In her latest role, Daisy Ridley steps far outside the galaxy of Star Wars and deep into the emotional wreckage of a zombie-ravaged world in We Bury the Dead. Directed by Zak Hilditch, this post-apocalyptic thriller is far from your standard undead fare—it’s a haunting meditation on grief, love, and what it means to be human, even when the world is anything but.
Ridley plays Ava, a woman so consumed by the loss of her husband that she joins a corpse retrieval unit just for the chance to find him. But this isn’t a mindless horror film; it’s a thoughtful, gut-wrenching look at loss and the blurry boundaries between life and death. “The script is beautiful,” Ridley said in an exclusive JustWatch feature. “It’s about grief and watching someone desperately trying to find an answer, even though she doesn’t know what that answer is going to be.”
What makes the film even more chilling is how grounded it feels. Ridley explained that the zombies “look like our friends and family,” making the horror feel painfully real. “It feels horribly human,” she added—an unsettling but powerful reflection of the emotional terrain Ava must navigate.
We Bury the Dead is a perfect showcase of Ridley’s range as an actor. While many still see her as the lightsaber-wielding Rey, her performance here is intimate, raw, and unforgettable. This role adds to an impressive portfolio that already includes Ophelia, Chaos Walking, and Sometimes I Think About Dying.
As part of JustWatch’s new Why to Watch spotlight, Ridley’s candid reflections help guide audiences to meaningful stories in a crowded streaming landscape. If you’re looking for a film that blends genre thrills with emotional depth, We Bury the Dead is one to stream with the lights off—and your heart open.
Watch the trailer and learn more here: We Bury the Dead on JustWatch.
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