BRING HER BACK: Our Review Plus Q & A With The Directors Of A24’s Latest Chiller

Introduction

When people think of horror films, they usually think of monster movies, slashers, or supernatural thrillers. Final girls being chased by a madman, creatures menacing a community, or ghouls stalking a home easily come to mind. In recent years, a new trend has emerged in genre filmmaking where life-changing tragedy intersects with traditional horror. Let’s call it cringe and cry.

There’s something uniquely riveting when a film challenges your emotional IQ one minute and makes you jump out of your seat the next. Hot off the success of their 2022 hit Talk To Me, Danny and Michael Philippou’s latest effort ,Bring Her Back, tells a chilling tale of loss that is as heartbreaking as it is hair-raising. A24 recently hosted a special early screening of Bring Her Back with both directors in attendance for a Q and A following the film.

Synopsis

Teenage siblings Piper (Sora Wong) and Andy (Billy Barratt) have just suffered the traumatic death of their beloved father. Due to the loss of their only living guardian, the children find themselves at the whim of child protective services. Despite threats of separation, the brother and sister find a home that will reluctantly accept them both. In the meantime, Andy begins the process of gaining full guardianship of Piper, whose blindness makes him even more protective, on the day he turns 18.

Their new foster mom, Laura (Sally Hawkins), greets them with open arms. Yet something feels off. Her son Oliver seems to be afflicted with a troubling behavioral issue, barely communicating with his new siblings. Additionally, Laura reserves her adoration for Piper, leaving Andy to feel less than welcome. Soon, the emotional trauma, plus some truly disturbing instances, make Andy question Laura’s true intentions.

Analysis

While misgivings are apparent from the get-go, the Phillipous establish a baseline uneasiness and take their time piling on trepidation from there. As the tension grows, details about both Andy and Laura’s mutual trauma are revealed. Amid these revelations, Laura’s master-level manipulation and questionable state of mind also come to light. The combination of Andy’s PTSD from his father’s death and the increasingly eerie happenings around Laura’s home creates a palpable sense of dread that builds continuously throughout Bring Her Back.

When asked about crafting the follow-up to their critically acclaimed feature debut Talk To Me, Danny Phillipou remembers:

“We wanted to do a character study. A slow boil. We wanted to focus on something that was more psychological. I wanted it to snowball. I wanted a spiral out of it.”

In the film’s few light moments, Laura hints at happier times, showing what seems like genuine care for the teens. Though Laura’s favoritism for Piper is obvious, she and Andy share a few promising moments over their respective loss. Even so, Andy (thus, the audience) can’t quite shake the duplicitous undercurrent possessing the home.

Visual Effects

Amid all the gut-wrenching emotional and psychological anguish, a few harrowing visual effects send the cringefactor over the top. In a good way. As the tension between Andy and Laura nears critical mass, the Phillipou brothers employ some of the sickest yet simple gore that will haunt viewers long past the final frame. About the practical effects of Bring Her Back, Michael Phillipou said:

“So this one, we had two different makeup teams, and it was making a bit of a competition between them. We pitted them against each other. Hey, that dead body looks pretty cool. You guys are going to fucking do better than that? And so that was this constant…The work was incredible.”

Incredible indeed. And innovative. Just when horror hounds think they’ve seen it all, the Phillipous have come up with some truly gruesome gags that will have even the most jaded gore fans shielding their eyes. And considering 3/4 of the principal cast are kids, the duo and their team had to get extra creative. Especially in a couple of sequences involving Oliver chewing non-food items. Danny Phillipou added:

“It was like some chocolate in the middle. And when he’s called cut, he’s still biting. He’s like, ‘It’s pretty good.’ When you’re looking at it, it’s like, ‘Oh, my God.’ But it was the tastiest thing for him. He was loving it. He literally just kept munching. The most shocking stuff to watch like that is the most fun to film.”

Star Power

The Phillipous parlayed their initial indie acclaim into big-name casting success, nabbing lead actress Sally Hawkins to play Laura. Needless to say, when the award-winning actress signed on to Bring Her Back, the brothers were over the moon, exclaiming:

“Sally was at the top of the list. You watch any of her films, and she’s a completely different person every single time. What was also exciting about it was she’d never done full-blown horror before either. The idea of that was just so exciting. She was so dedicated. I’ve never seen someone dissect a script like that and embody a character so strongly before. We thought there was no way that she would say yes. There’s no way fucking Sally Hawkins is going to say yes. Then they’re like, ‘Sally loves the script. She wants to meet with you guys.’

Then we were terrified of an ego or someone that was going to be difficult to work with because I would fold instantly under that. But she was very nervous on the call, and she’s like, ‘I don’t know if I can pull it off. I don’t know if I’m ready for it.’ She was super down to earth and super humble.”

