Bring Her Back Review: A Mortifying A24 Horror Movie

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Experience one of the year’s most chilling films: Bring Her Back. This thrilling horror movie promises to satisfy your horror cravings. Directed by Danny and Michael Philippou, known for RackaRacka and the upcoming film Talk to Me (2023), this suspenseful tale revolves around a brother and sister who are taken in by their foster mother, portrayed by Sally Hawkins, following their father’s demise. However, her unusual behavior hints at a deeper, more sinister secret lurking beneath the surface, as she has a sinister plan in store for them.

The film “Bring Her Back” is steeped in a chilling atmosphere, with some scenes that are downright grim. Despite this, it surpasses their initial cinematic effort. The movie starts by skillfully creating intrigue and mystery from the get-go. In the early stages, we meet Andy (played by Billy Barratt) and Piper (performed by Sora Wong), who are revealed to be stepsiblings. Piper is blind, and the film creatively portrays her disability. There are instances where the camera follows her as she feels her way around, and there are others where the focus is on what her hand is touching while everything else blurs out of focus, providing us a sense of her visual world and immersing us in her perspective.

In this new role, Laura (Hawkins) initially comes across as quite compassionate, but there’s a sense of unease. We recall that she once had a child who passed away and now is providing a home for these young ones. The actress delivers an outstanding performance in this film. Previously, we’ve seen her portray a loving mother adopting an orphan in Paddington. In this movie, it seems like a chilling departure from that character, where the warmth appears to be mere pretense. Her acting is remarkable, eliciting discomfort as she interacts with the children while simultaneously carrying a heavy emotional burden behind her actions.

In the story, the two siblings gain a new foster brother named Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips). From the outset, it’s evident that there’s something off about him, as his behavior grows increasingly disturbing. While we’ve seen impressive child performances in horror films, this one might just take the cake. The role demands so much from him, and the horrifying actions he portrays are twisted in a way that makes audiences cringe. His character sports several realistic-looking wounds, and there are two scenes – one involving a knife and another involving skin – that had me watching with my fingers over my eyes.

In the movie Bring Her Back, one of its standout elements is the deep exploration of our main character, Andy. His father passes away at the start of the film, and both Andy and Piper are deeply affected by this loss. However, Andy has a uniquely complicated bond with his father, and it’s revealed that he’s been keeping a heartbreaking secret from Piper. As we delve into how his childhood experiences shaped him, Andy emerges as a character who carries the weight of past tragedies that he hasn’t fully atoned for yet. This works effectively because Andy genuinely cherishes Piper and is determined to shield her from any potential harm that Laura might pose.

As the story unfolds in Bring Her Back, it grows increasingly grim. Unlike some horror films that provide amusement and smiles, this isn’t one of those light-hearted horrors. Instead, it delves deep into your psyche, leaving you with a shiver down your spine – in a good way. There’s little humor to be found within this movie. It shares similarities with Talk to Me, where musical interludes occasionally disrupt the tension slightly. However, overall, this horror film is the kind that you only feel compelled to watch once.

The plot takes an unexpectedly distressing turn towards the finale, leaving some viewers disappointed as the story seems to lead towards a specific resolution, but doesn’t quite deliver. However, the emotion portrayed is more of an angry sense of injustice that fits well with this film’s theme. Barratt delivers an outstanding performance in both horror and dramatic scenes, while Wong impresses equally. Despite not being able to express emotions through her eyes like other actors, Wong skillfully employs all her acting techniques flawlessly.

Bring Her Back is so immersive that it feels like a real experience, making me forget I’m watching a story. It portrays a truly distressing world that can be quite disturbing. Though some aspects of the plot and character development might not be perfect, it manages to make you feel nauseous at times – and that’s something truly commendable.

SCORE: 8/10

According to ComingSoon’s review guidelines, a rating of 8 signifies “Great.” Although there are some minor flaws, this rating implies that the artwork achieves its purpose effectively and leaves a lasting impression.

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2025-06-01 01:40