In the crowded landscape of modern horror, the "zombie" subgenre often feels as though it has been picked clean of all original meat. However, writer and director Zak Hilditch, known for his starkly effective Netflix adaptation of 1922, returns to the screen with a project that attempts to breathe new, albeit cold, life into the walking dead. Produced by a collaborative effort including The Penguin Empire and Campfire Studios, We Bury the Dead made its global debut at the 2025 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival before securing a limited theatrical release in the United States on January 2, 2026, through Vertical.
The film follows Ava Newman, played with a searing intensity by Daisy Ridley, as she navigates the wreckage of a catastrophic military experiment that has devastated her community. Ava is a woman defined by her desperation, specifically her refusal to accept the likely demise of her husband. In a bid to find him, or at least find closure, she joins a "Body Retrieval Unit," a grim squad tasked with the physical labor of cataloging and interring the mountain of corpses left behind. However, the nature of her work shifts from mourning to survival when the very bodies she is laying to rest begin to exhibit terrifying signs of reanimation. It is a film that positions the apocalypse not just as a global collapse, but as a deeply personal, claustrophobic journey through the stages of grief.
Story and Screenplay: Examining the Intersection of Mourning and the Living Dead
The narrative quality of We Bury the Dead is most impressive when it focuses on the literal and metaphorical dirt of its premise. Zak Hilditch’s screenplay takes the familiar trope of the "undead" and recontextualizes it through the lens of a labor intensive procedural. The first half of the film is a masterful slow burn, focusing on the mechanics of the Body Retrieval Unit. We see the heavy toll this work takes on the psyche of the survivors, turning the act of burial into a ritual of both duty and despair. This section of the film feels original and grounded, avoiding the typical "survivor vs. zombie" action beats in favor of exploring the "gnawing horror" of what it means to actually process the physical remains of a lost world.
However, the structure begins to wobble as the film transitions from a contemplative character study into a more traditional survival thriller. While the pacing in the first two acts is deliberate and haunting, the rhythm in the final act feels somewhat rushed and less certain of its footing. The script introduces hurdles for Ava that are occasionally surmounted with a neatness that saps the story of its initial impact. Themes of denial and the refusal to let go are present throughout, but they are sometimes overshadowed by the requirements of the genre. The greatest strength of the script is its ability to make the "zombies" feel like an extension of Ava’s internal struggle, but its weakness lies in a finale that feels a bit too familiar to those who have recently revisited films like 28 Years Later. It asks profound questions about human existence and the nature of the soul, but it doesn't always provide the most innovative answers.
Acting and Characters: Daisy Ridley’s Physicality and the Weight of Silent Sorrow
Daisy Ridley anchors the film with a performance that serves as a reminder of her range beyond the stars. As Ava Newman, Ridley is tasked with playing a character that is relatively light on dialogue but heavy on internal conflict. She conveys the terrifying truth of her situation through remarkably modulated facial reactions and a physical presence that suggests a woman who is literally carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. We see the transition from a hopeful searcher to a witness of unimaginable horror entirely in her eyes. It is a career best turn that provides emotional depth to a protagonist who, on the page, might have felt slightly underwritten.
The supporting cast, while less central to the emotional core, provides solid grounding for Ridley’s journey. Mark Coles Smith, as Riley, and Brenton Thwaites, as Clay, offer glimpses into how different individuals cope with the aftermath of the military experiment. There is a palpable sense of weariness in their performances that complements the film’s somber tone. However, because the film is so laser focused on Ava’s experience, the secondary characters can sometimes feel like satellites orbiting her grief rather than fully realized individuals. The chemistry between the actors is most effective when it is unspoken, relying on shared looks of exhaustion and fear as they perform their grisly duties. It is Ridley’s hard work that truly involves the audience in the quest, making us care about the outcome even when the narrative momentum begins to flag.
Direction and Technical Aspects: Visual Grandeur and the Uneven Tones of a World in Transition
Zak Hilditch proves once again that he has a keen eye for visual storytelling, even when working within a limited budget. He manages to make We Bury the Dead look and feel significantly larger than it is, using the natural Australian landscape to create shots of genuine beauty that contrast with the grim subject matter. The cinematography is one of the film’s standout features, capturing the isolation of the setting with wide, sweeping frames that emphasize how small and vulnerable the characters are. Hilditch’s vision for the apocalypse is not one of crumbling cities, but of a quiet, encroaching stillness that is far more unsettling.
