DISCLAIMER: the film carries depictions of animal and child abuse. Viewer discretion is advised.

 

After their debut Talk to Me in 2022, brothers Danny and Michael Philippou bring us their next horror film representing the world down under - erm or Australia. Bring Her Back has quite a simple and easy horror premise - two siblings who recently lost their parents are taken under the care of a foster mother who just so happens to be a maybe a little crazy. There’s obviously more under the surface, but it seems like the Philippou brother’s knew exactly what to make after their debut feature because Bring Her Back is much scarier, much more confident and far more compelling than a handful of horror films released as of late.  

 

Now, the title feels pretty coy and elusive as the film goes on; who are we bringing back? How are we bringing them back? Well, it doesn’t exactly matter in the whole grand scheme of things; what matters most in this film is the main relationship between two recently orphaned siblings, Andy and Piper. Andy is on the cusp of adulthood hoping to be a legal guardian to his sister once he reaches that point; Piper is partially blind, only able to see light in shapes. So, there’s some sort of dependency on her brother, but the two always seem inseparable. Their new foster mother is Laura, played by Sally Hawkins, whose true intentions with the siblings unravel through the film, and this becomes a truly putrid and horrific character. This is an incredible horror performance from Sally Hawkins who makes me feel hatred for a character I’ve never quite felt before, which is great contrast to the genuinely sweet relationship that Andy and Piper have. You so want these two to make it out together. Billy Barratt as Andy is a great performance, but my favorite of the film is Sora Wong’s turn as Piper. This is one of her first ever appearances on screen, and she comes up on top even with legendary actor Sally Hawkins on the bill. 

 

Even though it was a massive hit in the horror community, it seems like the Philippou brothers knew exactly how to improve upon their horror approach following Talk to Me. As that movie had an air of ambiguity about it, Bring Her Back feels far more mysterious than ambiguous. The siblings know something is up with Laura, even after she becomes increasingly violent and hostile towards them. And there’s another foster sibling, Ollie, who is a whole other mystery attached inside the film. I am really tread lightly on not giving away this film’s bag too early, but its build up and payoff is so well deserved. This is the first horror film in years that actually had me covering my eyes and really by the end, it’s emotionally exhausting despite a run time of only 100 minutes.  This is a massive, massive step up for the directing duo as they deliver one of the more essential horror experiences of the decade.