Danny and Michael Philippou‘s sophomore feature is another grief-driven horror that doubles down on the darkness with help from Sally Hawkins and a talented young ensemble.
In Bring Her Back, Billy Barratt and Sora Wong play Andy and Piper, two siblings who are sent to live with a seemingly warm foster mother, Laura (Hawkins), after coming home from school to discover their father’s dead body. Also mourning the death of her own daughter, Laura begins exhibiting disturbing behavior in her treatment of Andy and her other mute foster child Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips), of which the partially-sighted Piper is blissfully ignorant.
While the Australian director brothers’ 2022 debut Talk to Me proved a youthful horror hit in its own right, their followup explores some of the same themes of grief and trauma through a much darker, more personal narrative that leaves viewers with a sense of both dread and hope.
Hawkins is sublimely chilling as a grieving mother with ulterior motives, who manages to show her foster children the same amount of heart we’ve seen the actress give a CGI Peruvian bear in Paddington, before taking a chilling, abusive turn and gaslighting the kids with jaw-dropping, seemingly insignificant schemes that lend to a larger, more sinister conclusion.
With such shenanigans that include peeing into a measuring cup and pouring it into one kids’ bed while he sleeps, and punching another kid in the face while she sleeps, you never know what Laura’s going to do next. Meanwhile, glimpses of an occult ritual and the mysterious locked shed out back will leave viewers questioning her ultimate plan.
Oscar-nominated Hawkins is supported by a talented young group of co-stars. The role of Piper is Wong’s acting debut, a triumphant one as a differently-abled final girl put through an emotional wringer throughout the film. Barratt compliments her perfectly as older brother Andy, a heartbreaking dynamic that will leave viewers in tears. Meanwhile, Phillips serves pure horror child brilliance as Oliver that could force even those creepy twins from The Shining to cover their eyes.
In one gory scene that’s difficult to unsee, the ferociously hungry Oliver chews on a kitchen knife. It all goes downhill from there in the Philippous’ gore fest, with the child ultimately resembling a young Jason Voorhees jumping out of Crystal Lake.
While the film is a beautiful entry in the genre, as well as a moving exploration of trauma and grief, a trigger warning might be in order for some survivors of abuse. One character’s heartbreaking fate is particularly difficult to watch.
Looking past the heavy material, a cycle of generational abuse is broken and a familial arc is beautifully framed by co-writers Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman, with the symbolism of a plane passing by overhead as souls departing earth.
With Bring Her Back, the Philippous once again manage to bring heart to horror, navigating universal themes with a unique sense of catharsis.
Producers are Samantha Jennings and Kristina Ceyton through Causeway Films.
Title: Bring Her BackDistributor: A24Release date: May 30, 2025Director: Danny Philippou, Michael PhilippouScreenwriters: Danny Philippou, Bill HinzmanCast: Sally Hawkins, Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Jonah Wren Phillips, Sally-Anne Upton, Stephen Phillips, Mischa HeywoodRating: RRunning time: 1 hr 39 mins
The post ‘Bring Her Back’ Review: Sally Hawkins Gaslights Kids & Channels Grief Into Terror In The Philippous’ Trauma-Soaked Sophomore Feature appeared first on Deadline.
