Daisy Ridley tugs at your heartstrings while smashing zombie skulls in We Bury the Dead, a slow-burn Australian thriller that rises above tired genre tropes with a more nuanced and thoughtful take on familiar material. Its themes of loss and regret drive a surprisingly dramatic narrative about the desperate human need for closure. We Bury the Dead embraces tragedy in a way that may disappoint viewers expecting the usual rampaging hordes and bloody violence. There's a reflective tone that's realistic and absorbing despite significant lulls in the pacing. Watch with an open mind to appreciate a compelling and well-acted journey.
A flashback of Ava (Ridley) and her husband Mitch (Matt Whelan) smiling at their wedding is interrupted by a horrific opening montage. A US military experiment on the Australian island of Tasmania has exploded with catastrophic results. Half a million people are killed as the Australian government scrambles to stage a response, but outside rumors persist of the dead coming back "online" as the epic scope of the disaster takes a decidedly unnatural turn.
Ava arrives at the Tasmanian forward operating base as a volunteer. She's assigned to a body retrieval unit, but tells the officers she's really there to find her lost husband. Mitch was at a work conference hundreds of miles away near the coast. She's warned that the area is dangerous and under a strict quarantine. Any attempt to go there will result in her immediate expulsion. Many can't stomach the gruesome scenes of rotting bodies slumped lifeless in their homes, but the long-haired and tattooed Clay (Brenton Thwaites) doesn't have that problem. His cavalier attitude and seemingly insensitive approach disturbs Ava, but he's one of the few volunteers who can handle the ugly job. They're equipped with masks, a sledgehammer, and flares if they encounter anyone who shows signs of life. The military promises these individuals are slow, docile, and brainless, easily dispatched with a shot to the head, but Clay and Ava quickly realize this isn't always true, as they find a way to escape from the soldiers.
We Bury the Dead is sharp and methodical in its reveals. The incident and its perilous aftermath have an explanation, but there are troublesome unknowns that pervade and add uncertainty. Ava and Clay have distinctly different viewpoints about what's happening. Ava thinks there may be some cognition left in the undead, while Clay takes no chances and sees each zombie as a threat. They form a strange partnership, but genuinely look out for each other as they venture further into a decimated wasteland. Their bond strengthens but hits a stumbling block in a second act that reshapes the plot.
Writer/director Zak Hilditch (These Final Hours, Rattlesnake) is well-versed in theatrical horror. He's not using cheap gimmicks for jump scares or trying to break the zombie mold. We Bury the Dead's darkness and innate terror are forged from a believable basis, as Hilditch spends time building Ava's exposition through a continuous flashback structure. Her relationship with Mitch wasn't always a bed of roses to be cherished. Ava purposely thrusts herself into the worst place possible because she can't move on without addressing what was left unsaid. Even the tiniest hope of talking to Mitch again is worth the risk, because not knowing his fate is an unbearable burden.
Ridley gives Ava tremendous depth as this lack of closure also affects another pivotal character. Mark Coles Smith nearly steals the show as a wayward soldier facing the same dilemma. Ava understands his pain, but how far is she willing to go to help him overcome it? Their scenes together highlight We Bury the Dead as another scenario unfolds with stunning developments. Ava learns the hard way where her grieving instincts can lead if unchecked. The living are more terrifying because they rationalize any twisted action. It's creepy and far more disturbing than a randomly attacking zombie.
We Bury the Dead has a good production design that adequately sells the story. Think of the chaotic scenes after the Palisades fire in California. Smoke fills an orange and red-tinted sky as ash ominously falls, cars and debris block roads while the fallen lay where they were struck down. The zombie VFX are practical, with hollow eyes, fetid skin, broken limbs, and a major giveaway when a baddie erupts from the bunch. It's a clever marker, but smartly inconsistent as the zombies don't always broadcast their location.
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It's important to note that the kills are few and far between. This may be a dealbreaker for those who just want carnage and mass slaughter. Hilditch treats each zombie interaction as unique, with what's best described as a compounding tutorial for Ava. It takes a while to develop, but her expertise with the undead grows as she becomes a formidable survivor. You root for Ava, but much like Dorothy finding the Wizard, there's something completely unexpected behind the curtain. We Bury the Dead doesn't have a predictable ending.
We Bury the Dead is a production of The Penguin Empire, Campfire Studios, and Gramercy Park Media et al. It will be released theatrically on Jan. 2 from Vertical.
