After a devastating viral outbreak leaves parts of the population infected yet not entirely gone, a fractured group of survivors navigate grief, suspicion and the lingering question of what it truly means to be alive — or buried.
Directed and written by Zak Hilditch, We Bury the Dead takes a creepy slow-burning, introspective approach to the zombie-virus subgenre. Rather than leaning solely on carnage, it focuses on broken relationships and unresolved trauma. At times, however, the film becomes bogged down in flashbacks and emotional backstory that dilute the forward momentum of an otherwise compelling premise.
Daisy Ridley leads the film with quiet intensity, delivering a great performance that anchors the film. She knocks it out of the park, carrying the emotional weight with conviction. Alongside her, Brenton Thwaites and Mark Coles Smith provide strong support. Their tensions often prove more engaging than the infected threat itself.
Technically, the film impresses. The make-up effects are excellent, restrained but unnerving, and several eerie set-ups linger in the mind long after. There are genuine jolts and a creeping dread that recalls the more contemplative end of the genre. The film also toys with interesting ideas about infection, memory and identity, though some of these themes are never fully explored.
If anything, a tighter edit, trimming some of the subtext-heavy relationship exposition and focusing more directly on Ridley’s journey, might have elevated it further. As it stands, We Bury the Dead is thoughtful, atmospheric and worth a watch. With a few sharper tweaks, it could have been something truly special.
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