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
16 Reviews
Amateurish Dark Comedy
SnoopyStyle28 August 2013
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.
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.
Would Work Better As A Short
Matt_Layden14 October 2009
After his father dies a young man inherits an old funeral home. The problem is that it isn't getting any business. So he, and the beautiful mortician, decide to kill people from the town to get the business booming. Sound familiar, that's because this is basically a remake of sorts of an old film starring Boris Karloff and Vincent Price called The Comedy of Terrors.
This film feels like a mixes dark comedy and horror. There are numerous deaths but all of them are off screen, with the exception of 3. One of which is pretty gruesome. It stars Jay Baruchel and rose Byrne, as the son and mortician. Byrne is pretty sweet here, in her dark and twisted role. Baruchel plays awkward well, and it fits the character here. It's just too bad I wasn't a big fan of this character. I found him annoying and incompetent.
The film has a few funny moments, but a lot of it is dark and doesn't get many laughs. It's more concerned for it's characters and morbid story then laughs. The film isn't for everyone and it tends to drag in parts, but for the most part I enjoyed it. It has a good twist and the good outweighs the bad.
This film feels like a mixes dark comedy and horror. There are numerous deaths but all of them are off screen, with the exception of 3. One of which is pretty gruesome. It stars Jay Baruchel and rose Byrne, as the son and mortician. Byrne is pretty sweet here, in her dark and twisted role. Baruchel plays awkward well, and it fits the character here. It's just too bad I wasn't a big fan of this character. I found him annoying and incompetent.
The film has a few funny moments, but a lot of it is dark and doesn't get many laughs. It's more concerned for it's characters and morbid story then laughs. The film isn't for everyone and it tends to drag in parts, but for the most part I enjoyed it. It has a good twist and the good outweighs the bad.
A Comedy Of (Homicidal) Errors
Heres_Johny8 September 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Just Buried is another pot of comedic gold at the end of the Canadian rainbow, starring our favorite go-to woobie Jay Baruchel and the prolific Rose Byrne of Bridesmaids fame. The long and short of it? Watch it.
Just Buried was released in 2007, so I'm nearly a decade late to the party on this one, but I had high hopes for this pairing, having seen both actors progress in their more recent careers. Baruchel's most known for his collaborations with fellow incognito-Canadian Seth Rogen in films like Knocked Up and This Is The End, where he plays a lovable guy who gets kicked around by fate (and Just Buried is no departure). Byrne's a little harder to pin down – she'd played in everything from super-hero flicks to horrors like Insidious, with a smattering of indie thrown in for good measure – so I was delighted to discover a new facet of her skill-set in Just Buried, where she plays an obsessive mortician with a ludicrous but lovable knack for accidental crime.
At its heart Just Buried could be compared to a number of other David-Goliath underdog comedies like Dodgeball or The Longest Yard, but it goes further than that. It's a buddy-tale between protagonist Oliver (Baruchel) and Roberta (Byrne) in the same vein as I Love You Man, featuring two very different but surprisingly compatible strangers who form a fast friendship (plus, later on, the inevitable wish-fulfillment fantasy typical of these sorts of films, where the nerdy nervous hero takes a corner in life and finds himself at the absurd center of a number of women and their rapidly escalating sexual advances).
But first and foremost, it's a comedy of errors.
Oliver, in town for his estranged father's funeral, expected a quick in-and-out visit; that is, until the will is executed, and Oliver inherits his father's funeral home. It's only later that he's informed his own father is the home's first 'customer' in a year. The business has been ailing ever since sleaze-ball Wayne Snarr (Christopher Shore) opened a rival funeral home, interdicting which his greasy marketing all the 'clients' from the retirement home which had been a goldmine for Oliver's father. The setup for the underdog comedy is obvious, but it's a trope viewers seemingly never tire of, and I daresay a funeral-home is a fresher take on the genre than a dodgeball team (or any sporting team, for that matter).
