Just Buried

Director: Chaz Thorne
Country: Canada

Jay Baruchel and Rose Byrne star as Oliver and Roberta in this very dark comedy about a funeral home in regional Nova Scotia. After his father died, Oliver inherits the family business - a funeral home in a town where there are no people dying. Just before selling the business to its main competitor, Oliver and Rose run into a resident with Oliver's truck, and are forced to cover it up. Soon they realize that further cover-up deaths (both accidental and intentional) could help business pick up.

Just Buried provides a very warped view of death, and a highly amusing one at that. It provides another example of how low-budget film-making can also produce good films. Rose Byrne serves up a typically solid performance, while Jay Baruchel steals the show with his very frail and straight-shooting character. Filled with lots of twists and turns, this is not absolutely brilliant, but is certainly enjoyable enough, in a sick and twisted way.

This is one that I recommend to everybody who has a perverse sense of humour, especially those who have a strange obsession with the subject of death.

Q&A: Writer and director Chaz Thorne came up to answer some questions about the movie. He discussed things such as the limitations of a low-budget movie, his inspirations for the script, and financial and emotional toll of film-making. His comments about how ridiculously expensive it is to get a movie made reminds me of why I am not an aspiring filmmaker.