New Zombie Horror Director Credits Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later as a Major Influence: “It’s Deeply Rooted in My Work”

Zak Hilditch has expressed his admiration for Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later, acknowledging its significant influence on his new zombie horror film, We Bury the Dead. He describes it as “unavoidable” to be inspired by such a groundbreaking franchise.

“Not only did it revolutionize the zombie genre, but I believe it also transformed cinema as a whole,” says Hilditch, who gained recognition for directing Netflix’s 2017 adaptation of Stephen King’s 1922. “The concept of elevated genre that emerged was directly tied to 28 Days Later. Danny Boyle… I’m a huge fan of Trainspotting… it was just mind-blowing. Can you really shoot a movie that looks gritty on a [Canon] XL1? It’s about the end of the world, so I’m all in! No one anticipated that film, and it runs deep in my roots as a filmmaker.”

While Hilditch admires the raw intensity of 28 Days Later, it’s intriguing to note that We Bury the Dead shares more thematic similarities with the upcoming 28 Years Later. Both films delve into themes of loss and the emotional aftermath of an apocalypse rather than focusing solely on gore and human depravity. The story follows Ava, a physical therapist portrayed by Brenton Thwaites, who travels from the US to Tasmania, Australia, in search of her missing husband, Mitch.

Ava hasn’t heard from Mitch since before an experimental weapon accidentally detonated, obliterating Hobart, the city where he was on a business trip. Despite the chaos, she clings to the hope that he might still be alive.

Her quest takes an unexpected turn when she is assigned to the ‘Body Retrieval Unit’ by the Australian government, tasked with clearing out homes of those who perished in the explosion. Luckily for Ava, her new partner is a free-spirited maverick who encourages her to abandon her duties and head south to Mitch’s hotel in Woodbridge.

“I didn’t want to replicate anything from 28 Days Later when creating my own zombie film,” Hilditch explains. “However, it’s somewhat inevitable because it changed the landscape so dramatically. My goal was to provide audiences with what they love about zombie films, but if I could twist it just enough to carve out my own space in the genre, then that was my aim.”

While We Bury the Dead is packed with thrilling undead encounters, Hilditch emphasizes the theme of lost time. Amidst the classic post-apocalyptic scares, the film suggests that the most terrifying aspect might be the regret of missed opportunities and the burden of living with that reality.

“I believe, without revealing too much, that we offer a unique twist on the zombie premise—something I haven’t seen in cinema before,” he concludes. “It’s a delicate balance of delivering a thrilling zombie experience while also venturing into new territory. I wanted to create something different and meaningful. Hopefully, we’ve managed to find that balance.”

We Bury the Dead is currently showing in US theaters and will be available on Digital HD in the UK on February 2.