We Bury the Dead

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We Bury the Dead

R

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1h 35m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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86%

Tomatometer

94 Reviews

47%

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500+ Verified Ratings

After a catastrophic military disaster, the dead don't just rise -- they hunt. The military insists they are harmless and slow-moving, offering hope to grieving families. But when Ava (Daisy Ridley) enters a quarantine zone searching for her missing husband, she uncovers the horrifying truth: the undead are growing more violent, more relentless, and more dangerous with every passing hour.

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Critics Consensus

Anchored by Daisy Ridley's magnetic performance and a grimly inventive premise, We Bury the Dead keenly uses familiar zombie tropes as a framework to deliver a beautifully shot, emotionally resonant meditation on loss and grief.

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Sheila O'Malley

RogerEbert.com

Jan 7

3/4

Doing something new with zombies has to be a little challenging, but Hilditch, who wrote and directed, manages it.

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Benjamin Lee

Guardian

Jan 5

3/5

Hilditch mercifully avoids drowning his film in drab self-seriousness. Yes, it’s a zombie survival thriller that’s also about grief -- but it’s also just a zombie survival thriller, albeit one with less carnage than some might expect.

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Peter Travers

The Travers Take

Jan 2

2.5/5

Before it reverts to moldy zombie tropes, this low-budget, no-frills survival thriller puts a fresh spin on the familiar thanks to Daisy Ridley as a human living among the walking dead.

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William Schwartz

Book & Film Globe

1d

Unlike typical zombie genre films, We Bury The Dead does not need to put the world at risk for us to care what happens, just Ava. Instead of breadth, it aims for depth — the stake is not human survival but one human’s survival.

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Christopher Cross

Asynchronous Media

6d

3.5/5

Hilditch’s economical screenplay is far smarter than the average horror film that leans on special effects or a single clever concept to set itself apart.

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Daniel Gorman

In Review Online

Jan 16

We Bury the Dead is an extremely quiet, self-contained film, "small" in interesting ways, especially for this subgenre.

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Jamie

6d

This was a good and fun experience, great movie. Can't wait to see another movie in that theater, with the same type of experience!

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Gerald Hernandez

6d

great zombie movie had me jumping out of my seat a couple of times very different from other zombie movies but still with the tenacity and originality that I believe George a Romero might approved I definitely approve and I can say with no regret that this movie was very entertaining.

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Hardtravelinghero

Jan 15

Our world is burning, but sometimes you gotta take a break from it and enjoy a movie where some of the world within the movie is literally burning. Saw this flick on the big screen tonight and I encourage the same. It's a nice flavor of a sub-genre that often feels played out, but there's enough fresh and unique here, beautiful elements of a road trip film built into the larger character narrative that drives the movie that brought me directly into the world. If you're interested, spend the extra dough for the theatrical experience that's worth your while.

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Charles

Jan 15

decent movie but definitely needed more substance and the ending kind of meh.

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jose

Jan 14

it wasn't what I expected. I expected killing and running. this was more of a lady searching for closure

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BobbieLynn

Jan 14

Could’ve been something….but honestly missed the mark. I will give them credit for attempting a different approach to the traditional “zombie” movie.

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Zak Hilditch

Director

Daisy Ridley

Ava

Brenton Thwaites

Clay

Matt Whelan

Mitch

Mark Coles Smith

Riley

Kym Jackson

Lieutenant Wilkie

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We Bury the Dead: Trailer 1

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We Bury the Dead: Teaser Trailer

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Synopsis

After a catastrophic military disaster, the dead don't just rise -- they hunt. The military insists they are harmless and slow-moving, offering hope to grieving families. But when Ava (Daisy Ridley) enters a quarantine zone searching for her missing husband, she uncovers the horrifying truth: the undead are growing more violent, more relentless, and more dangerous with every passing hour.

Director: Zak Hilditch
Producer: Ross M. Dinerstein, Mark Fasano, Joshua Harris, Kelvin Munro, Grant Sputore
Screenwriter: Zak Hilditch
Distributor: Vertical
Production Co: Penguin Empire, Campfire Studios, Gramercy Park Media, Peachtree Media Partners, Giant Leap Media
Rating: R (Language|Gore|Brief Drug Use|Strong Violent Content)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 2, 2026, Wide
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.5M
Runtime: 1h 35m

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