We Bury the Dead (2026) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

• Hulu Stream · HD
• Amazon Video Rent $3.99 · 4K
• Apple TV Store Rent $5.99 · 4K
• Fandango At Home Rent $3.99 · 4K
• Google Play Movies Rent $5.99 · SD
• YouTube Rent $5.99 · SD

Streaming availability powered by

1. 1

   Weapon detonation devastates Hobart

   A weapon detonates off the Eastern coast of Tasmania, destroying Hobart and shattering the island's infrastructure. Victims on the island fall brain-dead, while a subset regains motor function and becomes undead. This disaster sets the perilous backdrop for the survivors' attempts to rescue the living and dispose of the dead.

   When

   Immediately after the detonation

   Where

   Eastern coast of Tasmania / Hobart

2. 2

   Ava volunteers for the cleanup effort

   American physiotherapist Ava Newman joins an Australian military effort to recover and dispose of the risen dead. She is assigned to the northern part of Tasmania and learns her husband Mitch was last known in Woodbridge. The mission becomes both a duty and a personal quest to reach him.

   When

   Shortly after the detonation

   Where

   Northern Tasmania

3. 3

   Ava and Clay form a plan to reach Mitch

   Ava teams with Clay, another volunteer, and they discover a motorcycle in a garage. Motivated by Mitch's location, they abandon their unit to cross Tasmania by road in hopes of finding him. The journey marks a shift from rescue to a direct personal mission.

   When

   Soon after joining the effort

   Where

   Across Tasmania (road trip)

4. 4

   Ambush at an abandoned petrol station

   An undead assault erupts at an abandoned petrol station, and Riley, a lone soldier, intervenes to save Ava. He locks Ava in a toilet and questions Clay about his choices as the danger escalates. The rescue effort becomes more complicated as trust is tested.

   When

   During the cross-island journey

   Where

   Abandoned petrol station, northern Tasmania

5. 5

   Riley reveals Clay's escape and moves on

   Riley wakes Ava and informs her that Clay ran away during the commotion. The two exchange wary words as they assess who to trust in a landscape where the undead behave unpredictably. Ava remains focused on reaching Mitch.

   When

   Immediately after the attack

   Where

   Petrol station interior

6. 6

   Riley's house and a dangerous dance

   Riley invites Ava to his house for a meal to discuss their losses. He asks that she wear Katie's clothes and dance with him, and she reluctantly complies. The moment turns sinister when his demand to remove her wedding ring escalates, forcing Ava to escape and confront Katie's undead body and a shrine to his wife.

   When

   Evening after the petrol-station incident

   Where

   Riley's house

7. 7

   Discovering Riley's undead experiment

   In a shed, Ava finds numerous chained undead and Riley's notes about their behavior. He explains his belief that those with unfinished business are the ones who return. Ava kills Riley when the tension peaks and escapes in his car, catching a glimpse that Katie has awoken.

   When

   Following the house confrontation

   Where

   Riley's property shed

8. 8

   Return to Woodbridge and burying the undead

   Ava drives toward Woodbridge and rests in a camper van, clearing the corpses of a family from outside. That night, the undead father digs a grave for himself and the others as the undead driver observes without attacking. Ava helps bury them and kills the driver with a shovel before continuing on.

   When

   That night on the road to Woodbridge

   Where

   Woodbridge, Tasmania

9. 9

   Flashbacks reveal Ava and Mitch's troubled marriage

   Through flashbacks, the audience learns that Ava and Mitch's marriage suffered from infertility and Ava's affair, which Mitch discovered just before leaving for his business trip. The revelations explain the lingering distrust between them. The memories contrast with the grim present as they pursue some sense of resolution.

   When

   During the trek

   Where

   Various (flashbacks)

10. 10

    Rescue mission at the resort and Mitch's truth

    Clay finds Ava at the resort where Mitch stayed; he did not wake up and had cheated on Ava with a coworker. The pair form a bond as they confront Mitch's betrayal and the dying world around them. They spend the night together and honor Mitch by sending his body to sea in a burning motorboat.

    When

    After reaching the resort

    Where

    Resort near Mitch's last stay

11. 11

    Katie gives birth to a living baby

    On their journey north, Ava and Clay encounter Katie, who has just given birth. Katie turns away from them and walks off, leaving the newborn behind. Ava and Clay discover the infant in nearby stone ruins, and the baby appears alive and healthy, lacking undead features. Ava cradles the crying baby, a moment of hope in a devastated world.

    When

    Towards the end of the journey

    Where

    Stone ruins near the path north

12. 12

    Ava holds the living baby; a glimmer of hope

    The film closes on Ava with the living infant, suggesting a possible future free from the undead scourge. The baby represents a beacon of renewal amid ruins as they press onward. The final image hints at a fragile, uncertain peace for the survivors.

    When

    Ending