Buried Alive is a 1990 American made-for-television horror thriller film directed by Frank Darabont and starring Tim Matheson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, William Atherton and Hoyt Axton.

They conspire to kill Clint and sell his company and house, with Joanna's reason to move back to Beverly Hills and buy a clinic.

After drinking the poisoned wine, Clint has a heart attack and seems to die, but while his body is at the morgue, he shows signs of life.

However, Joanna instructs that Clint be given a quick funeral, skipping the embalming process and choosing a cheap, water-damaged casket for him.

At the end of a passage leading to an unblocked window, Cortland sees a shadowy figure and, thinking it's Sam, tries to bribe him.

[5] Kino Lorber released the film on Blu-ray and DVD in America on January 12, 2021, in a new 2k master featuring an audio commentary by author and journalist Bryan Reeseman and an interview with William Atherton.

[citation needed] The film followed a similar plot to Buried Alive, switching the genders of the leading characters.

Cavett Binion of AllMovie gave the film two and a half stars out of five, writing, "Produced for cable TV, this pedestrian thriller purports to be a riff on Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Premature Burial' but actually bears more of a resemblance to Diabolique.

"[7] Tom Leins for Devon & Cornwall Film wrote a favorable review, stating, "Buried Alive is a quirky little curio elevated above TV-movie nonsense by committed performances from the three charismatic leads.

The horror genre has loomed large in Darabont's work since he scripted A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors back in 1987, and although his work in the horror sphere arguably reached its peak with zombie series The Walking Dead – prior to his untimely sacking – Buried Alive represents an appealing footnote in an often-inspired career.

"[1] Gary Collinson of Flickering Myth gave the film a favorable review, writing, "Although the plot of Buried Alive is fairly predictable, the film benefits immensely from some inventive direction from Darabont, while a capable cast of familiar faces including Matheson, Leigh, Atherton and country singer Hoyt Axton also helps to elevate it above your typical TV movie standards.

Whilst the plot actually makes sense and is professionally presented with a nicely ironic ending, there is little suspense and the whole thing is somewhat of a disappointment, given Frank Darabont's previous excellent genre record.