Name: We Bury the Dead – 2024
Rating: 3.5

In recent years, the zombie genre has been pushed in many different directions, but We Bury the Dead (2024) proves that there are still fresh and emotionally powerful stories to tell within it. Instead of focusing purely on action or shock value, the film takes a more grounded and human approach, blending horror with drama and psychological tension. The result is a haunting, slow-burn experience that lingers long after the credits roll.

Set in the aftermath of a devastating catastrophe, the story follows Ava, a woman searching desperately for her missing husband. After a mysterious military experiment goes wrong, thousands of people are presumed dead across Tasmania. Ava volunteers to join a body retrieval unit that is tasked with locating and identifying the victims scattered across the ruined landscape. However, what initially appears to be a grim but straightforward recovery mission slowly turns into something far more disturbing.

As the team travels deeper into isolated towns and abandoned communities, they begin to discover that not all of the dead are truly gone. Some bodies appear to move, react, or even briefly return to a state that resembles life. These moments are not presented as traditional zombie attacks but rather as unsettling, emotional encounters that blur the line between death and consciousness. The film deliberately avoids turning these moments into typical horror set pieces, instead treating them with a strange sense of sadness and unease.

One of the film’s greatest strengths is its atmosphere. The quiet, almost desolate landscapes create a constant feeling of isolation and dread. Director Zak Hilditch builds tension slowly, allowing silence and uncertainty to do most of the work. Instead of relying on jump scares, the film focuses on mood, grief, and the psychological weight of confronting death on such a massive scale.

The performance from Daisy Ridley as Ava is another highlight. She brings a deeply human vulnerability to the role, portraying a woman driven by love, hope, and denial. Ava’s journey is not just about survival but about acceptance. Ridley manages to convey exhaustion, determination, and emotional fragility in a way that feels authentic rather than overly dramatic. Her character becomes the emotional anchor of the film, giving the story real stakes beyond the horror elements.

Visually, the film leans into natural lighting and muted color palettes, reinforcing the bleak tone of the narrative. The empty towns, silent forests, and scattered remnants of everyday life serve as constant reminders of how quickly normalcy can disappear. This grounded aesthetic helps make the story feel more believable, even when the supernatural elements begin to emerge.

What makes We Bury the Dead stand out from many other zombie films is its focus on grief and closure. The story asks uncomfortable questions about what it means to truly let someone go. If the dead could briefly return, even for a moment, would that bring comfort or only deepen the pain of loss?

While the film’s slow pacing may not appeal to viewers expecting intense horror action, it works perfectly for the story being told. The deliberate rhythm allows the emotional themes to develop naturally and gives the audience time to absorb the unsettling ideas presented throughout the narrative.

Ultimately, We Bury the Dead is less about monsters and more about the emotional aftermath of disaster. It’s a thoughtful and atmospheric horror film that prioritizes character and mood over spectacle. For fans of more introspective horror, it offers a unique and memorable take on the genre that feels both intimate and haunting.

❮ ❯

Original Title: We Bury the Dead
Status: Released
Original Language: EN
Budget: $0.00
Revenue: $3,745,163.00

Horror / Thriller
Australia / United States of America, 2026, 95 min

Director: Zak Hilditch, Mark Boskell, Sean Roe Curran, Steve Annis

Music: Clark

Producers: Mark Fasano, Ford Corbett, Nathan Klingher, Grant Sputore, Kelvin Munro, Ross M. Dinerstein, Jade van der Lei, Anna-Nora Bernstein, Lee Broda, Laurel Charnetsky, Mario de La Guardia, Jatin Desai, Nicholas Erickson, Sean Fannan, Nick Farnell, Kristen Figeroid, Greg Friedman, Ryan Friscia, Ari Harrison, Jeff Harrison, Zak Hilditch, Phil Hunt, D.J. Jiang, Nelson Khoury, Ari Novak, Joey Suquet, Emily Thomas, Joshua Harris

Editing: Merlin Eden, Brendan Hill, Lauren Mullally

Cast: