Vertical Unleashes Gripping First Trailer for We Bury the Dead

Daisy Ridley enters a lethal quarantine zone in Vertical’s new zombie thriller We Bury the Dead.

WE BURY THE DEAD — Vertical Unveils a Brutal, Blood-Pounding First Trailer

Vertical has unleashed the official trailer for WE BURY THE DEAD, and it’s already shaping up to be one of the most vicious, emotionally charged zombie films we’ve seen in years. Written and directed by Zak Hilditch, the new horror-thriller stars Daisy Ridley, Brenton Thwaites, Mark Coles Smith, and Matt Whelan, and delivers a grim reinvention of the undead mythos at a time when the genre has been starved for real innovation.

Set in the fallout of a catastrophic military disaster, the dead don’t simply rise — they hunt. The military publicly insists the reanimated corpses are slow-moving, gentle, harmless, a comforting lie meant to settle a frightened public. But when Ava (Ridley) enters a sealed-off quarantine zone searching for her missing husband, she discovers the truth the government is terrified to admit: the undead are mutating. They’re growing more aggressive. Smarter. Faster. And the window to contain them is closing by the hour.

The trailer is a knockout — atmospheric, unnerving, and soaked in grief, tension, and dread. Hilditch’s visual approach looks haunting, blending military fallout with emotional devastation as Ridley digs deeper into a nightmare she refuses to walk away from. It’s been a long time since a zombie film landed with this kind of grounded intensity, and the evolving-undead angle adds a dangerous new dimension to the genre.

With Vertical behind the release, WE BURY THE DEAD feels poised to kick off 2026 with a major genre statement. The setup is classic, but the execution is sharp and modern, hinting at a film that’s as much about loss and human desperation as it is about the violent chaos waiting in the dark.

Expect this one to hit horror audiences hard — and expect it to be talked about. A lot.

Stay tuned for more trailers, stills, and coverage right here at Horror Movies Uncut.

Written and Directed by Zak Hilditch

Produced by Kelvin Munro, Grant Sputore, Ross M. Dinerstein, Joshua Harris, Mark Fasano

Starring Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, Cleaner), Brenton Thwaites (Titans), Mark Coles Smith (Mystery Road: Origin), Matt Whelan (Narcos).

After a catastrophic military disaster, the dead don’t just rise - they hunt. The military insists they are harmless and slow-moving, offering hope to grieving families. But when Ava (Daisy Ridley) enters a quarantine zone searching for her missing husband, she uncovers the horrifying truth: the undead are growing more violent, more relentless, and more dangerous with every passing hour.