Bring Her Back

The true test of great horror is its longevity. There are countless films that are released each year, but many of these (sorry, CONJURING franchise) have very few moments that truly haunt their audiences and remain impactful in the ensuing days after viewing.

It has been a few weeks since I first watched BRING HER BACK, and it remains as profound and jarring as it was the moment I watched it.

In 2022, filmmaking brothers Danny and Michael Phillippou shocked audiences with terrifying TALK TO ME. Combining style and substance to deliver a number of delightfully cringe-inducing moments, they established themselves (alongside BARBARIAN and WEAPONS filmmaker Zach Cregger) as emerging stars in the modern horror realm. For many, their follow-up would serve as a litmus test of whether they could sustain the greatness established with their surprise hit.

If there were moments in TALK TO ME that made you squirm, you better brace yourself for BRING HER BACK.

After the unexpected and traumatic death of their father, Andy (Billy Barratt) longs to be the primary caregiver of his sight-impaired sister, Piper (Sora Wong), but must wait a few months until his 18th birthday in order to do so. In the meantime, they are sent to live in a foster home belonging to Laura (Sally Hawkins.) She has recently experienced a loss of her own and is immediately enamored with Piper. In many ways, the young girl reminds her of her recently deceased daughter, and a connection is forged immediately.  That endearment is not shared with Andy who is given a mattress on the floor and a crowded closet to call his own.

There is another child living in the home as well. Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips) who doesn’t have much to say has the sunken eyes and defeated posturing of yet another person who has experienced unthinkable tragedy.

Laura immediately attempts to drive a wedge between the siblings. Using Piper’s vision deficiencies as a weapon, her disturbing behavior is directed solely upon Andy. Though he attempts to maintain his composure and sanity, her psychological warfare is waged in the shadows and perpetrated in a way to make Andy look erratic and jealous of the bond growing between his sister and foster mother. The dynamic between Hawkins and Barratt is essential in establishing the complex nature of their feud, and both performers excel in heightening the tension that begins building from the moment they first meet.

By the time we understand what is truly happening in the home, the stage has been set for some of the most unforgettable horror moments likely to be seen in 2025.

The TERRIFIER franchise has exploded in recent years, and each one of those films boasts unrelenting gore and depravity from start to finish. Each sequence serves as a setup for the inevitable mayhem to follow, and for some fans of the genre, this is what they look for. BRING HER BACK takes a different approach. The first half certainly boasts some uncomfortable moments, but it takes its time building up to the scenes that will make your skin crawl. By the time the film reached midway point and beyond, however, there were multiple moments that were so shocking, I couldn’t help but look away. I can’t remember the last time this happened to me while I was watching a movie, but they were so flawlessly executed that I had a visceral reaction as they unfolded. These are the moments, paired with Hawkins’s top-tier performance, that make BRING HER BACK truly unforgettable.

BRING HER BACK

GRADE: A

RATED: R
RUN TIME: 1h 44min
GENRE: Horror, Mystery
STARRING: Billy Barratt, Sally Hawkins, Mischa Heywoody
DIRECTORs: Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
WRITERS:  Danny Philippou, Bill Hinzman

Now streaming on HBO MAX and HULU.

Brian Miller