Directed by Danny Philippou & Michael Philippou, the film stars Sally Hawkins in the lead role.
A foster mother struggling with past trauma takes in two siblings and what begins as a story of care slowly turns into something darker with rituals and unease seeping into every corner of their new life together. The film explores how grief and longing can drive people toward dangerous choices
Sally Hawkins really holds the film together with a performance that’s both creepy and strangely sympathetic. The younger cast — Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, and Jonah Wren Phillips — are surprisingly strong too. They feel real, and that makes the horror moments land harder. The film definitely has atmosphere, a few scenes gave me that uneasy knot in my stomach. Still, some of the emotional beats don’t feel as sharp as in the Philippou brothers’ Talk to Me, and there are stretches where the pacing drags or things get a bit messy.
I have to admit, I expected more from the directors after their last film, which I still think of as a modern masterpiece.
Bring Her Back is solid, it’s tense, emotional, and well acted but it never reaches that “wow” level I was hoping for. The standout here is Sora Wong, who brings both fragility and strength in a way that makes you sit up and notice. Jonah Wren Phillips is also really good, a tough role that he manages with quiet intensity.
And yeah, the title made me laugh. Bring Her Back is literally about bringing a girl back from the dead. No subtlety at all. At least it’s honest.
In the end, it’s good horror with strong performances, but it doesn’t quite live up to the hype. Not bad, not unforgettable either.