After a catastrophic military disaster, the dead don’t just rise – they hunt. Ava searches for her missing husband, but what she finds is far more terrifying.
Set against the backdrop of a world already lost, “We Bury the Dead” approaches the zombie genre from a quieter, more emotionally driven angle, favoring mood and introspection over constant action and chaos.
At this point, it is hard for any zombie film to feel truly fresh, but “We Bury the Dead” carves out a deliberate, subdued lane for itself. The film is slow and methodical, prioritizing atmosphere and emotional weight despite its relatively short runtime. Rather than relying on frequent set pieces or sustained tension, it focuses on how its characters process unresolved relationships from before the outbreak.
The film’s most decisive moments come when it allows itself to linger in silence. Flashbacks are used effectively to deepen our understanding of the protagonist’s determination to find her husband, grounding the narrative in personal grief rather than genre mechanics. These scenes give the story emotional context, even if the film never fully crystallizes a larger or more resonant message.
Daisy Ridley carries much of the film on her shoulders and does most of the heavy lifting. She brings enough emotional credibility to make the slow burn tolerable and often compelling. A middle section involving another survivor who has also lost his spouse is particularly touching, drawing clear parallels between grief, loneliness, and human connection, even if the direction that storyline ultimately takes feels slightly overplayed.
On a technical level, the zombie make-up and visuals are stronger than expected for what appears to be a low-budget production. The creatures never feel cheap, and when the film turns violent, it does so sparingly and effectively. A few creative set pieces, including moments involving a bachelor party and a yoga group, briefly inject originality and levity into an otherwise somber experience.
“We Bury the Dead” works best when it slows down and allows grief to take center stage. It does not reinvent the zombie genre, and it does not always seem sure of where it is heading, but its sincerity and emotional restraint make it an interesting, if uneven, entry in a space that too often prioritizes noise over feeling.
In Theaters Friday, January 2nd
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