While command of the funeral home, Oliver meets Roberta, the young, somewhat creepy mortician as well as the local coroner. Nervous Oliver (who suffers a nosebleed every time he gets nervous, often to hilarious effect) bumbles through their encounters until Roberta takes pity on him and takes him out for drinks.
It's here the film takes a turn into the absurd, which predictably is when the comedy kicks in.
After their cocktails and beers Oliver insists he probably shouldn't be driving. Eternally upbeat Roberta insists "everyone around here does it", and they hop in the truck and take backroads. Everything's going fine, and we're starting so suspect some unlikely romantic undertones, until Oliver looks away from the road for a moment And just like that, the funeral home's got another customer.
For once, things seem to go right for Oliver. His first official funeral as director is a smashing success, and the dearly-deceased had the decency to be relatively loaded. But naturally, we can assume all is not well. And as the pair go to greater and more absurd lengths to keep the truth hidden, the bodies start to pile up. The repo-men are at the funeral home for the furniture, rival Snarr is offering low-ball buyout deals, and – short of engineering more 'accidental' deaths – the pair struggles to keep the business afloat, hide their crimes, and keep their heads above water as various townsfolk grow suspicious (including Roberta's own father who, in small-town tradition, just so happens to be the sheriff).
Just Buried revolves around a funeral home, and as you'd expect, death is a central theme. It speaks to director-writer Chaz Thorn's skill that he's able to wring maximum laughs out of a dark theme, but I wouldn't even go so far as to call this one a 'black comedy' (or a dark comedy, since I'm not sure what the official PC-stance on 'black comedy' is). Just Buried is ultimately light-hearted in tone, and with the number of accidental deaths and their varying degree of unlikelihood, it's clear that the movie doesn't take itself too seriously. If we're going to call films like The Lobster a black comedy, then Just Buried is a romp, a lark. The stakes are high, but that's only a plot device to give skeleton to the film's muscle and fat: the laughs and character dynamics.
Baruchel, naturally, kills it. I don't think I've ever seen a movie of his I didn't like, so maybe I'm biased. But the true credit goes to Byrne; 'whacky' female characters, no matter how well written, can tend to skew towards Manic Pixie Dreamgirl in the bad cases, to annoying, to downright unbelievable in the worst instances. It's not an easy role by any means, but Byrne riffs off the theme perfectly, balancing just the right amount of ridiculous and relatable, snark and serious. Roberta provides Oliver a perfect foil while maintaining her own depth: she has her own stakes and motivations critical to the plot.
I wouldn't say Just Buried is my favorite from either actor. Baruchel's best role remains himself in This Is The End, and I like Byrne's dramatics better in films like The Place Beyond The Pines. It's not even in the running for best recent Canadian comedy (of which there are too many to compare).
But for a film about a funeral home, it's far more hilarious than I'd have thought possible.
Just Buried was released in 2007, so I'm nearly a decade late to the party on this one, but I had high hopes for this pairing, having seen both actors progress in their more recent careers. Baruchel's most known for his collaborations with fellow incognito-Canadian Seth Rogen in films like Knocked Up and This Is The End, where he plays a lovable guy who gets kicked around by fate (and Just Buried is no departure). Byrne's a little harder to pin down – she'd played in everything from super-hero flicks to horrors like Insidious, with a smattering of indie thrown in for good measure – so I was delighted to discover a new facet of her skill-set in Just Buried, where she plays an obsessive mortician with a ludicrous but lovable knack for accidental crime.
At its heart Just Buried could be compared to a number of other David-Goliath underdog comedies like Dodgeball or The Longest Yard, but it goes further than that. It's a buddy-tale between protagonist Oliver (Baruchel) and Roberta (Byrne) in the same vein as I Love You Man, featuring two very different but surprisingly compatible strangers who form a fast friendship (plus, later on, the inevitable wish-fulfillment fantasy typical of these sorts of films, where the nerdy nervous hero takes a corner in life and finds himself at the absurd center of a number of women and their rapidly escalating sexual advances).
But first and foremost, it's a comedy of errors.
