By Jacob Cameron

We Bury the Dead is the first film to be released in theaters in 2026. January tends to be the month where the bad movies get released. With the first weekend of January being reserved for a horror film. In general, We Bury the Dead has some good ideas with thoroughly mediocre execution.

We Bury the Dead tells the story of a woman named Ava, played by Daisy Ridley. She flies to the island of Tasmania, where a military disaster has rendered the island unlivable. Ava volunteers for the body retrieval unit of the disaster relief service. She joins the team with an ulterior motive to reunite with her husband in the quarantined southern part of the island. To get there, she gets the help of her partner on the team named Clay, played by Brenton Thwaites. The two then navigate threats both dead and alive.

The biggest positive here is the overall technical aspects of the film. The film looks surprisingly good; with some striking and sobering shots of the fires of the island. Additionally, the reanimated dead look unnatural and unnerving throughout. It appears to the naked eye that there were practical effects used throughout, which is commendable.

Daisy Ridley and Brenton Thwaites give solid performances. Ridley, by far the most interesting character, makes the most of the material that is given. There are hints of what happened in her past, before the disaster, which shows a troubled recent past with her husband. Brenton Thwaites is good as well but not nearly as interesting. Being portrayed as an aimless drifter for most of the film and nothing notable beyond that.

The biggest disservice of the film is the lack of anything interesting or unique presented. While zombie films have been great in the past, both Dawn of the Dead films and 28 Days Later being prime examples, they had unique visions. We Bury the Dead feels like it’s going through the motions. The film is 94 minutes long, and it feels like it should have been twice as long. Or at least long enough to make the two main characters more interesting.

As mentioned, there are hints of Ava and her husband having martial problems. With even greater hints that suggest some infidelity of some sort. But this is never fully explained and thus leads to an ending that doesn’t feel earned. Similarly, Brenton Thwaites’ character doesn’t get a full backstory until near the very end. And it’s not that original of a backstory to boot; being explained in one sentence with about 10 minutes remaining in the film.

Ultimately, this is an incredibly forgettable film. There are some good performances, and the aforementioned use of practical effects is admirable. But there is nothing unique about this film to recommend. In a month where 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is coming out, there is no room to be a mediocre zombie movie. And this is, unfortunately, one of those films.

2 stars