As Laura, Sally Hawkins creates a character that is authentic and heartbreaking, but with a menacing undertone that rarely lets up. The type of character you never root for, but also strangely relate to. Hawkins painfully projects the insane determination of a desperate mom. But she also brings the chills when Laura’s true colors start to show. In addition to this superb duality, Hawkins also gets physical in her first horror outing, stating:

“When she came on set, she was fully prepared and in these wild head spaces. You could always just keep recording because she would never break character. Even with stunts and things like that. When she’s getting thrown down, some people were trying to put a mat down in the rehearsals. She’s like, ‘I don’t need the mat for the rehearsals.’ Then we’re like, ‘Okay, we’ll do a rehearsal,’ and then she dives to the ground. Every single take is just… There was certain scenes where it was scary to approach her. She’d be so in it.”

Casting the Kids

And then there are the kids in Bring Her Back. As big brother Andy, Billy Barratt does a ton of emotional heavy lifting. He projects the genuine love Andy has for his sister as her older sibling and protector. But Barratt also channels Andy’s anguish and vulnerability with heart-rending realness.

As Piper, newcomer Sora Wong holds her own with surprising depth for a screen debut. She admirably embodies the spunk and indignation of a traumatized tween without veering into the insufferable. And just when you think her authenticity comes from her greenness, Wong’s performance only gets stronger and more nuanced as Piper faces unimaginable challenges. On casting Wong, Michael Phillipou shares:

“She came in. She had never acted before, but we did an improv scene. We just said, ‘This is your character, this is the moment, and this is how you’re feeling.’ Then she just went in it, and it was incredible. It blew us all the way. But she was doubting herself whether she could pull it off. We saw this amazing transformation throughout the shoot. There’s so many subtle beats to it. And she just knocked it out of the park. We’re so proud of it.”

Best Supporting Role

Special kudos must go to supporting actor Jonah Wren Phillips as the troubled Oliver. With nary a speaking line in the film, the young actor captivates through haunting emoting only. Even as Oliver’s creepy behavior unnerves his new foster siblings, Phillips gives glimpses of his character’s struggle with his mysterious affliction.

It’s also important to note that Phillips was subjected to a majority of the visual effects in Bring Her Back. A feat that can be difficult for any performer, much less one that hasn’t reached puberty. When it came to finding their Oliver, Danny Phillipou says:

“Yeah, it’s all about those initial auditions and those audition tapes that come in. [Jonah] was just one of those auditions that came in and just was the very top of the pile. I’m like, ‘Whoa, what the heck?’ It was so incredible and so visceral. The auditions were awkward because it was like, there’s no dialog. It’s like, ‘Look like this, do this, fall on the floor and have a little attack.’ It was just meeting with him, meeting with his parents, talking about the role. Letting them read the script, and they were all on board.”

Further Discussion

It’s interesting to note that while Piper’s blindness comes into play a few times in the film, the Phillipous avoid making it the central theme or a problem. Andy likes to dote on his sister and guide her, sometimes sugar-coating the world with the unwelcome intention of making things easier for her. But Piper is never portrayed as helpless. The backstory regarding her disability adds to the complexity of Andy’s story, but aside from that, it is mostly a non-issue. Said Michael Phillipou:

“There was a conversation with our friend’s little sister who’s non-sighted. She was navigating onto the bus for the first time and wanting to be independent and catch the bus on her own. Her parents were a bit scared to allow her to take that step. I could see both sides of the argument, which was also a starting point for Piper. Then [we had] open and honest conversations with her as well while writing and developing the character. Then you cast someone like Sora, and she’s able to implement her own experience.”

Good on the filmmakers for including representation for an entire community that is often excluded from cinema.

Conclusion

No doubt, Bring Her Back is a heartbreaking and pitch black story of loss and then more loss. The Phillipous’ marriage of the freaky and the dramatic is compelling nonetheless. Original and outrageous visual effects help balance out the morose tale. The beautiful connection and unconditional love between brother and sister prove to be a powerful and encouraging force throughout the dark film. But even those bright spots are but blips among all the macabre. On melding emotional storytelling with horror, Danny Phillipou said:

“[Writing] is the best way to express anything you’re going through and any thoughts and feelings that you’re going through. And then looking at it through a horror lens. The horrible form of grief, the idea that grief is all consuming. It takes a bite out of Laura.”

Bring Her Back is a poignant and compelling bummer, so be prepared for big feelings about awful things while hiding your eyes through the literal and emotional horror of it all.

A24 will release Bring Her Back in theaters on May 30, 2025.

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