Bring Her Back Review
Almost exactly two years ago, Danny and Michael Philippou made their mark on the horror with the striking Talk To Me, a movie that combined old-school chills with a modern perspective. Championed by indie darlings A24, who distributed the film in the US, fans have eagerly awaited their follow up. Will Bring Her Back show their debut up as a fluke, or prove that they are here to stay?
Once again set in the directors’ native Australia, the film tells the story of Andy (Billy Barratt) and his step-sister Piper (Sora Wong), who is partially sighted. The siblings lose their father in traumatic fashion, and are placed with bereaved foster mother Laura (Sally Hawkins), who has experience with children with visual difficulties. Andy grows suspicious of Laura’s motives, slowly uncovering a horrifying ritual that puts Piper and Laura’s nephew Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips) in peril.
In the wise words of fellow Aussies AC/DC: “if you want blood, you’ve got it”. After the brutality on display in their previous film, the directors turn up the volume and deliver scenes that will put you off your popcorn. With all manner of flesh torn, bitten, and broken, this won’t be for the faint of heart, particularly as Oliver begins a slow but gruesome transformation.
Surprisingly, there is also a lot of psychological trauma alongside the gore. While the title alludes to paranormal rituals and resurrection, it is also a bitter cry of grief. Loss is the most fearsome spectre in this tale, and the portrayal of what losing a loved one can do. In the case of Andy and Piper, there’s an endearing bond as the older brother looks to shield his sister from the sadness. Laura, however, presents another extreme, driven to manipulation and psychosis by what she has lost.
What perhaps prevents Bring Her Back from being as powerful a film as Talk To Me is that the two sides of the tale don’t always play nicely. The character development and exploration of grief is as powerful as anything you’ll see this year, but it’s hard for those moments to sink in when they come between instants of hand-over-mouth body horror.
Nevertheless, it will leave an impression, thanks largely to another exemplary performance by Hawkins. Providing a steady trickle of unhinged behaviour behind an unsettling grin, she captures the ruthlessness and desperation of Laura, creating an atmosphere that makes the viewer jump every time she lurks into frame. An unexpectedly emotional final act establishes her as more than a one-dimensional horror villain. It’s hard to believe Mrs Brown from the Paddington films could feel so scary.
She’s joined by a young cast that handles the heavy subject matter terrifically. Wong is fantastic as Piper, demonstrating the way in which people with disabilities can be underestimated, and the strength required to overcome those attitudes. Barratt shines as a young man having to grow up rapidly, portraying the trauma of loss through the emotional maelstrom of adolescence. The on-screen siblings share a connection that gives the film its heart and carries you through to dark moments.
With Bring Her Back, the Philippou Brothers deliver the shocking moments that fans will expect, but also pathos that you might not. While flawed in places, it is the work of talented filmmakers eager to push their storytelling to new areas.
★★★★
In UK cinemas 1st August (Previews 26th July) / Sally Hawkins, Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Jonah Wren Phillips / Dir: Danny and Michael Philippou/ Sony Pictures/ 18
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