Bring Her Back
The Phillippou brothers prove, once again, that grief & horror go hand in hand.
In 2023, Australian filmmakers Danny & Michael Phillippou took the horror world by storm with their debut Talk to Me. They not only cemented a name for themselves in the Australian film landscape, but also in the worldwide horror conversation. They became known for their ability to blend emotional drama and horror in a way that is extremely difficult to achieve. Talk to Me is scary, but it’s also deeply sensitive and heartfelt, leaving lots to unpack.
In their newest film, Bring Her Back, the Phillippou brothers hone in on their skills in what is a depressing and dread-filled take on the demonic possession sub-genre. Bring Her Back explores grief & trauma in the same way Talk to Me does, but it expands on those themes and takes you to breaking point. The film follows Andy and Piper – brother & sister - who are required to move into foster care due to the passing of their father. Their foster mother, Laura (Sally Hawkins), seems lovely at first glance but after a short amount of time, Andy starts to notice cracks in her perfect façade. We quickly learn that Laura has also experienced loss with the recent death of her daughter, and that she already has one foster son, Oliver, who is mute by choice and begins to be the subject of some strange happenings around the house.
Bring Her Back provides some of the scariest, unsettling imagery I’ve ever seen in a horror film. Filled with themes of demonic possession & satanic worship, this film is not for the faint of heart. The imagery doesn’t set out to jump scare you, it more so intends to disturb you to the point of looking away or gripping your seat so tight you might ruin the leather. In my opinion it is rare to encounter horror films that genuinely creep me out and get under my skin, and Bring Her Back did so with just about every frame.
Sally Hawkins delivers an astonishing performance that breaks your heart and makes you shiver at the same time. Akin to Toni Collette in Hereditary, Hawkins is able to balance your feelings towards her character and make you sympathise with the grief she’s experiencing; while also making you absolutely hate her guts. As stated earlier, the emotionality of this film is not taken lightly. The heart of this story isn’t a subplot to the horror aspects; it’s right at the forefront. It focusses on what losing a child does to a mother, and the lengths a mother will go to feel that sense of connection again.
Bring Her Back is an ambitious move from the Phillippou brothers, but it’s one that works extremely well. The film has daring cinematography choices that are intentional and serve the story in ways that blew me away. Their technical choices throughout the film make it all the more devastating to watch, but I implore you to do so. It is brutal and unrelenting, but it is also an incredible feat of horror filmmaking that will leave you ruminating on its subjects for days to come. Bring Her Back demonstrates that grief transforms into an ugly beast if you don’t deal with it. That’s the real horror.
Bring Her Back is in cinemas now!
