Genre staples like zombies are hard to reinvent. By nature, all you can really do is change the setting, cause of outbreak, and imbue your undead with different attributes like speed or strength or something of the sort. Films that manage to try something new – the ones that focus on more than just the zombies themselves – tend to have bit more life to them and dig a little deeper into the emotional core of survival in the apocalypse. “We Bury the Dead” may not be quite reach the highs of something like “28 Years Later,” but it’s just inventive enough to feel fresh in a genre ripe with rot. Writer/Director Zak Hilditch identifies something deeper than just trying not to get bit, and finds new layers to add to those who are left behind and left to grapple with the after effects of a catastrophic events.
“We Bury the Dead” borrows the strengths of the greats that came before it and melds them together to deliver an emotional gut punch of a journey through dark baron reds and shadows. Things like a small, isolated outbreak instead of a global apocalypse, varying the undead and mixing them among the ‘dead’ dead, and focusing on a solo mission of a singular character deeply effected by the fallout. This film keeps things tight and close, rarely attempting to stretch itself beyond its means or try to offer some kind of broad explanation beyond its very basic framework. I love the idea of not everyone effected by the outbreak come back to life, and I love that the mindless violence and rage often displayed in zombies from the jump is a result of being undead longer. It allows for Hilditch to play with new ideas of what zombies can be, and creates some visceral, emotionally charged moments from them.
There’s a beautiful blend of urgency and slow burn here, keeping the pace moving but keeping us hooked on the character study of its protagonist rather than drop us into one violent, blood soaked clash with decaying bodies after another. Daisy Ridley is the secret weapon, reminding us all that when the material is right, Ridley is a really good performer. She’s quite excellent here, offering a range of emotion and proving herself more than capable of leading a somber, introspective genre film like “We Bury the Dead.” There’s a harrowing moment in the film that left me on the edge of my seat and then blown away by what it ultimately conveys, and it works because Ridley is just so damn good in those moments. Steve Annis‘ cinematography is gorgeous, incredibly well shot for such a smaller scale film.
It’s much more of an exploration of grief than an all out blood splatter battle against the hordes, and “We Bury the Dead” should be approached with patience and some quiet meditation. That’s not to say there aren’t some jump scares and some terrifying moments; there are. But this film isn’t really interested in pursuing those aspects of the genre. For all its inventiveness, there is a bit of retread even as it explores its more complex themes. Grief and loss and using horror tropes as a way to express them is certainly not new, and this film isn’t necessarily reinventing wheel as it tries to play withing the confines of a familiar sandbox. When it is trying something new inside of the old, exploring new layers of the human condition in both the living and dead, and that’s when the film shines the most. It just doesn’t quite maintain it long enough to work completely, which holds it back from being considered truly great.
Though it has some faults, “We Bury the Dead” is shockingly good, a pleasant surprise in a genre that tends to have very little of that these days and a welcomed movie watching experience. January is often a baron wasteland for cinema, so getting a little treat like this to start the year is a gift. It may not be the best of its kind and struggles to keep up its pacing and new ideas, but I will always champion those willing to take some risks and try. And when the performances are excellent and the craft is undeniable, that makes “We Bury the Dead” a very promising start to a new year in cinema.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
“We Bury the Dead” is now playing in theaters. You can watch the trailer below.
