Bring Her Back (2025) A24/Horror RT: 99 minutes Rated R (strong disturbing bloody violent content, some grisly images, graphic nudity, underage drinking, language) Director: Danny and Michael Philippou Screenplay: Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman Music: Andrew Kotatko (supervisor) Cinematography: Aaron McLisky Release date: May 30, 2025 (US) Cast: Sally Hawkins, Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Jonah Wren Phillips, Sally-Anne Upton, Stephen Phillips, Mischa Heywood.
Rating: *** ½
Two years ago, twin brothers and YouTube pranksters Danny and Michael Philippou burst onto the horror scene with Talk to Me, an effective little shocker about dumb teens messing with a cursed object. I said in my review that we were witnessing the birth of two new masters of horror. Their sophomore effort Bring Her Back proves me right. It’s even better (not to mention freakier) than their debut. I’ll tell you right now; this one is NOT for the squeamish.
Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water) delivers an absolutely bonkers performance as Laura, a deranged woman trying to bring her dead daughter back of life. A licensed therapist and foster mom, she takes in two siblings after their father dies of an overdose. Troubled teen Andy (Barratt, Kraven the Hunters) has been taking care of his sight-impaired sister Piper (newcomer Wong) for a while. They have a close relationship. When it looks like they might be separated in foster care, Andy pleads with the social worker to let them stay together until he’s old enough to apply for guardianship of Piper (he’ll be 18 in three months).
Andy and Piper find themselves at the isolated home of Laura, an oddball who makes it clear which one she favors. There’s another kid in the home, a disturbed boy named Ollie (Phillips, How to Make Gravy). He suffers from mutism (according to Laura) and displays behavior (e.g. chewing on a knife blade) that gives one cause for concern. Laura lavishes all sorts of attention on Piper while playing mind games with Andy. She wants him out of the way so she can perform a ritual that will bring back her beloved Cathy in Piper’s body.
Bring Her Back does not have an end credits scene, yet half the audience (including me and my friends) stuck around even after the house lights went up. We were talking about what we just saw, trying to piece it all together. That, my friends, is the sign of a truly effective mind-f*** horror movie. RackaRacka (as the Philippou brothers are collectively known) doesn’t spell everything out. Unlike most filmmakers these days, they actually assume intelligence on the part of the audience. They figure we’re smart enough to figure out the details they don’t explain. I could tell you what we came up with, but what fun would that be? No, you need to see Bring Her Back and figure it out yourself. That is, assuming you can take what it dishes out.
Bring Her Back takes its R rating very seriously. In fact, it pushes the envelope beyond the usual bounds of the rating. It doesn’t have a high body count or a ton of gore, but it has scenes that will make even the most seasoned gorehounds turn away. Again, I don’t want to reveal too much so I’ll just say some of it involves eating human flesh. It has something to do with the ritual Laura wants to perform on Piper. That is ALL I’m saying about this aspect of the movie. Besides, it’s not really about the gore. The horror is on a deeper level. It’s not so much “BOO!” scary as it disturbing. The directors approach it without the slightest hint of humor or irony. It’s not the kind of film that makes fun of itself or its genre. Bring Her Back is the real deal. It will mess with your mind. It will make you uncomfortable (in a good way). It’s horror as it should be.
Hawkins crushes it as Laura, a nutjob disguised as a nurturing parent figure. She presents herself as somebody who cares, but it’s all a means to an end. She is a truly chilling character. Hawkins makes it work. I can’t see anybody else in the role. Wong, visually impaired in real life (fully blind in her left eye, weak vision in the other), makes a brilliant acting debut as Piper, a proud type who refuses to use her cane to get around because she doesn’t like being treated like she’s disabled. This kid has real potential. I hope to see more of her in the future. Barratt is very good as Andy, a teen with issues stemming from a father that abused him and only him. He’s already mentally fragile when Laura starts messing with his head.
It’s been a pretty good year for horror with titles like Companion, Heart Eyes, Screamboat, Clown in a Cornfield, Final Destination: Bloodlines and now Bring Her Back. It’s a legitimately unsetting viewing experience more likely to make you cringe in your seat than jump out of it. I can’t wait to see what Danny and Michael have in store next.
