We Bury the Dead
We Bury the Dead is a 2025/2026 zombie survival horror thriller film directed by Zak Hilditch and starring Daisy Ridley. Set after a catastrophic military weapon detonation in Tasmania, the story follows Ava, a member of a body retrieval unit, as she desperately searches for her missing husband amidst a landscape of decaying corpses and reanimated 'undead.' More of a psychological drama about grief and loss than a traditional action-packed zombie film, it explores the emotional toll of catastrophe and the human need for closure. The film is rated R for strong violent content, gore, language, and brief drug use, making it suitable for adults and mature teens 17+ due to its intense themes and graphic imagery.
Concerns
Violence
HighThe film features strong violent content and gore, depicting the aftermath of a catastrophic event with numerous decomposing bodies and aggressive 'undead' encounters. Violence is often grim and unsettling rather than stylized.
The movie includes intensely gory scenes, such as Ava and other volunteers encountering 'scores and scores of corpses that... have started to rot and fester—eyes oozing, bones broken from falls, faces battered and mouldering.' The 'undead' are shown violently grinding their teeth, breaking them into 'bloody shards' as their jaws flex. Ava violently bashes in a zombie's brains and smashes its facial bones with a fire extinguisher. Additionally, Ava kills the soldier Riley during a tense confrontation.
Profanity
HighThe film features pervasive strong language, reflecting the characters' stress and despair in a post-catastrophic world. Profanity is frequent and includes highly offensive terms.
Strong language is used throughout the dialogue. The film contains 'more than 30 f-words and a half dozen s-words' along with a single use of 'h—' and a misuse each of God's and Jesus' names. The character Clay is specifically described as 'foul-mouthed.'
Scary & Intense Content
HighThe movie delivers a persistently unsettling and frightening atmosphere through disturbing visuals, psychological horror, and intense encounters with the 'undead.'
The film creates constant unease with the 'persistent presence of dead bodies, unsettling sounds, and abandoned environments.' One intensely disturbing sequence involves the soldier Riley engaging in psychological manipulation and role-playing with Ava, forcing her to wear his dead wife's clothes and becoming violent when she refuses to remove her wedding ring. The 'undead' are portrayed as unsettling, often with 'gnarly grinding and chomping of teeth.' Aggressive 'undead' creatures chase and claw at characters, creating frightening scenarios.
Romance and Sexual Content
MediumWhile there is no explicit sexual content or nudity in graphic sexual acts, the film contains instances of decayed nudity, suggestive deceased figures, and references to infidelity.
Ava discovers a deceased couple who died while showering, depicted naked with the woman's chest exposed, though their flesh is decayed. She also encounters the remains of a bachelor party where several female corpses are seen 'dressed in bras and panties,' with one having 'its leg up on a pole.' A key plot point reveals that Ava's husband, Mitch, was having a sexual encounter with a coworker before his death, and through flashbacks, it is also revealed that Ava herself had an affair which Mitch discovered. Ava and Clay are shown waking in the same bed after drinking all night, though without explicit indication of intimacy.
Witchcraft & Occult
MediumThe movie introduces a supernatural element to the 'undead' by suggesting they reanimate due to 'unfinished business.' This concept, along with a controversial scene involving a zombie giving birth to a healthy baby, leans into occult-like interpretations of death and reanimation.
The film's premise involves some of the deceased victims of the EMP weapon 'coming back online' because they have 'unfinished business.' This is distinct from traditional zombie explanations and introduces a spiritual or supernatural rationale for their reanimation. A particularly debated scene involves a pregnant undead woman giving birth to a healthy, live baby, which critics and viewers noted as potentially breaking the film's established rules and introducing a strong supernatural element.
Substance Use
MediumThe film includes brief instances of drug and alcohol consumption, portrayed as coping mechanisms for characters grappling with trauma and despair.
The MPAA rating explicitly notes 'brief drug use.' Clay, a main character, is frequently depicted as a smoker, lighting up cigarettes repeatedly. There is an implied scene of heavy alcohol consumption where Ava and Clay 'after drinking all night, they wake in the same bed.'
Disrespect & Rebellion
MediumKey characters engage in acts of defiance against military authority and display challenging attitudes, leading to dangerous situations.
Ava explicitly defies military orders by leaving her assigned unit to search for her missing husband in a quarantined, off-limits area. Clay, Ava's companion, is described as 'foul-mouthed' and 'difficult to get along with.' Both Ava and Clay abandon their body retrieval unit, which can be seen as an act of rebellion against established rules in a crisis.
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
LowThorough searches across mainstream reviews, parent guides, and fan discussions did not yield any specific mentions or depictions of LGBTQ+ characters, themes, or representation within 'We Bury the Dead.' The film's focus is on heterosexual relationships and personal grief.
No specific LGBTQ+ characters, relationships, or themes were identified in the available content analyses or plot summaries. The narrative centers on Ava's search for her husband, Mitch, and her interactions with male companion Clay.
Anti-Christian Themes
LowThe film does not contain any anti-Christian themes. Christian faith is presented neutrally and respectfully in a scene depicting religious figures performing burial rites.
During scenes involving the removal of the dead, a female minister is shown presiding over the disposal of bodies, holding a Bible and a small crucifix, and reciting a blessing 'in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.' A Buddhist monk is also shown praying. These depictions are respectful and contextualize religious practice as a means of coping with loss, without any mockery or negativity directed at Christianity.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
Adults and mature teens 17+. The film's R rating is justified by its explicit gore, pervasive strong language, unsettling psychological themes, and brief drug and alcohol use. Younger viewers may find the persistent presence of decaying bodies, violent zombie encounters, and a disturbing sequence of psychological manipulation overly intense and potentially traumatic.
Additional Notes
While marketed as a zombie horror, many reviews highlight that 'We Bury the Dead' is more accurately described as a psychological drama focusing on grief and human connection, with horror elements. Viewers expecting traditional zombie action may be surprised by its contemplative tone and slower pace. The film does not have sequels or adaptations to track for evolving concerns.
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