Oliver, in town for his estranged father's funeral, expected a quick in-and-out visit; that is, until the will is executed, and Oliver inherits his father's funeral home. It's only later that he's informed his own father is the home's first 'customer' in a year. The business has been ailing ever since sleaze-ball Wayne Snarr (Christopher Shore) opened a rival funeral home, interdicting which his greasy marketing all the 'clients' from the retirement home which had been a goldmine for Oliver's father. The setup for the underdog comedy is obvious, but it's a trope viewers seemingly never tire of, and I daresay a funeral-home is a fresher take on the genre than a dodgeball team (or any sporting team, for that matter).
While command of the funeral home, Oliver meets Roberta, the young, somewhat creepy mortician as well as the local coroner. Nervous Oliver (who suffers a nosebleed every time he gets nervous, often to hilarious effect) bumbles through their encounters until Roberta takes pity on him and takes him out for drinks.
It's here the film takes a turn into the absurd, which predictably is when the comedy kicks in.
After their cocktails and beers Oliver insists he probably shouldn't be driving. Eternally upbeat Roberta insists "everyone around here does it", and they hop in the truck and take backroads. Everything's going fine, and we're starting so suspect some unlikely romantic undertones, until Oliver looks away from the road for a moment And just like that, the funeral home's got another customer.
For once, things seem to go right for Oliver. His first official funeral as director is a smashing success, and the dearly-deceased had the decency to be relatively loaded. But naturally, we can assume all is not well. And as the pair go to greater and more absurd lengths to keep the truth hidden, the bodies start to pile up. The repo-men are at the funeral home for the furniture, rival Snarr is offering low-ball buyout deals, and – short of engineering more 'accidental' deaths – the pair struggles to keep the business afloat, hide their crimes, and keep their heads above water as various townsfolk grow suspicious (including Roberta's own father who, in small-town tradition, just so happens to be the sheriff).
Just Buried revolves around a funeral home, and as you'd expect, death is a central theme. It speaks to director-writer Chaz Thorn's skill that he's able to wring maximum laughs out of a dark theme, but I wouldn't even go so far as to call this one a 'black comedy' (or a dark comedy, since I'm not sure what the official PC-stance on 'black comedy' is). Just Buried is ultimately light-hearted in tone, and with the number of accidental deaths and their varying degree of unlikelihood, it's clear that the movie doesn't take itself too seriously. If we're going to call films like The Lobster a black comedy, then Just Buried is a romp, a lark. The stakes are high, but that's only a plot device to give skeleton to the film's muscle and fat: the laughs and character dynamics.
Baruchel, naturally, kills it. I don't think I've ever seen a movie of his I didn't like, so maybe I'm biased. But the true credit goes to Byrne; 'whacky' female characters, no matter how well written, can tend to skew towards Manic Pixie Dreamgirl in the bad cases, to annoying, to downright unbelievable in the worst instances. It's not an easy role by any means, but Byrne riffs off the theme perfectly, balancing just the right amount of ridiculous and relatable, snark and serious. Roberta provides Oliver a perfect foil while maintaining her own depth: she has her own stakes and motivations critical to the plot.
I wouldn't say Just Buried is my favorite from either actor. Baruchel's best role remains himself in This Is The End, and I like Byrne's dramatics better in films like The Place Beyond The Pines. It's not even in the running for best recent Canadian comedy (of which there are too many to compare).
But for a film about a funeral home, it's far more hilarious than I'd have thought possible.
Far From Fargo
dvd1238 February 2009
With the cold climate and attempts at dark humor, I could definitely see that a Fargo-like picture was this filmmaker's goal. Unfortunately, desire to be like Fargo doesn't necessarily result in a movie that's anywhere near the same league as Fargo. In fact, mentioning Just Buried and Fargo in the same sentence is an enormous cinematic sacrilege.
