Is this a safe space where I can admit I am not a Star Wars girl? If so, I would like to explain why Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens) was the main reason I was excited to see We Bury the Dead. I have many friends who sang Ridley’s praises after her work in a galaxy far, far away. However, I have only seen her in a movie called Sometimes I Think About Dying. I found her charming enough and selfishly hoped she would do something in my wheelhouse. So, when I read Ridley was leading this cast, I knew I needed to see it.
Ridley plays Ava in the film. After a military experiment practically wipes Tasmania off of the map, she desperately joins a body retrieval unit. Ava is hoping she might find her husband alive by doing this work. Right before the incident, he took a trip to Tasmania, and she never heard from him again. This fear of finding him dead is compounded by the fact that their marriage was not in a good place the last time they spoke. Her belief that he may be alive is renewed when her crew finds bodies showing signs of life. However, because the military is putting the undead out of their misery, this also forces her into a race to find her husband before they do.
Tons Of Cool Stuff To Chew On
Writer-director Zak Hilditch’s script touches on some cool concepts. Many of us on this side of COVID are instantly triggered by the scale of the event. Most adults also have a healthy distrust of the government, so that’s also weighing heavily on the story. However, the idea of making sure the people who were killed are really dead is one of the most interesting. The way the military talks about ending the undead with dignity to only send people in to shoot anyone still standing could be almost five essays alone. The way this thread intertwines with Ava’s unfinished business with her husband, who she hopes is alive (one way or the other), is intriguing. As an audience member, I was curious to see this unfold amid chaos. However, We Bury the Dead leans more towards understated horror as it delves into the human condition instead.
Honestly, I found that swerve frustrating. Although, I know many people will love this movie for doing that. We Bury the Dead sets a beautiful table and invites us to sit down but then tells us we should have brought our own dessert. I rolled my eyes as the random motherhood theme began crowding the movie. It felt like it came out of nowhere, but part of why Ava and her husband were experiencing a rough patch. We also get a pregnant zombie supporting this theme. Instead of being a commentary on how people with ovaries are sometimes used as human incubators, it is another mom moment I found annoying.
So, it is a good thing I stayed for the talkback and listened to Hilditch explain that this script was written after his mother’s death. That helped me feel less salty about the IVF and baby situations that boarded this story. Writing from a place of grief is hard, and the conversation made me realize this was a personal project. Now it feels less reductive and more like I walked in on someone’s private thoughts as they are working something.
Let The Undead Riot
We Bury the Dead also did something else I found puzzling. Throughout the film, the camera cuts away from much of the violence. We can assume we know where the bullets and axes land, but we don’t always see it. Is this a stand on violence in the media? Or, another way of reminding the audience that every life (even the undead ones) should be handled with care and dignity? Maybe it’s both, but it’s a unique choice in a genre that lives for the kill. It could have also been another technique to remind viewers this would be a dramatic thriller rather than a splatterfest.
We Bury the Dead is a well-made movie with powerful performances. However, it almost feels afraid to let its zombies be zombies. This is part of a trend I’m noticing where creators use the undead to work through complicated feelings about death, grief, and guilt but refuse to celebrate their space in this subgenre. I understand and respect that the juxtaposition of the living and the dead is interesting. The examination of how the living are suffering, haunted, and usually worse off is not lost on me. However, the few moments of actual terror are the most interesting moments in We Bury the Dead. If only the thrilling elements hadn’t taken a backseat to the drama that pulls focus.
I May Be Dead Inside
I would not be so bold as to say We Bury the Dead is a bad film. However, the movie wants to connect with people on a deeper level, and I never connected with it. I loved hearing the filmmaker explain what was happening, and that made me reframe a few things. Unfortunately, I just was not the audience for this slow jam. I cannot wait to find its fans though, because I bet the essays written about it will be magnificent this side of 2020.
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