What Is We Bury the Dead About?
At a time when zombie stories have fully entered the mainstream thanks to shows like The Walking Dead, it’s increasingly difficult to find a fresh angle on the undead. Enter filmmaker Zak Hilditch, best known for the excellent These Final Hours. With We Bury the Dead, Hilditch delivers a strikingly original and grounded take on the zombie genre—one that’s brought hauntingly to life by Daisy Ridley.
Rather than focusing on spectacle, We Bury the Dead takes a deeply personal and realistic approach. The result is a film that’s creepy, unsettling, and genuinely heartbreaking.
A More Grounded Take on Zombie Horror
In my conversation with Hilditch, the director discussed the ideas behind his latest film and his belief that the most effective horror is rooted in reality. As with his earlier work, We Bury the Dead finds its originality in emotional truth—much of it inspired by themes of loss and grief. It’s this grounding that makes the film feel so different from standard zombie fare.
Daisy Ridley and Brenton Thwaites on Performance and Tone
I also spoke separately with Brenton Thwaites and Ridley about their roles. Ridley opened up about the tragedy at the heart of her character, delivering an affecting and deeply sympathetic performance that ranks among her strongest work to date.
Thwaites, meanwhile, turns in another solid performance and proved to be an incredibly relaxed and thoughtful interview subject. He spoke highly of Ridley’s work and of the appeal of tackling a zombie film that prioritizes substance over shock.
Is We Bury the Dead Worth Seeing?
Yes. We Bury the Dead is currently in theaters and is well worth experiencing on the big screen, where its atmosphere and emotional weight fully land.
Looking for more details? Be sure to check out our full review for an in-depth breakdown of the film and check out the interviews at the top of this article!
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