Bring Her Back (Australia, 2025)

If, going in to Bring Her Back, one wasn’t aware that the directors were the Australian brother team of Danny and Michael Philippou, it wouldn’t be a hard thing to guess. In term of style, aesthetics, and tone, this movie is strongly reminiscent of the filmmakers’ freshman work, Talk to Me. It’s serious horror, eschewing the lighter pleasures associated with the campier or humor-tinged genre entries. It’s also a serious downer, with a nihilistic approach designed to infuse the viewer with a sense of growing unease without worrying about delivering a catharsis.

Bring Her Back is a psychological slow-burn. Horror tropes abound – demonic possession, grief-induced psychosis, and some genuinely wrenching gore. There’s also a blind girl in seemingly constant peril and a protagonist who recognizes the truth but can’t get anyone to believe him. These things are woven together in a stolid, straightforward fashion without feeling the need to offer more than a vague explanation for the backstory (we are provided with glimpses of an old VHS tape for these purposes). One could make the argument that the movie is too grim for its own good.

In what amounts to a four-character piece, Sally Hawkins steals the spotlight. The celebrated actress is given free rein by the Philippous and she gnaws at her character of Laura like a dog with a favored bone. Laura is deranged, although we don’t immediately recognize this. Initially, it seems like she’s merely eccentric – a once-great social worker whose retirement isn’t necessarily agreeing with her. Gradually, however, her lack of sanity and diabolical manipulations become apparent and there seems to be little anyone can do to stop her. Hawkins gradually drifts toward a more unhinged performance as Laura’s “truth” emerges.

The protagonists are (of course) less interesting. They are the step brother-step sister duo of Andy (Bill Barratt) and Piper (Sora Wong). Their bond is strong but they are both damaged – Andy by a history of abuse and Piper as a result of a childhood accident that left her almost completely blind. When their father dies just three months shy of Andy’s 18th birthday (when he would legally be able to act as Piper’s guardian), the social workers seek to find a foster situation that will keep the siblings together. Enter Laura, who is delighted to bring Piper into her home (we learn that her daughter, Cathy, tragically drowned at some point in the near-past). She’s less enthused about Andy’s presence but seemingly tolerates him. Living with Laura is her creepy nephew, Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips), a mute boy who has an unhealthy fascination with cats and likes to hang out in the property’s drained pool. There’s something very wrong with Oliver but only Laura knows precisely what that is.

Although the Philippous avoid slasher elements, they don’t skimp on the grotesque. I’m not by any means squeamish but one scene in particular caused me to flinch. The few most graphic scenes are disturbing primarily because the directors neither hurry things along nor turn the camera away as we look on in fascinated horror. And, although there are no conventional jump-scares, there are a few instances when the film delivers an unexpected blow.

Bring Her Back could probably have been made without the demonic possession angle. That aspect is more background color than integral to the narrative. The film’s focus is about how grief and trauma can warp people, replacing elements of kindness and generosity with darker attributes. Taken in concert with Talk to Me, this film establishes the brand the directors have embraced. Since this approach isn’t in vogue in today’s post-modern horror milieu, some fans of the genre may find it off-putting or too intense. However, while the experience it offers may not be to everyone’s taste, it is off-the-beaten path and effective for what it attempts to be.

Bring Her Back (Australia, 2025)