Bring Her Back (2025)
Directed by Danny and Michael Philippou. Written by Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman
Going into this sophomore feature from the Philippou brothers, I knew next to nothing about it, and I recommend that as a default position for watching most film. So I’m going to give as little away as possible, in the hope that many of you will go and see this on the big screen and be as surprised and ultimately, entertained as I was.
I did know it was an uncomfortable watch for many people and it stars Sally Hawkins, whose work is diverse and always top notch in my opinion. As Laura, she is a force of nature and the ticket price is worth it just for her heartfelt and at times, downright desperate performance. The younger cast members are also excellent, vision impaired Sora Wong is particularly good, especially considering her lack of previous acting experience.
Bring Her Back is very intense, doesn’t shy away from depictions of gore (I can see the influence of French New Extremity clearly here) so it’s not for the squeamish. The intensity is accentuated by some great camera work (hats off to DoP Aaron McLisky), the use of tight framing that creates a claustrophobic atmosphere and the simplicity of diegetic sound, especially rain falling. The score by award-winning screen composer, Cornel Wilczek is unobtrusive and helps build audience anxiety, and at a tight 104 minutes, this film doesn’t outstay it’s welcome.
At it’s core, this is an exploration of grief from a variety of viewpoints. From the superficiality of contemporary funeral rites to the depths of darkness, guilt and depression. (As an aside, I’d love to hear US mortician Caitlin Doughty discuss and critique various funeral practices in contemporary horror, I think it’d make an excellent video essay.) The tension is maintained through a combination of great script, visuals and sound, excellent editing and exceptional performances – both in front and behind the camera.
Ultimately, I can’t describe this as an enjoyable watch, but as a lifelong horror fan I do consider it entertaining. It’s caused me to consider people I’ve lost along the way and how I’ve processed/still processing the grief, something I consider a healthy use of my time. I haven’t watched the Philippou brothers first feature, Talk To Me (2022) but after seeing Bring Her Back, I’ll be rectifying that very soon.
Bring Her Back is currently in wide distribution globally. Highly recommended.
Debra Manskey 