Some actors transcend horrible writing. Jay Baruchel is not one of those actors. I can see how, with Judd Apatow pulling the strings in Undeclared, Baruchel might have appeared as brilliant to a prospective casting agent. For a while I was quite enamored. If you could actually sit through this entirely movie like I did, though, you'd see how painfully unbrilliant Jay Baruchel really is.
Ultimately, though, at the end of the day, this isn't Jay's fault. The fault lies squarely in the hands of one of the most hackneyed writers to come along in quite some time. This script has the mental acuity of a 6 old. At first you groan at the hideous choices the writer makes, but, by the end, you're laughing- a lot. It's just so stupid and so far-fetched- there's nothing left to do but laugh.
Boring, predictable and dumb. This is in my top 10 most miserable movie going experiences. Rose Byrne, shame on you for accepting this role. If this is indicative of your ability to weed out good scripts from the bad, you're in heaps of trouble. At no point in time could this script ever have looked like a viable project.
Unless, of course, you have a 6 year old reading scripts for you.
Some actors transcend horrible writing. Jay Baruchel is not one of those actors. I can see how, with Judd Apatow pulling the strings in Undeclared, Baruchel might have appeared as brilliant to a prospective casting agent. For a while I was quite enamored. If you could actually sit through this entirely movie like I did, though, you'd see how painfully unbrilliant Jay Baruchel really is.
Ultimately, though, at the end of the day, this isn't Jay's fault. The fault lies squarely in the hands of one of the most hackneyed writers to come along in quite some time. This script has the mental acuity of a 6 old. At first you groan at the hideous choices the writer makes, but, by the end, you're laughing- a lot. It's just so stupid and so far-fetched- there's nothing left to do but laugh.
Boring, predictable and dumb. This is in my top 10 most miserable movie going experiences. Rose Byrne, shame on you for accepting this role. If this is indicative of your ability to weed out good scripts from the bad, you're in heaps of trouble. At no point in time could this script ever have looked like a viable project.
Unless, of course, you have a 6 year old reading scripts for you.
A Deadly Affair
mystery_bear9 September 2007
I had a hard time warming up to 'Just Buried'. I came in with high expectations but it initially gave me an impression of unbelievability. I had a hard time believing Jay's character, and the beginning dialog. As I continued watching the movie I understood the universe director Chaz Thorne created. After understanding the intentions behind what was happening the film became very entertaining, extremely ironic and in many ways quite clever. It's not a complicated plot nor a complicated film but for something made in such simplicity there's a lot it has to say.
I hope you watch it. I hope you enjoy it.
PS: Rose Byrne was gold!
I hope you watch it. I hope you enjoy it.
PS: Rose Byrne was gold!
Satire Let Down
nightblooming_violet28 August 2018
Fargo meets Trouble With Harry
doug-69711 September 2007
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.
True Alfred Hitchcockian dark comedy thriller.
barrywood26 July 2008
Jay Baruchel plays a nerd and he plays it well. He has nosebleeds if he's stressed out so of course when he inherits a funeral home, he gets many nose bleeds. The movie was filmed in Windsor and Halifax, Nova Scotia. The camera shots are wonderful. But wait: the plot (or plots?) is convincing and I must warn those who are easily grossed out not to watch this movie. I hooted and cringed all in a matter of minutes. You'll see what I mean when you see certain scenes. I haven't seen a movie that is as original as when I'd last seen of one Alfred Hitchcock movies. So its true: this is a "very" dark comedy. If it was released by Paramount, talk show hosts would be talking about it. But once again, I warn you that certain scenes are beyond gross. I rate "Just Buried" highly. Spend the ten bucks and go see it for yourself, while it's still in Canadian theaters.
corpses, funerals and formaldehyde...
mr_popcorn18 December 2008
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.
Soooo Twisted, yet so good.
leegaccmovies30 March 2009
I wasn't expecting much from this film at first, but minutes in, I was intrigued, and as time went on, I really dug the story and the characters. Oliver inherits his father's funeral home in a town where no one is dying. The solution? Kill people. It's dark comedy at its finest. Jay Baruchel plays a nerdy weasel while his partner in crime, Rose Byrne, mixes seductive tendencies with a cold blooded streak. It's quirky and gory (a warning to those people who are squeamish). The twists and turns shocked me each time. I only wish the film was longer, because the story has so much potential. But don't let that dissuade anyone. The film is great.
