"We Bury the Dead" Review: Daisy Ridley Tackles Zombies with Solid Emotional Twist
In a zombie movie genre that's seen its fair share of creative twists, Australian director Zak Hilditch's "We Bury the Dead" manages to carve out its own unique path. The film, which was partly funded by the Adelaide film festival and premiered at SXSW, is a solid zombie survival thriller that ditches the formulaic gore in favor of a more contemplative approach.
The story centers around Ava (Daisy Ridley), a grieving woman who travels to Tasmania to search for her husband's body after he dies in a catastrophic US government blunder. When she arrives, she finds a group of volunteers trying to recover bodies from the devastation, and she teams up with Clay (Brenton Thwaites) to find his body. However, things take a strange turn when some of the dead start waking up, leaving the pair - and the audience - wondering what's going on.
Ridley delivers a stunning performance as Ava, conveying her emotional depth through a combination of her facial expressions and physicality. She brings a sense of vulnerability and desperation to the character, making it easy to empathize with her plight. Her portrayal is especially impressive in scenes where she navigates a frightening world while grappling with the reality of her husband's death.
Hilditch shows some great visual prowess, capturing the beauty of the natural landscape and stretching his budget to make the small film feel enormous. However, he struggles with tone, veering wildly between quiet moments of reflection and loud, action-packed sequences that don't quite gel. The switch-ups can be jarring at times, but they do occasionally pay off in unexpected ways.
While "We Bury the Dead" doesn't break new ground in terms of zombie movies or how humans process grief, it's a solid try nonetheless. In a genre plagued by lackluster attempts, Hilditch and Ridley deserve credit for delivering a film that's more concerned with emotional depth than mindless carnage.
Ultimately, "We Bury the Dead" is a thoughtful, if imperfect, zombie thriller that finds its own unique rhythm. With Daisy Ridley's standout performance at its center, it's worth checking out - even if it doesn't revolutionize the genre in any way.
In a zombie movie genre that's seen its fair share of creative twists, Australian director Zak Hilditch's "We Bury the Dead" manages to carve out its own unique path. The film, which was partly funded by the Adelaide film festival and premiered at SXSW, is a solid zombie survival thriller that ditches the formulaic gore in favor of a more contemplative approach.
The story centers around Ava (Daisy Ridley), a grieving woman who travels to Tasmania to search for her husband's body after he dies in a catastrophic US government blunder. When she arrives, she finds a group of volunteers trying to recover bodies from the devastation, and she teams up with Clay (Brenton Thwaites) to find his body. However, things take a strange turn when some of the dead start waking up, leaving the pair - and the audience - wondering what's going on.
Ridley delivers a stunning performance as Ava, conveying her emotional depth through a combination of her facial expressions and physicality. She brings a sense of vulnerability and desperation to the character, making it easy to empathize with her plight. Her portrayal is especially impressive in scenes where she navigates a frightening world while grappling with the reality of her husband's death.
Hilditch shows some great visual prowess, capturing the beauty of the natural landscape and stretching his budget to make the small film feel enormous. However, he struggles with tone, veering wildly between quiet moments of reflection and loud, action-packed sequences that don't quite gel. The switch-ups can be jarring at times, but they do occasionally pay off in unexpected ways.
While "We Bury the Dead" doesn't break new ground in terms of zombie movies or how humans process grief, it's a solid try nonetheless. In a genre plagued by lackluster attempts, Hilditch and Ridley deserve credit for delivering a film that's more concerned with emotional depth than mindless carnage.
Ultimately, "We Bury the Dead" is a thoughtful, if imperfect, zombie thriller that finds its own unique rhythm. With Daisy Ridley's standout performance at its center, it's worth checking out - even if it doesn't revolutionize the genre in any way.
she brings that whole emotional depth thing to her character which makes me wanna feel bad for her too. btw, has anyone else noticed how these movies always gotta have some kinda dark twist? like, ugh, can't we just watch a fun zombie romp for once?! 
i love how the film takes a more contemplative approach to zombies instead of just gore galore 
it's like, really makes u think about how ppl cope with loss and trauma 
. My only gripe would be with the pacing, some scenes felt a bit rushed while others dragged on 
. Still, overall it's a great watch and I'd def recommend it if you're a fan of emotional thrillers 
The only thing that would've made this film perfect is if they'd explored the mental health aspects even further. How do you cope with the loss when there are undead people shambling around everywhere? 
Still, 8/10 for this thought-provoking watch 
. overall, i think the film takes a really interesting approach to the zombie genre, focusing on the emotional toll it would take on people in a survival situation 
I gotta say, this movie sounds like somethin' special 
. I mean, who wouldn't wanna watch a zombie flick that actually cares about the emotional toll of losin' someone? Daisy Ridley's performance is straight fire 
, she really brings Ava to life and makes you feel her pain. The way the director uses the natural landscape to set the tone is also dope 
. My only gripe is with the pacing, it can be a bit all over the place at times, but overall I think it's a solid try 
It's fascinating to see how Ridley brings depth to her character, making it easy for the audience to invest in her journey. The visuals are also noteworthy, capturing the eerie beauty of Tasmania's landscapes. However, I do think the tone can be a bit uneven at times, veering between quiet moments and loud set pieces. But overall, I appreciate Hilditch's attempt to carve out a fresh path in the zombie genre. 
But for real though, this one's got some depth to it. Daisy Ridley's performance tho! She brings a whole new level of emotional investment to the role of Ava. It's not just about kicking zombie butt, but actually exploring what it means to lose someone and be left with nothing but grief. The cinematography's not bad either... Tasmania looks gorgeous in this movie 
I'm so hyped about this new zomie movie 
That's a total return on investment of 250%! 
The cast, including Daisy Ridley and Brenton Thwaites, are literally killing it (pun intended) 
with their performances. I mean, have u seen Daisy Ridley's face in this movie? 
It's like she's pouring her heart out on screen! 
- 72%! Not bad at all, considering it's a zombie movie 
According to IMDB, the average rating for "We Bury the Dead" is 7.5/10 
The film may not break any records, but it's definitely worth a watch, especially if u're into emotional zombie movies 
. I loved how the film wasn't just about zombies, but more about her character's journey through grief and loss 
. The cinematography in Tasmania was gorgeous, I felt like I was right there with her 
.
brenton thwaites is cute tho 
. It's like, do we ever truly move on from those emotions or are we just carrying them with us everywhere we go? 
.
and I'm obsessed! The sound quality is insane 
. I was watching this zombie movie "We Bury the Dead" with my friends and we were all like what's going on with these dead guys coming back to life? 
. But you know what's weird about zombies in movies? Why do they always come after people running from them? 
shouldn't that be the last thing they want to do? 
i do think the tone could be a bit more consistent but overall it's a solid zombie thriller that focuses on emotional depth instead of just gore 