The direction is less consistent when it comes to tone. Hilditch attempts to balance quiet moments of reflection with sudden shifts into high intensity action or needle drop soundtracked sequences that aim for a sense of "fun." While some of these transitions work well, such as a standout sequence involving a grieving soldier and an unusual dance that slides from sadness to suspense, others feel jarringly out of place. This tonal whiplash can occasionally break the immersion of an otherwise atmospheric film. The editing is effective in the film's first half, building a sense of dread through careful pacing, but it struggles to maintain that same level of tension as the story moves toward its underwhelming finale. Despite these hiccups, Hilditch’s confidence with visuals ensures that the film is never less than captivating to look at.
Trailer We Bury the Dead (2025)
Music and Atmosphere: From the Quiet Cracking of Soil to Jarring Jolt Action Beats
The atmosphere of We Bury the Dead is its most pervasive character. The film excels at creating a mood of persistent melancholy, making the viewer feel the physical and emotional exhaustion of its characters. The sound design plays a crucial role in this, emphasizing the natural environment and the mechanical sounds of the Body Retrieval Unit’s equipment. The silence of the aftermath is often more terrifying than the sounds of the undead, creating a soundscape where every footstep or rustle of leaves feels loaded with potential danger.
The score and soundtrack choices are where the film’s tonal inconsistencies are most apparent. There are moments of quiet, haunting music that perfectly enhance the experience of Ava’s mourning. However, these are frequently interrupted by loud, jarring needle drops that seem designed to remind the audience they are watching a horror movie. While these audio jolts can be effective in isolation, they often clash with the contemplative nature of the scenes they inhabit. When the film allows its atmosphere to speak for itself, it is profoundly moving, but it occasionally feels the need to use audio cues to force a reaction that the visual storytelling has already earned.
Strengths and Weaknesses
What works well:
- Daisy Ridley’s Performance: She delivers a masterful, physically demanding turn that anchors the film’s emotional stakes and makes an underwritten role feel deeply human.
- Stunning Cinematography: The film makes incredible use of the natural landscape, with visual compositions that give the project a sense of scale and beauty rarely seen in the genre.
- The Body Retrieval Unit Concept: The first hour of the film offers a unique, grounded look at the labor of death, providing a fresh perspective on a tired subgenre.
- Effective Suspense: When the film focuses on the quiet dread of reanimation, it achieves a level of suspense that is genuinely chilling.
- The Grieving Soldier Sequence: This specific scene is a highlight, perfectly demonstrating how to pivot from tragedy to horror with creative flair.
What doesn't work:
- Derivative Third Act: The narrative starts to lose its originality as it reaches the conclusion, drawing perhaps too many comparisons to established zombie classics.
- Tonal Inconsistency: The abrupt shifts between somber reflection and "action fun" can be jarring and undermine the film’s emotional impact.
- Underwhelming Finale: The ending fails to live up to the promise of the film’s opening, asking questions that feel like retreads of previous genre entries.
- Underwritten Side Characters: While the leads are strong, the supporting cast doesn't always get enough development to make their fates feel as impactful as they should.
Final Verdict: A Somber Exploration of Loss That Proves There’s Still Life in the Undead Genre
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
We Bury the Dead is a thoughtful and visually arresting addition to the horror genre that manages to find a few new things to say about the walking dead. While it doesn't quite sustain its innovative momentum through to the credits, it is a "solid try" that benefits immensely from Zak Hilditch’s visual confidence and Daisy Ridley’s powerful central performance. It is a movie that understands that the most frightening thing about the apocalypse isn't the monsters themselves, but the terrifying truth of having to live without the ones we love.
Who should watch it? This film is highly recommended for horror enthusiasts who prefer atmosphere and character development over constant jump scares and gore. Fans of Daisy Ridley will find much to admire in her transformative performance, and those who enjoyed the somber tone of 1922 will likely appreciate Hilditch’s latest effort.
Who might not enjoy it? If you are looking for a high octane, action heavy zombie flick in the vein of World War Z, this film's slow burn pace might leave your interest flagging. Additionally, viewers who are tired of the zombie genre’s familiar tropes may find the final act’s lack of originality frustrating.
Final Thoughts and Recommendation: I recommend We Bury the Dead as a compelling, if slightly uneven, journey through grief and horror. It is one of the better genre offerings of 2025 and serves as a strong reminder that Daisy Ridley is a formidable talent. It is worth seeing for the visuals and the leading performance alone, even if the ending feels like a path we have walked many times before.
 Movie Review: A Grief-Stricken Reimagining of the Zombie Apocalypse with a Haunting Central Turn){kind=link}
0 Comments