Criminally Underrated
clarkcwilson22 July 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Going into this movie, my expectations were incredibly low. I had never heard of it, the plot sounded impossibly bizarre, and the few frames of the movie that were on display looked like they were taken using an old Polaroid Camera. However, the movie left me praising the genius I had witnessed. It seems like the flaws I mentioned earlier were done deliberately. The filter lighting and cameras used give the movie a vintage feeling, this combined with the simplistic camera angles make it feel like it is from the late 80's. The fact that the movie is so little-known makes it feel like a relic lost to time. Finally, the bizarre plot seems to be too ridiculous to take seriously, making it appear like a Mars Attacks!-esque 'B' movie . While it could be viewed like that, it could also be viewed as a metaphor for the evils of mankind twisting someone who's relatively innocent and turning them into a monster, much like Walter White in Breaking Bad. Interpret this movie as a cheesy comedy or a dark metaphor, this is absolutely worth watching.
A crypt "ick" plot
Bernie444416 December 2023
Oliver Whynacht inherits his father's ailing funeral home. Due to location, it looks like its competing funeral home is getting all of the business.
Poor Oliver seems to be having bad luck; due to a series of accidents several locals are being dispatched. He is consoled and supported by the female mortician. Soon Oliver and the mortician must take positive action to mask the previous accidents. Oliver is getting good at this and now sees a bright future. But is there some underlying plot that Oliver is not aware of?
Never let it be said that Canadians don't know how to produce dark comedies.
The plot is relatively transparent so it might not be of interest to people that are waiting for a lot of plot twists and the butler to come out of the closet at the last minute.
It is, however, fun to watch the characters go through their motions and allow you time to kibitz.
Poor Oliver seems to be having bad luck; due to a series of accidents several locals are being dispatched. He is consoled and supported by the female mortician. Soon Oliver and the mortician must take positive action to mask the previous accidents. Oliver is getting good at this and now sees a bright future. But is there some underlying plot that Oliver is not aware of?
Never let it be said that Canadians don't know how to produce dark comedies.
The plot is relatively transparent so it might not be of interest to people that are waiting for a lot of plot twists and the butler to come out of the closet at the last minute.
It is, however, fun to watch the characters go through their motions and allow you time to kibitz.
A young man comes to father's burial and fell in love with local mortician
goldenchakram3 March 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Wow, what a great movie. Firstly I must say that this movie made me to become fan of Rose Byrne. She is amazing here. Much better than her role in Damages or Wicker Park. After his father death, Oliver (Jay Baruchel) comes in a small town on his funeral and there he meet beautiful local mortician Roberta Knickel (Rose Byrne). His father leaves him funeral home. Business goes well when people suddenly start's dying but everything is just a part of bigger plan. Movie is black comedy and it has very funny scenes, but Rose Byrne is the main reason to watch it couple of times. The best scene in this movie to me is conversation about Roberta's work on dead people during breakfast. She is so in her role while she was explaining Oliver how she prepares body for funeral.
Black comedy...Got to see it.
VladMaster9924 March 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I loved it even though I saw the Twist coming a mile off. Who didn't..Having a twist at the end of a film, That hits you like an Intergalatic Gargle blaster is very...very rare. Did I mention that I enjoyed it. I am off to get some more popcorn. To watch it again.Jaffa's anyone. Oh and I would have done ANYTHING for Rose. Next Hires Sunshine,Tender Hooks, Adam, and Knowing. As Knowing does look good. Will put her In my MythTV Record list. Hope you enjoy this film for it is a little gem. But a previous poster mentions the fact that this is a remake...If so what was the original movie. Will have to see The Last Super as this is mention on the DVD "In the tradition of"
A Remake
ichocolat25 February 2009
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.
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.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
