Featured Image Credit: Netflix
Topics: Netflix, US News, Rotten Tomatoes, Film and TV
Ellie Kemp
Netflix subscribers need to hurry or they'll miss an emotive documentary that has been labeled as 'one of the best ever.'
The streaming service is famed for its award-winning documentaries, alongside its slate of original movies and TV series.
And if you're looking for your next binge-watch, then this is for sure one to add to your list. But you might want to bump it to the top; it's leaving Netflix on Thursday (May 5).
The documentary examines one of the deadliest avalanches in US history. On March 31, 1982, a huge avalanche enveloped Lake Tahoe ski resort, devastatingly claiming the lives of seven people.
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A brutal, five-day research and rescue operation followed, which miraculously saved the life of 22-year-old Anna Conrad Allen.
The ski-lift operator had been buried alive inside the resort's locker room, with the initial blast knocking her unconscious.
"I woke up probably the next day hearing the blast of the avalanche mitigation that was taking place and trying to figure out where I was," she recalled to FOX Weather last year.
"My head was pounding. So the idea was really to just see if I could figure out a way to get out of where I was."
Eventually, grabbing at the 'snow falling above her head,' Anna was able to stick her hand out and was spotted by rescuers.
The avalanche was triggered after a huge snow storm which battered the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range for four consecutive days, dumping a huge eight feet of snow on the area.
The documentary, Buried: The 1982 Alpine Meadows Avalanche unpicks the aftermath of the deadly avalanche, featuring interviews with search and rescuers and survivors - including Anna.
The film also explores the psychological impact on survivors and the long-term challenges they faced in processing the trauma.
Following the avalanche, Anna suffered from dehydration, hypothermia and severe frostbite, resulting in the loss of part of her right leg and left foot.
However, to this day, she still continues to ski.
"One of my biggest goals was never to make this incident my whole life. This wasn't going to define me," she said. "I wanted to make sure that I survived the avalanche fully, not just partially."
Buried first released in 2022 before joining Netflix in November 2023.
It's racked up a perfect 100 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising how 'extremely well-made' it was.
Fans echoed the same sentiments, as one wrote: "This documentary is one of the best that I have ever watched... Well filmed, well documented, and the subject matter was handled beautifully with grace..."
A second summed up: "Compelling. Emotional. Impactful," as a third wrote: "One of the greatest movies of all time."
A fourth admitted they were 'broken inside' after watching the movie, as another wrote: "Buried is a must see."
Buried: The 1982 Alpine Meadows Avalanche leaves Netflix on Thursday May 8.