I just walked out of the theater and honestly, I'm still a bit on edge. My heart was pounding through the last twenty minutes. I wasn't expecting to be that tense! The whole drive home, I kept checking my rearview mirror—ridiculous, I know. It's one of those movies that plants a simple, terrifying idea in your head and just lets it fester. I'm sitting here with my coffee, and I can still hear that specific, wet sound effect they used for the... well, you'll know it when you hear it. It got under my skin.
🎬 Watch the Official Trailer
What's We Bury the Dead About?
The movie is a military-horror thriller set after a massive, unexplained disaster where the dead start returning. The official line is that they're docile, almost peaceful, and families are encouraged to reclaim their loved ones. But Daisy Ridley's character, Ava, goes into a restricted zone to find her husband and discovers the horrifying reality that the situation is deteriorating fast. The dead aren't staying dead, and they're definitely not staying calm.
What Works in We Bury the Dead
- ✓ Daisy Ridley's performance felt raw and desperate, especially in a scene where she's trapped in a vehicle—you could feel her panic.
- ✓ The sound design is masterfully unsettling; it uses silence and then sudden, organic noises to jolt you.
- ✓ The initial premise is brilliantly creepy—the idea of a government downplaying a zombie apocalypse is terrifyingly plausible.
- ✓ The pacing in the first two-thirds is tight; it builds dread without relying on cheap jump scares every minute.
What Doesn't Work
- ✗ The third act gets a bit chaotic and loses some of the grounded fear that made the first half so strong.
- ✗ Some of the military characters felt like generic archetypes, just there to be skeptical or become cannon fodder.
- ✗ A few logic gaps made me roll my eyes, like why certain safe zones were so poorly secured.
Standout Moments & Performances
There's a sequence in a flooded, low-lit basement that had me holding my breath. The way the camera moved, you could only see glimpses in the murky water, and the tension was unbearable. Another moment that stuck with me is much quieter: Ava watching a 'reunification' video from the military. The cheerful propaganda tone against what we, the audience, now suspect is so chilling. And honestly, the first time you see one of the 'dead' move not slowly, but with that sudden, jerking aggression? I actually jumped.
Main Cast: Daisy Ridley, Brenton Thwaites, Mark Coles Smith, Matt Whelan, Chloe Hurst
Direction, Music & Visuals
Director Zak Hilditch creates a fantastically grim atmosphere. The cinematography uses a lot of grays and muted greens, making the world feel sick and exhausted. The score is minimal but effective—mostly ambient drones that ramp up the anxiety. Performance-wise, Ridley carries the film. Her fear feels real, not performative. Brenton Thwaites is solid as her missing husband, but Mark Coles Smith really stood out to me as a weary soldier who's seen too much; he brought a lot of gravity to his scenes. The practical effects for the creatures were impressively gross without being over-the-top.
Director: Zak Hilditch
Who Should Watch We Bury the Dead?
If you're a horror fan who prefers creeping dread over gore-fests, you'll find a lot to like here. It's also great for people who enjoy disaster thrillers with a personal, human core. Fans of movies like 'The Crazies' or '28 Days Later' that mix outbreak scenarios with social commentary will appreciate the vibe, even if it doesn't quite reach those heights.
Who Might Want to Skip?
If you need non-stop action or clear, logical explanations for every story beat, this might frustrate you. It's a mood piece first. Also, if you're completely burnt out on zombie-adjacent stories, this doesn't reinvent the wheel enough to change your mind.
Final Verdict
I'd definitely recommend it for a tense night at the movies. It's not perfect—the ending fumbles a bit—but the experience of watching it, especially in a dark theater, is genuinely effective. It's a solid, above-average horror thriller that succeeds more often than it stumbles. Would I watch it again? Probably not alone, and definitely not at night, but yes, I think so. It's the kind of movie that's fun to dissect with friends afterward over more coffee.
