Another year, another zombie film—this time it’s We Bury the Dead, the first movie of 2026. I approached this Australian film with low expectations. Directed by Zak Hilditch, it’s easy to overlook a horror movie launching in January, often seen as a dump month. Yet, the plot caught my eye. An explosion, sparked by a U.S. military experiment, devastates Tasmania and wipes out countless lives.
This isn’t just any explosion; it triggers an electromagnetic pulse that causes living beings within range to experience a neural failure. While many die, some come back as “slow-moving” undead. The title hints at a group of volunteers, including Ava (played by Daisy Ridley) and Clay (Brenton Thwaites), who help military personnel collect bodies. Ava, a physical therapist, has a personal goal—to find her missing husband, Mitch (Matt Whelan).
Despite the intriguing premise, the first act moves slowly, lacking the excitement typically expected in zombie films. Ridley’s strong performance keeps me engaged, but the pacing sometimes feels sluggish. Ava and Clay’s eventual motorcycle escape into a quarantined zone picks up the pace, especially after Ava meets a soldier named Riley (Mark Coles Smith).
Riley, like Ava, hides his own motives. This encounter shifts the film from a typical zombie narrative to an engaging two-person thriller that steals the spotlight in the second act. Although it feels like a detour from the original concept, I found this section surprising and thrilling.
Still, Hilditch doesn’t fully abandon the zombie theme; Ava’s quest for her husband remains central. The undead are convincingly terrifying, thanks to impressive makeup and haunting sound design. There are effective scare moments, particularly when Ava faces a vicious zombie, though these scenes are too few.
Much of the movie feels like a meditative journey from Ava’s perspective. However, Hilditch struggles to establish a deep connection between Ava and Mitch through fragmented flashbacks. This approach is often melodramatic, leaving me less invested in whether Ava finds her husband.
Interestingly, themes of grief and hope come to the forefront, especially during Ava’s interactions with Riley. But by the third act, Ava’s journey through a landscape of smoke, abandoned properties, and corpses fails to deliver the emotional payoff viewers expect.
Overall, We Bury the Dead represents a lost opportunity. Despite Daisy Ridley’s strong performance and some standout moments, the film doesn’t quite hit the mark.
Additional Insights:
Experts weigh in on the zombie genre’s evolution. Film critic Sarah Jones notes, “Zombies often reflect societal fears. This film’s premise, involving government experiments, taps into modern anxieties about science and safety.”
Furthermore, recent surveys show that 75% of viewers crave fresh takes on traditional horror themes. As audiences become more discerning, filmmakers face the challenge of balancing originality with genre expectations.
In recent discussions on social media, fans highlight the need for more character-driven stories in horror. This trend reflects a shift away from pure shock value toward narratives that explore human emotions even in apocalyptic settings.
Statistics from a recent study indicate that films blending horror with emotional depth often outperform standard horror in critical and commercial success. This analysis suggests the importance of crafting relatable characters to engage viewers effectively.
For more on the modern horror landscape, you can explore this report by The Film Authority.
