We Bury the Dead – Review
Are you sick of zombie movies yet? There are plenty of bad ones out there but there are still a few that are finding something fresh in this well worn genre. We Bury the Dead is one of them.
We Bury the Dead is different in that it is not exactly a zombie apocalypse. It is a much more local phenomenon, more like 28 Days Later, but these movies are very different each other.
Here is the premise: The Americans accidentally detonate an experimental weapon in Tasmania, Australia. This leaves everyone on the island of Tasmania dead. The clean up requires more than the official authorities (such as the military) can do and so people are brought in to retrieve bodies. As they arrive, so do some concerning rumours.
It seems as if some (not all) of those who had their brains fried by the experimental weapon are regaining motor function. At first they just wander around and are not considered a threat. They are shot as they are found.
In this we find Ava (played by Daisy Ridley) who arrives in Tasmania looking for her husband, who was on a retreat in Tasmania. Unfortunately, he was in an area that is off limits. But with the help of another volunteer, she makes her way to where she needs to go. This is complicated by the increasing aggressiveness of the dead, as they become more like the monsters we expect.
I will not share more of the story as there are plenty of twists and turns and I do not want to spoil the story.
I can say that this is not your typical zombie movie. There is not much killing of zombies (although there is some). This is more of a character piece. It is story about grief and the zombies are simply a tool to tell that story.
It is not a simple story of grief, as it explores multiple layers from multiple perspectives. What will Ava find when she reaches her husband? Why is it important to find her husband? Will it bring closure? Who else in the story is experiencing grief?
I also appreciated Daisy Ridley’s portrayal of Ava. She presents a realistic character in an unrealistic situation. She is much more complex here than she was in Star Wars.
I found the movie to be extremely thoughtful, much more than I would expect of a zombie movie. There are many powerful moments.
I recommend that you check out We Bury the Dead. It is a zombie movie not just for zombie fans.
The trailer makes it look like more of horror film than it real is.
