The last time zombies dominated the horror genre, George W. Bush was in the White House. Since then, the braindead hordes have retreated — never disappearing completely, of course, but showing up in reduced numbers compared to their heyday of “Shaun of the Dead” and the “28 Days Later” series. Now, with climate change accelerating and fascism on the rise, the mood has turned post-apocalyptic once again.

Multiple films at this year’s SXSW engage with this ambient feeling of existential paranoia. The Australian entry “We Bury the Dead” takes the straightforward zombie-apocalypse route, with a little bit of “elevated” thematics mixed in. And given how many variations on both themes already exist, it’s impressive that writer/director Zak Hilditch has located some fresh angles on the concept.

Chief among them are the disarming flashes of humanity that still exist inside of Hilditch’s undead, which surface occasionally, like the...