see it) which got one of the loudest reactions I've ever heard in a theatre. It takes place in Nova Scotia (although I noticed the Canadian elements weren't heavily emphasized, perhaps so it might pass as the US for American distribution?) and it definitely has a small town feel. A likable, harmless and rather bumbling son comes to a small town to inherit his father's funeral home. He tries to run it, then he tries to sell it, fails to do either and during all this all the "fun" takes place. The movie has the courage to go for the comedic jugular (like Fargo ex: the wood- chipper scene) which carries it past so many of the comedies out there.

At first, I have no idea that this film is a remake from a film made years ago. After reading the comments and the forum in IMDb, I went to rent the film. And yes, I was surprised to know that both film were the same, down to the incidents and some of the dialogues! However, even though it is a remake, the cast made a huge difference to this film. Whilst the older film excelled, this film didn't quite make it.

I do not think the problem is with the individual character, but to the cast as a whole. They lacked chemistry that it made the film rather dry.

However, a give a decent 6 for this film, mainly because it copied (thus made it a remake) and I liked the original film.

The dark comedy genre has always been a favorite of mine. From the Coen's comedy efforts to award winning films like American Beauty and indie smash hits like Little Miss Sunshine. I am always amazed on how comedy and tragedy blend and mix perfectly so whenever I hear of an upcoming dark comedy release, I do everything in my power to grab ahold of a copy. Just Buried I have to say, is entertaining in many ways. From the clever script to solid gold acting from both Byrne and Baruchel, and let's not forget the picturesque setting the director created. This movie will make you laugh, you will be scratching your head at times when you see the ridiculousness but that isn't really a bad thing. It might be silly but hey, this is no Fellini artpiece either so you just have to let go and let the movie take you in a wild ride about corpses, funerals and formaldehyde.

Aimless Oliver Whynacht (Jay Baruchel) inherits his estranged father's nearly-bankrupted funeral home. There is a lack of people dying. With worker Roberta Knickle (Rose Byrne), they set off to kill so they could resume their funeral work.

This dark comedy lack the require style to be quirky or dark enough. It's a Canadian indie but director/writer Chaz Thorne just don't have the skills to pull this off. There's a definite lack of energy in the shooting style. As hard as the actors try, they just couldn't fill the lack of pace. It does pick up later on as more and more people are killed. But it doesn't save the movie.