‘We Bury The Dead’ Review – Daisy Ridley Shines In A Zombie Film That Is Both Haunting And Beautiful

At this point, the zombie movie has been done to death. The horror subgenre has been resurrected time and again, and most of these new incarnations feel stale or derivative. Too often, these films become parodies of themselves. This is why I went into We Bury The Dead expecting a yawn more than a yarn. To my surprise and relief, the film is a refreshing take on this tired subgenre. Aware of its place in the zombie movie canon, the film smartly reinvigorates itself by subverting our expectations. Held together by a magnetic performance from Daisy Ridley, it still delivers the usual hits, but the story is a poignant offering on loss and grief—a beautifully shot and haunting tale.

Generally, zombie films are not my bag. I have seen little signs of life, save for a few that seem interested in offering us some new blood. We Bury The Dead unearths a story that shows there is life left, and it is cause for celebration, at least for this one viewer. The film is one of the best zombie films! There is an indie vibe that runs throughout the story, at times making us forget we’re watching an apocalyptic thriller. Now that is not a knock. Here, the characters are three-dimensional, rather than the stereotypical archetypes or zombie fodder. We care about them, so we care about the story.

Courtesy of Vertical

After a catastrophic military disaster, the dead don’t just rise – they hunt. Thanks to Uncle Sam’s accidental detonation of the weapon, Tasmania is now a wasteland of bodies. The military insists they are harmless and slow-moving, offering hope to grieving families. But when Ava (Daisy Ridley) enters a quarantine zone searching for her missing husband, Mitch (Matt Whelan), she uncovers the horrifying truth: the undead are growing more violent, more relentless, and more dangerous with every passing hour.

The premise is a familiar one. A traumatic event causes an apocalypse. Survivors run for their lives. Here is where the film wisely subverts the usual setup. Ava knows what she is getting into when she enters the quarantine zone. The undead are not a surprise, and, further, their ‘survival’ stems from unfinished business with the living. Rather than the usual brain-dead monsters, this adds a new layer to the dynamic, introducing an emotional complication.

Courtesy of Vertical

Ironically, it is Ava who has unfinished business with her husband and thus her determination to find him in any shape or form. The story introduces Ava and Mitch as a loving, happy couple, but as we follow Ava on her mission, we see there are more wrinkles in this love affair, and not all is true marital bliss. Ava grieves not only for the loss of her husband, but also for the loss of their life together. Rarely has a zombie film played with the heart and tenor of a drama without sacrificing suspense or scares.

Interestingly, much of the film’s tension lies among the living. Ava encounters a soldier named Riley (Mark Coles Smith), who proves more threatening and terrifying than even the undead. His character is shown to be reeling from the loss of his wife. However, that quickly spirals into something more sinister and depraved. The movie does a brilliant job at showcasing the wrath of survivor’s guilt, while examining the pains of grief and how it can affect in adverse ways.

Some may not enjoy this subversion, but after so many trips around the zombie merry-go-rounds, it is a welcome relief to dare to be different and beautifully so.

Courtesy of Vertical

Technically speaking, the film is a gem. From the zombies’ craftsmanship to the cinematography, the film delivers stunning and horrifyingly beautiful imagery. The zombie’s design here is both frightening and grotesque, yet these poor souls convey a twinge of sadness and anguish, making them far more realized than the usual mindless monsters. In addition, the movie’s aims are never over-the-top. This is far from an end-of-days saga, or even a bloody fight for survival. The zombies are the second banana in a story about the pains of loss. Even more than that is the sad, but absolute, truth: there is often no final goodbye or neat and tidy resolution in life.

Anchoring the film is Daisy Ridley, who is both a force as she ventures into the zombie wasteland and a grieving widow living with regret. Ridley continues to show her acting chops. Here, she never lets spectacle overshadow story or motivation. Ava is fully realized, and it is a haunting performance with grit. Even at her nadir, she climbs out of the pits to show us a glimmer of hope.

Ultimately, that is the beauty of this film. It is a story of second chances and hope, even amid chaos and destruction. The best of these movies is about quiet moments, not undead ravaging all the living flesh. We Bury The Dead is a quiet treatise on life and its fragility, but also its miraculous nature. There is a scene at the end, where, coupled with a perfect needle drop, we see resolution and beginnings for Ava. Ridley, with a simple line that projects confidence and hope we all need. “You’re okay.”

And the movie is better than okay. It is bloody beautiful.

We Bury The Dead will debut exclusively in theaters on January 2, 2026, courtesy of Vertical.