'Bring Her Back': A Disturbing, Visceral Exploration of Grief

PHOTO: A24

While A24 has released films and have had great success in a variety of genres over the years, their horror offerings tend to be the ones that draw people in. The films in this category often feature shocking violence, unique stylistic choices, and tackle weightier themes, giving filmgoers a little something that differs from mainstream horror. A24’s most successful horror film is 2023’s Talk to Me, a film about a group of teenagers who become obsessed with a party game that allows them to communicate with spirits. The film became one of the distributor’s highest grossing films to date and garnered positive reviews in the process. This catapulted directors Danny and Michael Philippou into the spotlight and led A24 to agree to handle distribution of their sophomore feature. Their follow-up, Bring Her Back, shares some similarities with their debut, but also feels like a leap forward for the duo. They have clearly taken the lessons they learned while making Talk to Me and use them to deliver a disturbing, slow-burning work of horror that explores the notion of grief and how it is processed. It may not go as deep as it could have in terms of its themes but still packs a punch, largely thanks to the horrific actions taking place on screen and the way it utilizes suspense and supernatural elements. All of this makes Bring Her Back a film that isn’t for the squeamish, as it is a bleak, unsettling journey. However, it is still one of the strongest horror films of the year so far, and is sure to linger with most viewers.

Teenage boy Andy (Billy Barratt) and his visually-impaired sister Piper (Sora Wong) come home one day to find their father dead after he slipped in the shower. The two are put into foster care, eventually being taken in by Laura (Sally Hawkins), a kindly woman who warmly welcomes them to her home. After arriving, Laura informs the kids that her daughter, Cathy, was also visually impaired and sadly passed away after drowning in a swimming pool. Shortly after this, the siblings are introduced to Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips), another foster child under Laura’s care who has become mute after Cathy’s death. Life at Laura’s house starts out okay, but Andy begins to notice that things are off. As time goes on, he and Piper begin to realize that they are part of a larger plan, and that Laura has a terrifying secret. 

I’ll admit that my expectations weren’t super high for this one, as I wasn’t the biggest fan of Talk to Me. I didn’t dislike the movie by any means, but I certainly wasn’t as high on it as others were. So I was very pleasantly surprised by how invested I was while watching Bring Her Back. I often take notes when watching a movie that I’m reviewing, but there were long stretches of the film where I wasn’t writing anything down because I was so glued to what was going on. Part of it was how effective the storytelling was, and part of it was because I was stunned by some of the stuff I was seeing. There are some moments that surprised me by how graphic they are, and some moments that left me thinking about how they would fit into the overall plot. This is a film that had me actively engaged from the opening scene, which acts as a preface to the occult elements of the film. The scene uses blurs and camera movement to give the viewer a taste of what’s to come without revealing too much. It sets the tone quite well and certainly grabbed my attention. The film does have a slower pace, but I never once felt bored and felt that this was an intentional choice to lure the viewer in before dropping the more upsetting imagery and subject matter on them. Considering that the pacing and storytelling are some of the issues I had with Talk to Me, I was glad to see that The Philippous improved on this front and felt that it greatly bolstered the film as a whole. 

My one complaint is that it becomes clear just a bit too soon where the film is going. About a quarter of the way through, I was able to piece together much of the film’s endgame and it took some of the sting out of its final moments. Thankfully, it redeems itself with some of the other details surrounding it and the way the other pieces of the puzzle end up falling. I just wish that some of the specifics of the film’s ending were kept a mystery for a bit longer, as it would have strengthened the film a great deal. That said, there are a few wrinkles in the plot that did surprise me, even if the destination was pretty clear from an early point. I don’t want to get too detailed because I fully recommend going into this one knowing as little about it as possible, but I will say that the way that everything comes into focus is strangely satisfying, even if the overall picture is horrifying and upsetting. 

The film’s take on grief might not be incredibly deep, but this doesn’t hurt the film too badly. I’m a bit torn on this front because on one hand, I would have liked it if it dug deeper on the emotional side of things, but on the other, doing this might have made the film almost unbearable to watch when you combine it with its visceral violence. I think that The Philippous made the right choice in the end, as the visuals alone hit hard and are balanced with the way it handles grief in a way that still gets its points across. I think the way that Andy and Piper handle their grief could have been a touch clearer, but it is a bit secondary in the overall context of the film. By the end of the film, the ultimate statement it makes on the topic is extremely bleak, but mirrors the reality that comes with losing a loved one. It may be a bit on the nose, but I think it works exceptionally well and is a strong note for the film to end on. 

