2026
WISE Score
Daisy Ridley vs. the tactical undead. It's a grim, 95-minute sprint through a military nightmare that doesn't pull its punches.
6.0
6.0View →We Bury the Dead is a functional, mid-tier survival thriller. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it uses its 95 minutes effectively to deliver a claustrophobic, high-stakes hunt.
It’s not 'fun' horror—it's the kind of movie that leaves you feeling a bit cold and tired. If you're here for Ridley or you just can't get enough of the 'undead' subgenre, it's a solid Sunday night watch. Otherwise, it's probably one you can skip in favor of something with a bit more soul.
This is for the 15+ crowd. It’s emotionally heavy and visually grim. If your teen isn't already a fan of high-stakes survival horror like 'The Last of Us,' this might be a bit too depressing for a casual movie night.
The plot centers on a military catastrophe and reanimated corpses hunting the living. It is fundamentally built on dread, loss, and the macabre.
While the 'zombie' trope is well-worn, the 'hunting' mechanic and the specific military disaster backdrop offer a slightly more tactical, suspenseful spin than the average shambling-dead flick.
Expect significant body horror, jump scares, and intense psychological distress. The title isn't a metaphor—there is a lot of interaction with the deceased.
Ava's search for her husband provides an emotional core about grief and persistence, though it's largely secondary to the survival-thriller elements.
We’ve all seen the shambling hordes and the sprinting infected. We Bury the Dead tries something slightly different: the dead here are predators. They don’t just mindlessly wander into walls; they track. This shift changes the movie from a standard "run to the safe zone" plot into a 95-minute game of hide-and-seek where the stakes are consistently miserable.
The military disaster backdrop gives the whole thing a sterilized, cold feeling. It’s not a chaotic city collapse; it’s a controlled, failed operation. If your teen is used to the high-octane action of modern horror, they might find the pacing here a bit staccato. It’s a cycle of heavy silence followed by bursts of calculated violence. It works because it’s lean, but don't expect a traditional hero's journey. This is a movie about a woman doing a job she hates in a world that’s already ended.
Daisy Ridley is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. If you’re used to her more polished roles, this is a sharp pivot. She plays Ava with a level of exhaustion that feels earned. The film spends a lot of time on the actual physical labor of her search—the literal burying of bodies—which grounds the horror in something mundane and gross.
Critics and fans on Reddit have pointed out that the movie lives or dies on her performance. Without her, the TMDB score of 5.951 would likely be a lot lower. She makes the grief feel tactile. When she’s looking for her husband, you aren't just watching a plot point; you're watching someone slowly lose their mind to a process. It’s a performance that demands you pay attention to the quiet moments, which is a big ask for younger viewers who might just want to see the monsters.
There is a specific type of horror that aims to make the viewer feel physically uncomfortable, and this is it. It’s not just the gore—though there is plenty of visceral body horror—it’s the hopelessness. The movie doesn't offer much in the way of levity or "fun" scares. It’s a grim sit.
If your kid grew up on The Last of Us, they’ll recognize the DNA here. It’s that same blend of environmental storytelling and "the world is a graveyard" aesthetics. However, while those stories often have a core relationship to root for, We Bury the Dead is much more solitary. We’ve broken down the specifics of how this compares to other genre entries in our guide on why this is not your typical zombie movie, which is worth a look if you’re on the fence about the "bleakness" factor.
If your teen is a fan of A Quiet Place, they’ll appreciate the tension of the hunting sequences. The movie uses sound—or the lack of it—to build a lot of its scares. But if they’re looking for a movie where the humans win big and the monsters get "pwned," they’re going to be disappointed.
This is for the viewer who likes:
It’s a solid, functional thriller that hits its marks. It isn't going to change the genre, but it’s a respectable choice for a Friday night if you want something that feels a bit more mature than the usual teen-slasher fare. Just be prepared for the "bummer" factor—this isn't a movie that ends with a high-five.
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