When her husband goes missing following a catastrophic military experiment that decimates the population of Tasmania, a desperate woman joins a “body retrieval unit” in the hope of eventually finding him still alive. A film by Zak Hilditch, starring Daisy Ridley, Brenton Thwaites, Matt Whelan, Chloe Hurst, Kym Jackson, Dan Paris, Deanna Cooney, Nicola Bartlett, Kim Fleming, Kingsley Judd, Salme Geransar, Elijah Williams, Neven Connolly, Crystal Heo, and Mark Coles Smith.

The US Military accidentally deployed an experimental weapon off the coast of Tasmania, decimating the city of Hobart and killing every living thing across the island. Half a million people died instantly from the massive electromagnetic pulse. Now, rumors have begun to spread of rare cases in which some of the dead have come back to life

Hobart is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. It serves as the financial and administrative hub of the state and is situated in the southeastern part of the island on the estuary of the River Derwent. Founded as a penal colony in 1804, Hobart is the second-oldest capital city in Australia after Sydney. It is recognized for its well-preserved convict-era architecture and serves as a major tourist destination featuring prominent cultural attractions like the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) and the historic Salamanca Market. Beyond its historical significance, the city functions as a primary logistics hub for Australian and French Antarctic operations. As of 2024, the greater Hobart area has a population of approximately 255,000, maintaining an intimate character compared to larger mainland Australian capitals.

As the Australian government launches a volunteer program to handle the unprecedented disaster, Ava boards a plane to Tasmania to join a “body retrieval unit.” On the surface, she is there to assist with the crisis. However, she is driven by the desperate hope that Mitch might be among the dead who come back.

After landing at Devonport, the volunteers are asked to hand their phones over to military personnel, with a promise that they will be returned upon departure. At the registration table, Ava tells Private Clarkson (Salme Geransar) that she is there on compassionate grounds and would like to join the body retrieval unit operating in the south of the island. She explains that she needs to get to a small town called Woodbridge.

Clarkson flatly replies that no one has gone south of Hobart yet. The entire city is still burning, and Ava will just have to wait until the fires are out. The best she can do for now is stick with her assigned unit and work her way south eventually. Noticing Ava’s shock, Clarkson softens slightly, realizing she must be looking for someone important.

When Clarkson asks who is down there, Ava admits it is her husband. Trying to bargain, Ava mentions she is a physical therapist and offers to help out in that capacity while she waits. Clarkson shuts her down again, reminding her that her exemption was approved solely for disaster victim identification and body retrieval. She will do exactly that for the duration of her stay, or she can turn around and go home.

During the briefing, Captain Vance (Dan Paris) confirms that the rumors are true. In a few rare cases, the dead are actually coming back. He explains that there is no way to know which bodies will wake up or when it might happen. He warns the volunteers that even though these victims may look alive, they are no longer the same people. If anyone encounters a body showing signs of activity, they are strictly instructed to notify a nearby military unit. The soldiers will then handle the situation efficiently and with the dignity the victims deserve. Vance assures the room that these anomalies are docile and slow, posing no real threat.

After their first task retrieving the bodies of the Smith family, Ava’s partner (Deanna Cooney) is deeply shaken by the horrific state of the remains and decides she cannot continue. She immediately quits the program.

Because the volunteers are required to work in pairs, Ava is left stranded on the curb after her partner leaves. As she waits with nothing to do, the front door of a house across the street suddenly flies open. Another volunteer bursts outside to throw up. With both of them now lacking partners, Ava teams up with Clay (Brenton Thwaites), and the two continue the retrieval tasks together.

As they continue their work, they encounter a few victims who have woken up. Unfazed, Clay follows protocol and fires a flare to notify the military unit. Soldiers quickly move in and shoot the reanimated victims in the head, killing them instantly. Watching this brutal efficiency deeply unsettles Ava. She cannot shake the feeling that the people who come back are not entirely gone. She believes a part of their humanity is still trapped inside, lost and terrified.

Later, the two discover a working motorcycle in a garage, and Ava learns that Clay is able to ride it. She suggests that he take her to the Enso Resort, which is Mitch’s last known location. She reasons that if they keep a low profile, they can avoid the military patrols and reach their destination by nightfall. In return for helping her get there, Clay gets to take the motorcycle for a ride. Clay agrees to help her.

Nineteen miles away from the Enso Resort, the pair makes a stop at an abandoned gas station called Bakers Food & Fuel. There, they are suddenly attacked by a highly aggressive undead victim. But a soldier named Riley (Mark Coles Smith) arrives just in time to save them. Riley shares that he has been observing the undead’s behavior and realized that they grow increasingly agitated the longer they stay awake. Surprised to see civilians wandering around the restricted zone of Taroona, Riley insists that he needs to take their official statements. He tells Ava to wait in a storage room while Clay gives his statement first, assuring her he will return for her shortly.

Moments later, Riley returns to the storage room alone. He tells Ava that Clay panicked and ran away, claiming he spent the last couple of hours trying to track him down but had no luck. Stunned, Ava immediately grows suspicious. She wonders if Riley is telling the truth, if Clay actually fled, or if something much worse has happened to her partner. Despite her doubts, Riley offers to give her safe passage to Woodbridge, acknowledging that she needs closure. However, he warns her that if she finds her husband among the reanimated, she needs to be fully prepared for what will happen to him.

Riley says he needs to pick up a few things before they head south. Left with no other options, Ava agrees to accompany him, though she remains highly suspicious and watches his every move.

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@pradt

WE BURY THE DEAD 🪓
Volunteers needed.
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A film by Zak Hilditch, starring Daisy Ridley, Brenton Thwaites, Matt Whelan, Chloe Hurst, Kym Jackson, Dan Paris, Deanna Cooney, Nicola Bartlett, Kim Fleming, Kingsley Judd, Salme Geransar, Elijah Williams, Neven Connolly, Crystal Heo, and Mark Coles Smith.

Written and directed by Australian filmmaker Zak Hilditch, WE BURY THE DEAD is a horror drama following Ava (Daisy Ridley), a woman desperate to find her husband Mitch (Matt Whelan), who went missing in the wake of a catastrophic military accident that wiped out over 500,000 people on the island of Tasmania.

Despite what the trailer leads you to believe, this film is not a traditional zombie horror. There is very little action, and the reanimated bodies rarely run or move in packs. Instead, it is essentially a road trip movie following a woman on a perilous journey to find her husband, who had traveled to Woodbridge for a work retreat before the catastrophic accident struck.

I generally dislike flashbacks unless they serve a clear narrative purpose, such as providing essential backstory. In this film, they are deliberately used to hide the crucial fact that Ava’s marriage is falling apart and that she is the one responsible. The early flashbacks try to convince the audience that she is motivated by love, but in reality, she is driven entirely by guilt. This makes the conclusion feel deeply unsatisfying, as Ava finally reveals herself to be a despicable character.

WE BURY THE DEAD premiered at Adelaide Film Festival on 1 November 2024. The film was theatrically released in the United States on 2 January 2026 and in Australia on 5 February.