Apocalypse movies can either accomplish so much or so little, depending on what the focus is. For some films that go in on all the action, it can provide audiences with a thrill ride that’s in and out very quickly. However, for more dramatic pieces, like A Quiet Place or 28 Days Later, they can be emotionally enticing through their own methodical means. Fortunately, We Bury the Dead falls into the latter thanks to great lead performances and focused storytelling.
We Bury the Dead follows wife Ava (Daisy Ridley) who is on a search for her missing husband after a devastating disaster leads to a terrible disease. Joining the military’s body retrieval unit, Ava encounters Clay (Brenton Thwaites), a pessimist-at-heart who’s still good deep down. Ava’s journey will lead her to discover terrible secrets and an undying truth that puts into question what she’s been told.
While We Bury the Dead might aesthetically feel familiar to recent films within the genre, it certainly tries to be thematically different from what we’ve been used to.
Notably, We Bury the Dead tries to reflect inwardly on what it means to process grief through these different characters. Even though it focuses on Ava’s unravelling and her troubled relationship, we’re presented with this triangle of trauma through who Ava meets along the way.
Whereas Ava is determined to hold on to being optimistic about her husband, Clay’s already accepted the harsh truth about the current state of things. It’s why, from the get-go, he’s easily able to act so nonchalantly even when the so-called “infected” try to attack them. However, by the midpoint of the film, there’s a little trickling down of that bravado that gives him a little bit of depth over time.
The relationship that Ava and Clay develop over time is carefully laid out, with only small emotional tidbits revealing themselves when need be. From their brief conversation about their motivations after their unit’s first job to their eventual reunion later on, Ava and Clay’s dynamic truly adds some brevity to an otherwise straightforward film.
On the other end of the spectrum, by that point, we’re also introduced to Riley, a military man who seems like a good Samaritan to Ava and Clay when they’re close to where Ava needs to be. Here, in the second act, it feels like it might start to break down because it slowly turns the story around.
In this shaky second act, you can expect that much-needed tension to arise. Whereas the first act feels somewhat slow in order to provide exposition for the film’s setting, this heated portion between Ava and her would-be “hero” is meticulously set up to keep you on edge with uncomfortable close-ups in these scenes.
Unlike Clay, who’s accepted this new way of life, Riley’s desperation to hold onto his family and find something (or someone) to replace that makes him into a terrifying opposition. Though both Ava and Riley find commonality in potentially losing their loved ones, Riley’s fury knows no bounds, and it’s that manipulation that makes him threatening.
Daisy Ridley does a good job bouncing off of Brendon Thwaites and Mark Coles Smith, capturing a hindered sense of desperation underneath her collected determination. Ridley shapes Ava as a character with her own agency, yet allows her to be vulnerable in the most troubling moments.
Of course, most of this shines whenever Ava and Clay are on the move together, particularly when they abandon their unit for Ava’s personal mission. That said, the overall pacing of We Bury the Dead makes certain parts of the film more effective than others. Much of it relies on building foundational exposition between the leads and Ava’s backstory.
Yet, it’s in showing bits and pieces of Ava’s history with her husband, Mitch, that makes this film feel a bit compelling. Ava wanted to do the best she could for Mitch, but their relationship wasn’t as tightly knit as Ava wanted it to be. She still has feelings for Mitch, but in a way, it feels more reserved.
While it initially seems like she wants to find her husband in the hope he’s alive, it carefully rewires your assumption to instead think that she just wants some sort of resolution. She doesn’t have as much optimism for his survival, so she just wants some sort of ending.
It’s through this display of grieving that makes We Bury the Dead a good apocalypse piece. Director Zak Hilditch blends this idea through increasingly complex characters and the decisions they make to find some resolution. Through Ava’s eyes, Hilditch carefully examines what it’s like to take the highway (quite literally) with this spectrum of emotions.
Hilditch’s ideas of resolution also come to life through his “infected” characters. In a way, he takes an approach similar to how 28 Years Later approaches the undead, albeit on a smaller scale than that film. Still, though, the way that the film explores what it’s like to resolve one’s unfinished business is surprisingly interesting.
There’s one particular part near the final act, where Ava comes across a dead family. Even though we expect something bad to happen, what’s actually done provides a bit of an optimistic, if unusual, surprise to subvert things. This moment is mostly effective in displaying that grief and regret, though I did feel weird about it first.
On a larger visual scale, We Bury the Dead feels like it’s out of a modern disaster film, which to say is a bit eye-catching. The contrast between the fiery embers of the dust storm generated by ground zero to the claustrophobic, dimly-lit interiors really makes the setting feel lively. The action, though limited, is effective as needed, giving you a brief rush in those carefully selected scenes.
Overall, We Bury the Dead is an effective apocalypse drama that does a great job covering how people grieve thanks to the lead performances from Daisy Ridley, Brendon Thwaites, and Mark Coles Smith. Zak Hilditch keeps things satisfyingly concise, even if it feels much more character-driven than it lets on.
We Bury the Dead is now playing in theaters.
Follow us on X and on Instagram!
Like us on Facebook!
Learn more about Eulalie Magazine here.
