Info in Movie News | Star Wars alum Daisy Ridley is stepping away from her lightsaber days and picking up an axe to face a new kind of darkness in Zak Hilditch’s upcoming horror thriller, We Bury the Dead. The movie, which premiered to strong acclaim at the 2025 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival, marks another bold step for Ridley as she dives into emotionally charged territory, one that blends grief, loss, and the terror of the undead.
According to If Magazine, Ridley takes on the role of Ava Newman, a determined woman whose husband disappears following a catastrophic military experiment. Refusing to believe he’s gone forever, Ava joins a “body retrieval unit” in hopes of finding him alive. Her mission soon spirals into something far more disturbing when the corpses she’s meant to bury begin to show signs of life. Set against the backdrop of a ruined world, the movie plunges viewers into a chilling descent where survival and sorrow intertwine.
We Bury the Dead was written and directed by Zak Hilditch, best known for the Stephen King adaptation 1922 and the apocalyptic drama These Final Hours. His latest work combines his signature bleak yet emotional storytelling with tense, grounded horror. Produced by Kelvin Munro and Grant Sputore of The Penguin Empire alongside Ross Dinerstein from Campfire Studios, the movie also received production backing from Screen Australia, Screenwest, and the WA Regional Screen Fund. The partnership between these creative powerhouses gives We Bury the Dead a distinctly cinematic and haunting texture, balancing intimate character moments with large-scale dread.
Ridley leads the cast with a performance that critics have described as both fierce and deeply human. She’s joined by Brenton Thwaites (Titans), Mark Coles Smith (Mystery Road: Origin), and Matt Whelan (Narcos), who bring emotional depth and intensity to a story that could have easily been another simple zombie flick. Instead, Hilditch’s approach makes it clear this isn’t just about the living dead, it’s about what people are willing to face and sacrifice when grief refuses to let go.
Critics have been generous in their early reactions. Screen Anarchy highlighted the movie’s “raw emotional tension wrapped inside an unrelenting atmosphere,” while Screen Rant praised its “refreshingly human take on the zombie genre.” Cinapse called Ridley’s performance “a commanding and layered turn that grounds the chaos with real heartbreak,” and Deadline emphasized the strong direction and sound design that elevate the production beyond standard horror fare. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie holds an impressive 89% approval rating, reflecting widespread critical praise for both its craftsmanship and storytelling.
The movie’s world premiere at SXSW was met with a standing ovation, with many noting how Hilditch’s direction manages to balance visceral scares with thought-provoking emotional beats. AwardsWatch described We Bury the Dead as “a grim but beautifully constructed meditation on love, death, and the haunting persistence of memory.” This layered storytelling, paired with Ridley’s intensity, positions the project as one of the most anticipated genre releases heading into 2026.
Visually, the movie carries a gritty realism reminiscent of post-apocalyptic dramas but infused with hauntingly poetic imagery, a hallmark of Hilditch’s filmmaking style. The production’s practical effects and grounded performances make the horror feel immediate and human. Every frame feels soaked in sorrow, dirt, and determination, mirroring Ava’s emotional decay and endurance. The sound design, too, has drawn praise for its eerie use of silence and ambient dread, amplifying the claustrophobic tension of scenes where the line between life and death blurs.
We Bury the Dead will open in Australian cinemas on February 5 via Umbrella Entertainment, before making its way to U.S. theaters on January 2, 2026, through Vertical. With its mix of emotional storytelling and raw horror, it’s shaping up to be one of the first must-watch movies of the new year, one that could redefine what zombie thrillers are capable of when driven by character and craft rather than simple gore.
In a year overflowing with standout horror titles, We Bury the Dead manages to carve its own niche by grounding terror in tragedy. Between Ridley’s powerful lead, Hilditch’s steady hand, and a wave of glowing early reviews from outlets like Screen Anarchy, Screen Rant, Cinapse, Deadline, Rotten Tomatoes, and AwardsWatch, it’s safe to say this isn’t just another undead story, it’s a haunting exploration of how far love can go, even when everything else has died.
source If Magazine, MovieWeb, Screen Rant, Cinapse, Deadline, Rotten Tomatoes, AwardsWatch.
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