BURIAL is a new thriller that takes place geographically in Poland. It’s right at the end of World War II and a group of Soviet soldiers is tasked with bringing a casket to Stalin himself. This casket contains the remains of Hitler, and Stalin wants to see the corpse.
This isn’t a spoiler, by the way, but simply the official plot. Also, this is just the assignment given to the soldiers. Carrying out the order is what the movie is focusing on.
Since this story plays out right at the end of World War II, Europe is a very dire place. Nobody trusts anyone and civilians can hardly tell the soldiers apart. It doesn’t really matter where they come from. Every time soldiers come by, they steal and rape anyway, so what’s the difference?!
This is actually a paraphrased comment from one of the Polish civilians in the movie. Not just my personal opinion. Though, admittedly, you don’t have to watch many documentaries about war to recognize this statement.
In any case, getting a casket with the remains of Hitler from Berlin to Moscow is no easy job. Most of the story plays out in Poland and it does get very brutal at times. Again, this is still during the war and the Germans are also interested in getting these remains.
I won’t spoil their very specific reason for wanting the corpse, but it shouldn’t surprise anyone when it’s revealed.
Why is the title Burial?
I wanted to comment on the title Burial real quick since it doesn’t have anything to do with why the soldiers need to transport the corpse to Stalin in Moscow. Stalin isn’t interested in the burial of his enemy, Hitler. He just wants to see his remains to know for sure that it is actually him.
No, the title has more to do with the fact that the soldiers have to bury the casket with Hitler’s remains every day. Before nightfall, they need to stop somewhere and dig a grave, lower the casket and cover it with dirt. The next morning, they dig it back up and continue on their way.
Why?
Well, there are a few reasons for this, but one is for purely practical reasons; It both hides the casket and keeps it safe. And no, another reason isn’t some sort of Overlord-inspired plot. There are no zombies in Burial. Just a lot of burials. Something several soldiers aren’t too happy about which is why the reasons are explained to both them and us [the viewers].
Watch Burial in theaters or On Demand
Ben Parker is the writer and director of Burial. He’s also one of the writers behind the story that became the Girl on the Third Floor movie in 2019. This is the second feature film from Ben Parker as both writer and director after his 2016 debut, the horror-thriller The Chamber.
The story told in Burial actually begins in 1991 when we meet an older woman played perfectly by the always amazing Harriet Walter (Killing Eve). She plays the older version of the character portrayed by Charlotte Vega (Mosquito State, Wrong Turn 2021) back in 1945. Also in the 1945 story, we see Tom Felton playing a key character.
The entire movie is a story told by the Harriet Walter character to someone else, which is why the film also ends in 1991. In a downright awesome way, I might add!
The runtime is, unfortunately, a bit long due to a lull in the middle of the movie. Other than that, it is a fascinating watch due to both the plot and the cast, so do check it out.
Burial is released by IFC Midnight and is out in theaters and On Demand from September 2, 2022.
