After an accident, a brother and sister are fostered with a strange woman who has something horrific in store for them in the intense and disturbing Bring Her Back, directed by the Philippou brothers.
Content warning for many trauma triggers. If you have anything that could be an issue, look into the film before it ruins your week. The following review keeps things vague (I’m spoiler-free), but know it’s a heavy film.
Bring Her Back is the second feature from Danny and Michael Philippou, who burst into the scene with Talk to Me in 2022. Talk to Me, also written by Danny Philoppou and Bill Hinzman, was an incredible film, taking what could be a basic concept of “party game talks to the dead, uh oh” and creating a scary, developed story about drug addiction. Bring Her Back is no sophomore slump; it’s as if not more, well-honed and confident, with a grinding intensity. It’s a complex, continually uneasy, and disturbing film with much to unpack. There’s so much to dig into, but that’ll wait – no spoilers here!
Andy and Piper are siblings in trouble. Teenagers, their father has died suddenly, leaving them orphaned. It’s already a rough, terrible situation. It’s made worse with the home they are set up in. Foster mother Laura only wanted the blind, younger Piper, but begrudgingly took in Andy. As soon as they arrive, it’s obvious not everything is well, and Andy knows he must step up to protect Piper. It’s strange to say the person he must protect Piper from is Sally Hawkins.
Sally Hawkins. Holy shit, Sally Hawkins. She’s most known for lovable, quirky protagonists, but her role as the foster mother may be the first time she’s played a villain. She’s uniquely terrifying and fully engrossing. I’m now side-eying her Mrs. Brown taking in Paddington… Laura is a new entry to the pantheon of great horror villains. She expertly hones a character with intense multitudes and moods, one that could easily slide into over the top, but is restrained by an actress at the top of her craft.
Using her known quirks as shorthand for her setup, Laura is interesting and compelling immediately. At her introduction, she’s loud, colorful in clothing, and personality. The type that’s a bit too friendly and too open, a little pushy in an off-putting way. Those interacting can tell there is darkness, covering a hidden secret. As the layers of niceties slide away, or become more obvious airs, she builds an incredible character; more than a mere Evil Step(Foster)-Mother type.
The family services liaison who put the pair with her states that Laura was the best family counselor in the agency. She might have been, but her wants and the drive to follow them have enveloped any good within. Kudos to the Philippous and Hinzman for not hiding their nature. Doing away with any “is she actually up to nefarious things or are they being misinterpreted?” was a strong choice. Allowing a jump right in brings trust to the audience. We all know where it’s going; the meaning of the title is readily apparent within a minute of meeting her, so might as well cut the fat and bite in. A wonderful confidence in filmmaking allows the audience to make connections, put truths together, and settle into revelations. What exactly is happening is allowed to unfurl naturally with little direct exposition, electing to let character actions, shot choices, and the overall design. The sound in particular is impeccable, unnerving, and engrossing.
What happens is intense. Bring Her Back is the most visceral and utterly disturbing film I’ve seen this year, perhaps in a while. It’s a bleak, uncompromising exploration of the lengths someone will go to lessen the suffering of their loss. If it’s not clear yet, Bring Her Back is working in the Hereditary playbook; dipping into the well of grief and brutal negativity with little, if any, levity. Just about every trauma trigger is present, save sexual abuse. Even as a well-seasoned horror vet, my anxiety was racing the full run time.
Those the brothers have cast to live in terror all live their parts to accalim. Big brother Andy is Billy Barratt uses his soulful eyes to sell the intense feeling and cycles he has to go through, moving from one abuse to another, and tries to make a head of the situation. Bring Her Back is Sora Wong’s first screen role, but you wouldn’t know it. Barrat and Wong have a true chemistry, connecting and building. But it’s Jonah Wren Phillips’s Oliver, another foster child at the home, who earns the most praise. That poor child shoulders so much. He takes on big moments with an unerring unease; child actors are a tough fine, but one who can do what he does in Bring Her Back is a revelation.
Bring Her Back is one of the year’s best films, and easily the most visceral, disturbing, and outright messed up. It’s the sort of film that one needs a long shower afterwards. But past the depravity, it’s a perfectly put-together tale, spun by expert filmmakers who have proven themselves masters of the genre after only two features. Sally Hawkins brings a phenomenal performance unlike anything we’ve seen from her before. She might have been saving all her scary up, but it’s unleashed with a perfect ferocity. It’s a tough movie, but an excellent one. Bring Her Back should Bring Your Butt to the seats (yes, I’ll have some levity, even if the film doesn’t).