What if a catastrophic event wasn't just an ending, but a terrifying new beginning? In Zak Hilditch's chilling horror film, We Bury the Dead, the picturesque island of Tasmania is plunged into a nightmarish zombie apocalypse, blurring the lines between fiction and a world that often feels stranger than fiction.
Imagine this: the United States Navy, during a routine patrol near Tasmania, inadvertently unleashes an experimental weapon. The devastating fallout is immediate and catastrophic, wiping out nearly the entire population of the island. The Australian Prime Minister's fury towards their so-called ally is, understandably, incandescent.
This isn't just a disaster movie; it's a visceral dive into our current anxieties. Perth-based genre filmmaker Hilditch masterfully crafts a cinematic experience that's both a disaster flick and a horror spectacle, where the reanimated dead refuse to stay buried. But here's where it gets deeply personal: it's also a poignant exploration of loss.
Hilditch reveals, "We Bury the Dead began as a way for me to process grief after my mother's passing. I wanted to understand and navigate that trauma." He admits, "I never in a million years expected zombies to feature in the screenplay. Yet, this persistent idea of unfinished business wouldn't let go."
Star Wars meets the undead?
Daisy Ridley, known for her role in the Star Wars saga, portrays Ava, an American physiotherapist who arrives in the now heavily militarized Devonport. Her stated purpose is to assist with the cleanup, but her true mission is far more desperate: to escape the quarantine zone and journey to the ravaged southern part of the island. She holds onto a sliver of hope that her husband, who was there on business, might have miraculously survived. Their story is one of unfinished business, and Ava is determined to see it through, no matter the cost.
Ridley delivers a performance of remarkable depth, seamlessly blending the raw vulnerability of grief with the fierce surge of determination and the gut-wrenching shock of unimaginable horror. "This film simply wouldn't be possible without an actress who could convey so much in the quiet moments, when the camera simply observes her face and the turmoil within," Hilditch explains. "Daisy poured her entire being into this role, from Ava's journey to the smallest details of her costume and props. She truly elevated the film, making it both grand and intimately relatable."
Dropping the bomb, and the F-bombs
Though filmed in Hilditch's home state of Western Australia, the narrative sees Ava reluctantly teaming up with Clay, a motorbike-riding local played by Brenton Thwaites (known for Titans). Clay is easily persuaded to abandon his grim task of dealing with the deceased, especially when there's a chance of something more exciting. And yes, Clay's dialogue is peppered with colorful Australian curses, including the infamous "C-bomb." It makes you wonder how American audiences, at the film's international premiere at SXSW after its debut at the Adelaide Film Festival, reacted to this distinctly Aussie flavor. "The Americans absolutely adored Brenton," Hilditch shares. "We're still quite exotic to them, and Clay embodies the archetype of what they imagine all Australians to be like. We gave it to them straight, and they were roaring with laughter."
Their escape attempt is soon complicated by the arrival of Riley, a police officer portrayed by Mark Coles Smith (from Mystery Road: Origin and Beast of War). "Mark is an absolute talent, and he's never had a role quite like this before," Hilditch notes. The director spent four intense days with Smith and Ridley in an eerie old house, filming what is arguably the movie's most suspenseful sequence. "I was inspired by Ira Levin's play, Veronica's Room, particularly how unexpected the characters' roles are and how they manipulate the situation," Hilditch says. "Filming that scene felt like making an entirely different movie. One moment we're out in the elements, battling zombies, and the next, we're in a Hitchcockian thriller."
Building on a strong foundation
Hilditch's directorial style consistently balances the epic with the intensely personal. "I've always been drawn to ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances," he states. "We Bury the Dead takes this to a profoundly personal and cathartic level, in a way that's more impactful than my previous work."
There are clear echoes of Hilditch's earlier success, These Final Hours (2013). That film starred Nathan Phillips as James, a man who abandons his girlfriend to party as an asteroid impact looms, leaving Australia with just 12 hours to live. For that film, Hilditch also drew inspiration from Peter Bogdanovich's Paper Moon, particularly its depiction of an unlikely pairing between a con man and a grieving young girl. In These Final Hours, James reluctantly rescues Rose, an abandoned child played by Angourie Rice, from various unsavory characters, including a memorable cameo by Sarah Snook (pre-Succession) as a wild, drug-fueled partygoer. "Shiv Roy, my goodness," Hilditch recalls. "We offered her the script and asked who she wanted to play, and she immediately said, 'The wicked witch at the party.'"
Alongside his admiration for Paper Moon, Hilditch also looked to Danny Boyle and Alex Garland's 28 Days Later, as well as the works of Quentin Tarantino, when writing These Final Hours. "Seeing 28 Days Later on the big screen in my twenties was mind-blowing, much like experiencing Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction as a late teenager," he says. We Bury the Dead builds upon these cinematic foundations, offering a monumental Australian film that is witty, wicked, and undeniably impactful, with a touch of melancholy.
After an extensive run on the festival circuit, Hilditch is eager for audiences nationwide to experience the film in cinemas. "Watching the film with audiences, from Adelaide to Austin, this is what it's all about," he expresses. "It's why I wanted to make movies in the first place: to tell stories, put them on the big screen, and witness people's reactions."
What do you think? Is the inclusion of zombies a clever way to explore deeper themes of grief and unfinished business, or does it detract from the emotional core of the story? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
We Bury the Dead is currently playing in cinemas.
