Zak Hilditch made one of the most underrated zombie apocalypse movies in These Final Hours. We Bury the Dead, starring Daisy Ridley, may come more than ten years later, but feels like the perfect companion piece to that uncut gem. Built on the foundations of a freak occurrence in Tasmania, We Bury the Dead morphs into something introspective, laced with pathos, and grounded by first-hand flashbacks featuring Ridley’s Ava.
Despite all the military moments and random acts of violence that define this movie on a basic level, We Bury the Dead is a story of disconnection. As it embraces the road trip sub-genre and Ava sets off in search of her husband Mitch, director Zak HIlditch leans into atmospherics and takes advantage of the real-world locations. Miles of sun-baked mud flats and idyllic grassland disarming audiences.
That focus on the natural world encourages introspection and an appreciation of something that moves beyond this fictional tragedy. Daisy Ridley has always been good at connecting to the inner turmoil of characters and Ava is no exception. Resourceful, tenacious, and stubborn she might be, but Ava is also an incurable romantic. Someone who believes that whatever happens love will find a way, even in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
Image Courtesy of Sky
Brendon Thwaites might be best known for being Dick Grayson in Titans, but here he offers solid support as Clay. Emotionally detached, self-involved, and out for himself he might be, but from this connection is forged an unlikely partnership. Closeness without the physicality, and reassurance without the biological bond. Not only does he get Ava where she needs to go, but life lessons are learned along the way which give this character unexpected depth.
For audiences We Bury the Dead is all about the journey. Ava might be in search of a cathartic reconnection, but audiences get to project whatever scenario they like onto this character. On a deeper level the catatonic state that blast victims exhibit could be linked back to some savvy social commentary from Hilditch. That not only gives this movie a contemporary edge but says something brutally honest about our reliance on social media.
Doom scrolling is no longer just a catchy phrase for clickbait headlines, but something much more sinister. It is now a recognised condition that classifies phones as addictive commodities. Every undead person Ava and Clay encounter carry that blank eyed expression connected to an oversaturation of social media. Barely able to register the presence of another person and clinging to the last vestiges of their humanity.
We Bury the Dead also speaks to the lack of faith in long-lasting connection in conventional society. A place where temporary employment is the new norm, prospects are limited, and people are unable to form emotional relationships because they see no future for themselves. Ava may stand in opposition to that ethos, but after this film reveals its trump card, audiences will have to admit even she belongs to a bygone era.
We Bury the Dead is available on Sky Cinema now.