Review: We Bury the Dead – Burying the past

Directed by Zak Hilditch
Starring Daisy Ridley, Brenton Thwaites, Mark Coles Smith 

6.5/10

When an experimental American weapon explodes in Tasmania, the devastation reaches far beyond the blast zone, effectively wiping out all life on the island. Ava (Daisy Ridley) joins a volunteer force working alongside the military to bury the casualties, but she really wishes to search for her husband in an unsafe zone beyond the current recovery area. However, the weapon has one last nasty surprise: while the EMP blast disrupted all electric impulses in the victim’s brain, sometimes they can come back online.

Some of the choices We Bury the Dead makes in terms of genre conventions are very unique. The theme of grief being explored in zombie movies is not entirely new, but it is normally explored in differing ways, such as the necromantic tampering of Pet Sematary. Here, it is a national tragedy, often compounded by a personal one, that is seen as a motivating factor for the volunteer relief force. With the scientific explanation for zombies, again, this is not new (“rage virus” in 28 Days Later), but the way it is executed here is particularly gruesome. Seeing humanity as a walking blank slate, devoid of history, reduced to merely a biological machine perhaps driven by one remaining obsession, is cruel and horrific. Then to have that stem not from a supernatural reason but a more believable scientific one compounds the horror. It’s grade A nightmare fuel, so congratulations on that one, Zak.

Beyond that, the local director and crew also manage to show us a few things we’ve never seen before in the genre, all while turning Albany into a post-apocalyptic Tasmania.

However, in many ways, We Bury The Dead is a genre mashup, and it is in the drama aspect that it can be a little less successful. It doesn’t have a good narrative throughline when it comes to dealing with grief. It starts strong, has some interesting elements, but is a little disjointed and occasionally relies on narrative convenience. That strong start to the grief narrative is fascinating, though. The early sequences of the volunteers breaking into homes, invading the privacy of the deceased, and catching their last intimate moments—it’s a relatable experience for anyone that has had to go through a deceased loved one’s property. It’s just a pity that We Bury the Dead can’t keep that momentum throughout the entire film, instead becoming more formulaic as it goes on.

Ridley is solid enough in her role, although the negative affect she displays is appropriate, albeit coming across a little flat. Brenton Thwaites is more dynamic, providing a good diametric opposition as her fellow volunteer, but he disappears about halfway through and is less of a character than a narrative convenience at most points. However, Mark Cole Smith is perfect in his role, bringing an enigma with an undertone of genuine menace.

At the end of the day, it’s hard to know how to feel about We Bury the Dead. It’s an interesting zombie film, with an interesting premise and underlying theme, but it fails to live up to the potential it so clearly demonstrates. A slightly deeper exploration of theme, a less forced and more poignant ending, and some tighter connective tissue between events, and this could have been magnificent. As it is, it’s fascinating and certainly worth a view, but less than the sum of its parts.

DAVID O’CONNELL