We Bury the Dead: Where to Watch, Cast, Reviews (2026)

Zombie movies rarely get made twice — let alone after a 30-year wait. Director Zak Hilditch first conceived We Bury the Dead as a way to process grief after losing his mother, years before Daisy Ridley ever read the script. The film that eventually reached theaters in January 2026 turns that personal wound into something more universal: a survival thriller where Ava Newman searches for her missing husband among the rising dead in Tasmania.

Director: Zak Hilditch ·
Stars: Daisy Ridley, Mark Coles Smith, Brenton Thwaites ·
Genre: Zombie horror drama ·
Release Year: 2026 ·
Plot Focus: Wife searches for missing husband amid rising dead

Where can you watch We Bury the Dead?

As of May 2026, We Bury the Dead sits in that familiar limbo between theatrical run and full streaming rollout. If you want to watch right now, you have options — they just cost money upfront.

Streaming on Prime Video

The film is available to rent on Prime Video for $5.99 (Roku), which puts it in the same price range as most recent digital releases. No subscription add-on required — just a one-time rental charge. Purchase options exist too if you’d rather own it outright.

Roku options

Roku users can rent directly through the platform via Fandango at Home, also at the standard $5.99 rate (Roku). This gives flexibility for cord-cutters who already use Roku devices or the Channel app.

Other platforms

Apple TV and Plex round out the current rental options, all pricing identically at $5.99. No free streaming options exist yet according to JustWatch (JustWatch), and Netflix availability remains unconfirmed.

Is We Bury the Dead out?

The theatrical release came first, then the digital transition began. Here’s where things stand in the release timeline.

2026 release details

We Bury the Dead opened in theaters on January 2, 2026 (Plugged In). Principal photography had wrapped back in February 2024 after shooting in Albany, Western Australia (Wikipedia), giving the production roughly two years for post-production before hitting screens.

Current availability

The project was announced in October 2023 with Daisy Ridley attached (Wikipedia), and now renters can access it digitally. The YouTube trailer remains available for those wanting a preview before committing to a rental.

Is We Bury the Dead worth seeing?

Rotten Tomatoes gives it 88% positive reviews from 111 critics (Wikipedia), which puts it in solid territory for a genre film. Metacritic’s 61/100 from 16 critics suggests more mixed critical reception, but the audience alignment on Rotten Tomatoes is notably stronger.

Rotten Tomatoes scores

The consensus on Rotten Tomatoes calls it “a beautifully shot, emotionally resonant meditation on loss and grief” that uses “familiar zombie tropes as a framework” (Rotten Tomatoes). That’s meaningful praise for a genre often dismissed as pure spectacle.

Critic consensus

IndieWire reviewer Katie Rife praised the “top-notch” craft with “urgent pacing and gorgeous cinematography” (Wikipedia). Variety’s Siddhant Adlakha noted the film’s “brand-new spins” on the zombie subgenre that open “a cinematic window into the darkest, most mysterious parts of the human condition” (Wikipedia). Not every critic was sold — Bloody Disgusting gave it 2.5/5 — but the positive signals outnumber the negative ones.

Audience reactions

Horror Movie Lists called it “a flawed zombie thriller carried by Ridley,” which captures the general vibe: this is a star-driven vehicle with strong central performance outweighing some structural unevenness (Horror Movie Lists).

Anchored by Daisy Ridley’s magnetic performance and a grimly inventive premise, We Bury the Dead keenly uses familiar zombie tropes as a framework to deliver a beautifully shot, emotionally resonant meditation on loss and grief.

— Rotten Tomatoes Consensus

Is We Bury the Dead very scary?

It earns its R rating with genuine horror elements, though the scares serve a purpose — they frame the emotional journey rather than exist for shock value alone.

Horror elements

The undead grow “more violent and relentless over time” according to Rotten Tomatoes (Rotten Tomatoes), and the military disaster that triggers everything involves an electromagnetic charge killing hundreds of thousands (Plugged In). That’s a high body count premise. Beyond zombie attacks, the film includes gory elements, strong language, and heavy drinking (Plugged In), so parental discretion applies.

Zombie threat level

The body retrieval unit that Ava joins faces genuine danger. The plot sees her searching for her husband Mitch among the rising dead in Tasmania (Horror Movie Lists), and the undead hunt actively. It’s not jump-scare horror — more sustained dread and visceral sequences.

What film took 30 years to make?

We Bury the Dead’s origin story is almost as compelling as its plot. Director Zak Hilditch first conceived the project as a way to process grief after losing his mother — years before the zombie premise existed.

Production history

The film didn’t take literally 30 years of active production, but Hilditch carried the emotional core of the story for decades before it found its form. What started as a grief exploration became a zombie survival thriller when the right material presented itself. Principal photography finally began February 19, 2024, in Albany, Western Australia (Wikipedia), with the project announced publicly in October 2023 when Daisy Ridley came aboard.

Director’s inspiration

The themes of grief, loss, and family commitment that run through the film aren’t metaphorical — they’re drawn from direct experience. Plugged In’s review notes how the film “explores themes of grief, loss, and family commitment amid zombie horror” (Plugged In), making the zombie outbreak serve as both literal threat and emotional landscape.

At its most interesting and exciting when it approaches the well-worn zombie subgenre with brand-new spins, resulting in haunting scenes that open a cinematic window into the darkest, most mysterious parts of the human condition.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety Reviewer

How to watch We Bury the Dead: step-by-step

Three paths to watching, ranked by when you’d want to spend money versus when you’d rather wait.

1. Rent now on Prime Video, Apple TV, or Fandango at Home — Pay $5.99, watch immediately, support the filmmakers during the theatrical window.
2. Wait for Hulu on May 7, 2026 — If you already subscribe to Hulu, mark the calendar and watch for free.
3. Stream via Roku or Plex — Alternative digital platforms with the same $5.99 rental model if you prefer that ecosystem.

For physical media collectors, DVD and Blu-ray are available through Amazon.

Full cast of We Bury the Dead

Three notable names anchor the cast, with supporting players filling out the body retrieval team and military hierarchy.

Daisy Ridley’s performance has drawn the most critical attention. Rotten Tomatoes describes it as “magnetic” and notes how she “carries” the film (Rotten Tomatoes), which makes sense given Ava carries the emotional weight of the search narrative.

Related reading: Cast of Sex Education: Full List of Actors by Season · Cast of Running Point – Stars, Roles and Backgrounds

Frequently asked questions

For horror fans, the choice is straightforward: rent now for $5.99 and watch one of the better-reviewed zombie films of 2026. For casual viewers, waiting until Hulu gets it in May makes financial sense — unless you count yourself among the many who appreciate Daisy Ridley’s work in genres beyond her Star Wars origins.