Movie · 2026 · Horror, Thriller · 1h 35m · R · English
Curator score: 1.7/10 (63.6K ratings)
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Overview
After a catastrophic military disaster reanimates the dead, Ava searches for her missing husband amidst an increasingly hostile world.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.7/10
IMDb: 5.6/10
Letterboxd: 2.75/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Metacritic: 61
TMDB: 6.0/10
Director
Zak Hilditch
Production
Campfire Studios, Gramercy Park Media, Lotterywest, ScreenWest, Screen Australia, The Penguin Empire
Cast
Daisy Ridley, Brenton Thwaites, Mark Coles Smith, Matt Whelan, Chloe Hurst, Kym Jackson, Holly Hargreaves, Deanna Cooney, Elijah Williams, Salme Geransar, Luke Jai McIntosh, Joel Jackson, Dan Paris, Nicola Bartlett, Kim Fleming, Kingsley Judd, Megan Hollier, Steve McCall, David Genat, Matthew Parkin
Where to watch
Hulu
Curator Review
Verdict
A somber, grief-driven zombie thriller with strong atmosphere and a committed lead performance, but the pacing and emotional heaviness may not land for everyone. It sounds more interested in dread and closure than in big set pieces, which makes it distinctive even when it feels subdued.
Best for
viewers who like melancholic horror
fans of character-driven zombie stories
people drawn to grief and trauma metaphors
audiences who prefer atmosphere over gore
Daisy Ridley fans
Skip if
you want fast, action-heavy zombie chaos
you get impatient with slow-burn horror
you prefer horror with a lighter or more fun tone
you need a highly original plot engine beyond the premise
Overview
We Bury the Dead looks like a zombie film that understands the genre’s emotional core: not survival first, but mourning. The setup of a military disaster and a search for a missing husband gives it a personal anchor, and the strongest reactions point to a film that leans into dread, isolation, and the ache of unresolved loss rather than spectacle.
Worth noting
That approach gives it a distinct identity, especially in a crowded undead landscape. The atmosphere, cinematography, and score seem to do a lot of the heavy lifting, and Daisy Ridley’s performance appears to be the main reason the film holds together. When it works, it sounds haunting and thoughtful; when it doesn’t, it may feel too restrained or even dull.
Bottom line
This is the kind of horror movie that will likely connect most with viewers who want genre material to carry emotional weight. If you’re in the mood for a bleak, serious zombie story with a strong central performance and a grief-soaked mood, it’s worth a look. If you want momentum, shocks, or a more propulsive apocalypse film, this probably isn’t the one.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Kit Lazer (3.5★) · 1532 likes
Warning: This is going to be one of my oversharing trauma-dump “reviews” that make some people uncomfy.
When I was 21, my mother was in the hospital for a few days, which was a very common occurrence. She called me from the hospital to tell me that her apartment was a few months behind on rent. My dad and my brother were in jail so it fell to me to make decisions. I had been strung out on drugs for… more
haley (2.5★) · 1531 likes
yeah, zombies are scary, but not as scary as a military man who is too obsessed with his dead wife
cob (4★) · 1232 likes
making an original zombie film this good in the modern era is actually insane
chels ⋆⭒˚.⋆ (3★) · 825 likes
If I had a penny for every time I saw a pregnant zombie this year…