Just Buried

Greed, sex and death are all crucial elements to great horror and/or dark comedy. Thankfully, the morbidly twisted tale that is Just Buried manages to wring every possible drop of each out onto celluloid in what may very well be one of the best second-class films of the year. Oliver Whynacht (Jay Baruchel) is a nerdy guy who winds up inheriting his estranged father's funeral home. Unfortunately, the joint is borderline bankrupt and Oliver has no clue as to how to get the small town parlour back on its feet. Thanks to a freak accident, his unusual embalmer/eventual love interest Roberta (Rose Byrne) devises a twisted idea: offing residents in bizarre ways to keep things afloat. Naturally, this gruesome secret provides more than enough means for hilarity, awkwardness and gore. Insert a twist ending and Just Buried becomes a refreshingly divergent tale of morbid fun. While Just Buried barely escapes the Canadian feel that permeates most Canadian films — that not quite slick enough for Hollywood/just above B-flick production values essence — there's no denying that a great deal of effort has gone into it. Baruchel, Byrne and supporting actor Graham Greene all rack up wonderful, enthralling roles as the unassuming geek, weird girlfriend and nonchalant groundskeeper, respectively. As for the DVD release, the "making of" highlights the finer elements of creating a black tale such as this and a commentary with Thorne and Baruchel offers the occasional chuckle and insight. It's not much but with material that's already strong enough to stand on its own little more is required. Just Buried provides a delightfully unique tale of humour, disgust and deceit, with a close-to-home feel that's engaging and unnerving at the same time.