Daisy Ridley Brings Contemplative Grief to a Zombie Twist in 'We Bury the Dead'
In a genre that's often plagued by formulaic, soulless rehashes of the same tired zombie tropes, Zak Hilditch's We Bury the Dead is a refreshingly contemplative take on the undead, thanks largely to Ridley's nuanced portrayal.
The film's premise - a US government blunder unleashes a deadly catastrophe in Tasmania, killing half a million people - sets the stage for Ava (Ridley), whose travelling husband met an untimely demise. Rather than focusing on death tolls or zombie carnage, Hilditch and Ridley opt for a more empathetic approach, exploring the emotional toll of loss and grief on Ava as she navigates the treacherous landscape.
The result is a film that's less concerned with gore and more focused on the human cost of tragedy. While the undead do make an appearance, they're treated as more of a curiosity - the walking dead are a phenomenon worthy of scientific study rather than mindless monsters to be slaughtered.
Ridley brings her signature intensity to Ava, conveying a sense of anguish and desperation that's impossible to ignore. Her performance is aided by a thoughtful script that avoids sentimentality in favor of genuine emotional depth.
Visuals play a key role in bringing the film's themes to life, with Hilditch delivering some genuinely breathtaking shots that capture the beauty of the natural world even as it descends into chaos. The cinematography is often stunning, stretching the budget to make a small film feel like a big one.
While We Bury the Dead may not be the most original take on the zombie genre, its thoughtful approach and Ridley's standout performance make it a solid, if unspectacular, addition to the mix. In a world where zombies are always being reimagined, it's refreshing to see one done with such sensitivity and care.
We Bury the Dead is out now in cinemas, available to rent digitally in the UK, and will be released on February 5th in Australia.
In a genre that's often plagued by formulaic, soulless rehashes of the same tired zombie tropes, Zak Hilditch's We Bury the Dead is a refreshingly contemplative take on the undead, thanks largely to Ridley's nuanced portrayal.
The film's premise - a US government blunder unleashes a deadly catastrophe in Tasmania, killing half a million people - sets the stage for Ava (Ridley), whose travelling husband met an untimely demise. Rather than focusing on death tolls or zombie carnage, Hilditch and Ridley opt for a more empathetic approach, exploring the emotional toll of loss and grief on Ava as she navigates the treacherous landscape.
The result is a film that's less concerned with gore and more focused on the human cost of tragedy. While the undead do make an appearance, they're treated as more of a curiosity - the walking dead are a phenomenon worthy of scientific study rather than mindless monsters to be slaughtered.
Ridley brings her signature intensity to Ava, conveying a sense of anguish and desperation that's impossible to ignore. Her performance is aided by a thoughtful script that avoids sentimentality in favor of genuine emotional depth.
Visuals play a key role in bringing the film's themes to life, with Hilditch delivering some genuinely breathtaking shots that capture the beauty of the natural world even as it descends into chaos. The cinematography is often stunning, stretching the budget to make a small film feel like a big one.
While We Bury the Dead may not be the most original take on the zombie genre, its thoughtful approach and Ridley's standout performance make it a solid, if unspectacular, addition to the mix. In a world where zombies are always being reimagined, it's refreshing to see one done with such sensitivity and care.
We Bury the Dead is out now in cinemas, available to rent digitally in the UK, and will be released on February 5th in Australia.
but at the same time I'm a bit skeptical 'bout how it's gonna hold up... I mean, we've seen a lot of zombie movies already and they usually follow the same tired formula. But with Daisy Ridley on board, I'm willing to give it a shot 
. The fact that they're focusing more on Ava's emotional journey than just mindless gore is actually kinda refreshing. And those visuals sound insane! 
It'll be interesting to see how it compares to other zombie movies out there...
, daisy ridley is a beast as always! 
she brings so much depth & emotion to her characters, it's like u can feel her pain & anger in every scene. 
and the way the film handles the zombie apocalypse thingy is so much more subtle & thoughtful than u usually see in these types of movies 
. the cinematography is stunning too, i loved how they captured the beauty of tasmania even when everything was going to hell 
. overall, it's a solid addition to the genre, but not like, game changing or anything 
. I loved how they focused on the human side of things instead of just gore and action, its a breath of fresh air 
. Overall I think its a solid addition to the zombie genre and definitely worth watchin' 
Plus, it's always refreshing to see a female lead in a genre that can sometimes be all about the guys. Can't wait to check it out! 
The way they portray the zombies as more of a scientific phenomenon than mindless monsters is super refreshing, I love how they focus on the human cost of tragedy 
the way they portrayed the natural world in the midst of chaos was just wow 
she brings so much depth to her character its like u can feel her pain & grief 
. i love how the film focuses more on the human side of things rather than just gore & carnage 
the way they capture da beauty of nature in da midst of chaos is stunning 
cant wait to watch it again! 
They're trying to make this whole "contemplative" thing work for me, but honestly, it feels kinda forced. I mean, yeah, Daisy Ridley's performance is solid and all that jazz... 
It feels like they're more interested in the marketing side of things than actually giving us something unique. Still, I guess if you're into that sorta thing, We Bury the Dead might be worth a watch... 
Those breathtaking shots of Tasmania are giving me major FOMO 
. I mean, come on, a deadly catastrophe, zombies, apocalypse... yawn 
. Can't we get some originality for once? And don't even get me started on the whole "walking dead are a phenomenon worthy of scientific study" thing 
. Give me something that actually makes me feel like I'm watching a movie and not just going through the motions 
.
. I love how they're not relying on gore or jump scares to scare you, instead it's all about the emotional toll of what's happening 
The stats are crazy - 500k+ dead in Tasmania alone? 
That's like, one of the highest zombie death tolls ever recorded 
. And the box office numbers are insane too... $10m opening weekend in the UK? 
Not bad for a smaller indie flick! 
, too - I mean, who knew zombies could look so... beautiful? 
. The way they've handled the zombie aspect is so refreshing - not just all about gore and chaos, but actually exploring the emotional toll on people 
. I'd defo watch this again and would rec it to anyone looking for a thoughtful zombie flick