The big takeaway for most audiences is going to be its shocking visuals, and for good reason. The film’s special effects are impressive, especially when it comes to its bloodier aspects. There is a realness to some of the violent actions we see in the film, making it all the more stomach-churning. This is especially prominent in the scenes involving Oliver, who undergoes some horrendous stuff as the film goes on. The film makes these things feel so real and so brutal that it would be hard for anyone to not be stunned numerous times during it. The film’s camerawork and editing is also important in this regard, as the camera frequently prowls and lets the audience slip into a bit of comfort before throwing something shocking in their faces. This is also a very rainy movie, as it rains in almost every scene, and the film adopts a somewhat muted color palette that it uses well. There are moments where things contrast with it, often blood, but the film also wisely uses the costumes and accessories that Sally Hawkins wears as Laura to stand apart from the darker colors that make up the world it is set in. The film also has some smaller visual details that I really appreciated, and it simply beautifully shot as a whole. It’s a bit weird saying that about a film where absolutely horrible things happen, but the whole film looks good regardless. 

The performances are also strong across the board, and I was highly impressed by the three younger actors in the film. Billy Barratt takes the “troubled kid” archetype and makes it something far better and more endearing than what we might normally see. There is heart flowing throughout his performance, especially in his scenes opposite Sora Wong. You can feel the love his character has for hers, and it makes their part of the film so much more powerful. He also is a bit of the audience surrogate, as he uncovers the brunt of the depravity that lurks under the surface of his and Piper’s new home. Barratt reacts to everything authentically and feels like a regular teenager at times, further giving credence to his performance. Sora Wong is also great, and her performance is even more impressive when you realize she has never acted before. Much like Barratt, Wong also comes across like a regular kid, which makes her performance even stronger. She really shines in the film’s final act, but she grabbed my attention early on when interacting with Barratt’s character, Andy. She has the mild irritation that some siblings feel for each other down pat, but you can tell that she loves her brother very much and cares deeply for him. Jonah Wren Phillips manages to frighten and capture your attention without saying much.  Phillips takes on the role of Oliver, a mute boy, but avoids feeling like the stereotypical “creepy child” you tend to see in horror films. He manages to be frightening and unnerving without saying much, and he exhibits a strong presence that you don’t normally see in young actors. His distinct look, coupled with an unpredictability that lurks under the character’s surface make him one of the film’s most terrifying elements, and it is one of its most memorable aspects. 

Of course, the biggest standout is Sally Hawkins who once again makes the case that she is one of our greatest living actors. Hawkins comes into the film with a genial nature and is very warm-hearted, but we see this mask slowly slip as the film goes on. This is a role that someone could easily go way too big with, but Hawkins knows the exact levels to hit so it never feels too showy. Make no mistake, it is a bit of a big performance, but it is exactly what the film calls for. She gives us a portrait of a grieving mother and we see both the heartbreak and the insanity she is experiencing almost every step of the way. And yet, we understand why she is doing the things she is doing, even if these things are disturbing and harrowing. She grounds the character in reality just enough to where it doesn’t feel over the top, and it makes Hawkins’s performance all the more incredible to watch. 

Bring Me Back is not for the squeamish and may be a bit too distressing for some viewers, but it is an excellent horror film nonetheless. It shows significant growth for Danny and Michael Philippou and delivers on the strengths they exhibited in Talk to Me. It does have some small hiccups here and there, but once it reaches its final stretch, it more than makes up for them. Its slower pace and disturbing content might repel some viewers, or you may be like me and be unable to look away. For me, this greatly exceeded my expectations, and made me want to give Talk to Me another chance. It’s clear that The Philippous have the goods, and I hope they continue their upward mobility. Bring Me Back is one of the darker and more unsettling films I’ve seen in recent memory, but it also had me entranced from beginning to end and is sure to stick with me for a while.

Rating: 4/5