A One Mann’s Movies review of “Bring Her Back” (2025).
Two years ago (during Barbenheimer week!) I was very impressed by a couple of Australian horror-Youtubers, Danny and Michael Philippou, who managed to wow me with a clever and quite creepy low-budget horror film “Talk to Me“. The question I had was whether they were just a flash-in-the-pan. They’ve delivered the answer with their new film, “Bring Her Back”: because it was horrifically gooooood.
Review Contents:
Plot:
Andy (Billy Barrett) and her younger blind sister Piper (Sora Wong) are sent to live with foster parent Laura (Sally Hawkins) until Andy turns 18 and can accept sole custody. But it’s a strange and unsettling household: Laura is still grieving the death by drowning of her own daughter Cathy (Mischa Heywood) and she is also looking after Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips): a strange and troubled mute boy.
Certification:
UK: 18; US: R. (From the BBFC web site: “Strong bloody violence, injury detail”)
Talent:
Starring: Sally Hawkins, Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Jonah Wren Phillips, Stephen Phillips, Sally-Anne Upton, Mischa Heywood.
Directed by: Danny Philippou & Michael Philippou.
Written by: Danny Philippou & Bill Hinzman.
Running Time: 1h 44m.
Summary:
Positives:
- A real proper horror film that takes no prisoners!
- The Philippou brothers have an eye for how to ramp up the suspense.
- A brilliant turn by Sally Hawkins and great support from Billy Barratt.
- WHAT DID SHE SAY?!
Negatives:
- This is not for the weak of heart: the brutality and the body horror, often involving young children, may just be too much for some to take.
Full Review :
A film that thoroughly earns its 18 certificate.
In a cinema-universe populated with cookie-cutter, 15-certificate ‘horror-lite’ fodder, it comes as something of a surprise to come across a horror film that really delivers. It is memorable, unsettling and at times very disturbing. (I’ve seen it compared to “Hereditary” and “Midsommar”… which I’d like to agree with, but these are two horror films that for whatever reason I’ve not yet seen! (I know… shocking isn’t it?))
This is NOT a film for the fainthearted and when bits of the horror come they come hard! I won’t say more, since this is a wonderful film to see cold. There’s a callousness and brutality to the story that’s at times hard to stomach, particularly since some of the players are vulnerable youngsters. The Philippou’s certainly subvert your expectations and take no prisoners.
The Philippou Brothers know how to tease.
With three times the budget to play with, the brothers double down on what they did cheaply in “Talk to Me” delivering a much more polished product but without losing any of their horror technique. They build a genuinely creepy environment in Laura’s house, dropping in grainy and jumpy ‘found footage’ of a terrifying and mystifying ceremony on an old VHS player. But they also use a clever technique (twice) where the camera, following one of the main characters, ‘turns its back’ on the rest of the room. You just KNOW that when you turn around there will be something horrible going on. And they don’t disappoint!
Paddington’s mum is fantastic.
You will never be able to watch Sally Hawkins as Paddington’s mum in the same way again! Hawkins adopts a neat Australian accent and give the role 100%.
Also delivering well in a tricky role is Billy Barratt playing Andy, a bad-boy trying to step-up in the role of substitute parent and being bashed down at every turn. You get to side with Andy against the rest of the world.
And particular hats off to young Jonah Wren Phillips not only occupies the most disturbing character in the whole piece but who must have had to go through hell in hair and make-up every day.
A clever script with a wonderful hidden twist (deserving of a rewatch!)
The clever script delights in constantly wrong-footing you. There are elements in the film that remain mysterious and unexplained. But the thing that made me go “Wow!” was a single throwaway line of dialogue by Laura (Sally Hawkins). It’s delivered in such a quick and random way that I actually shouted to myself “WAIT! WHAT DID SHE JUST SAY?”. Actually, in writing this, I’m not even sure she ever actually said it… so I’ll look like a complete chump if I’ve got this wrong. But it’s sure to make me want to watch the film for a second time when it comes on general release!
I can’t talk about any of these twists without dropping spoilers… so (only if you’ve seen the film!)… check out the “Spoiler Section” below the trailer.
A few minor niggles.
There were only a few minor aspects to the film that I would personally have tweaked. I’m sure Andy is a deep sleeper, but there is a trick in here involving urine which takes a bit of swallowing (no, not literally). Also, I didn’t think the film’s final shot of Laura was 100% convincing.
Summary Thoughts on “Bring Her Back”
This is a horror film that really delivers on the genre for once. It is creepy, disturbing and at times upsetting. This one is NOT for the fainthearted. One might have been a fluke. But with this film, the Phillipou Brothers have firmly nailed their colours to the mast as being the horror guys to watch.
I saw this early as a Cineworld “Secret Screaming” showing…. but it will be generally available in UK cinemas from July 26th.
Where to Watch it (Powered by Justwatch)
Trailer for “Bring Her Back”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBskrYZfhw8.
Spoiler Section:
Don’t read past this point if you’ve not seen the movie.
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NO, SERIOUSLY!
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That throwaway line
Laura is quite clearly a crazed individual, taking advantage of the situation presented to her of a blind girl, about her daughter’s age. But to what extent did she ENGINEER THIS? There is one line, done as a throwaway and (brilliantly) never referred back to where Laura confesses to Piper that SHE killed her father in the shower. (Unless as I say I had a fantasy moment and dreamed that line???)
The audacity of a murder.
The murder of social worker Wendy (Sally-Anne Upton) comes as one of the more predictable parts of an unpredictable film. But what is shocking is the audacity of the Phillipou’s to bump off Andy – the character that you have been rooting for throughout the movie. And in SUCH a brutal and callous way too.
It’s touches like this, together with the brutality of the self-harm perpetrated by Oliver – I will never be able to eat a piece of watermelon again – that really make this one stand out from the crowd. If they can do this, you come to think that they can do ANYTHING, and that sets you very much on edge. Genius writing and directing.
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