Oh, its aDaisy Ridleyzombie movie, he laughs while in an exclusive conversation at ourSXSWstudio.
But Hilditch also knows theres a lot more to his new film than that.
There are many ways you could sell this movie, he observes.
Im a quick reader, apparently, she quips.
Im always like if I dont read quickly someone else is going to read it and take it!
That is so human and understandable, Ridley says.
A lot of people are seeking their own goodbyes too, Ridley says.
That isnt to say the zombies dont matter, because Ridley sees thematic importance to the living dead.
The zombies are representative of Ava.
Shes in this moment in between.
Shes neither here nor there.
Emotionally, shes trying to get to the next place… Shes so pushed by shame.
There is so much that she is sorry for and shes seeking absolution in a number of different ways.
So she is trying to say goodbye to whats left of her marriage.
This includes other significant characters Ava meets along the way.
Given Rileys military background, this is a man whos used to control, Smith explains.
Hes trained his life to be in control of situations and to be able to engage.
And he just has no control anymore.
But it nonetheless ended up that way.
And it was a bit of a different script back then.
The zombies sort of found their ways into the life of the film.
Once I did, the theme and everything else started to click in a profound way.
And then were off to the races.
Once the zombies shambled their way into the script, they presented Hilditch with a unique set of challenges.
How do you cut through all the zombie lore that exists out there with your zombie film?
Whats going to be so special and different about this?
For me, it was always about the themes.
How we treat the zombies in the film reflects Avas journey… Then all of a sudden youre just looking at things that are 10 times more intense on your phone.
My job as the writer is to just always think about what would really happen.
For Ridley this banality helped her uncover new depths for her character.
There is an awful sort of drudgery to Avas life, Ridley points out.
She is in deep, deep grief, not knowing what it is that has happened to her husband.
But the reality is she has joined the Body Retrieval Unit and they have to account for bodies.
So much of this film is about humanity.
The zombies are almost human, says Ridley.
They look like our friends and family do, ts just that there is something missingor something gained.
We Bury the Dead premiered at the SXSW Film and TV festival on March 9.
