Bring Her Back

Sally Hawkins has for decades demonstrated her flexibility and professionalism in a variety of roles. Now with this little horror creeper she gets to go all unhinged and sink her talented teeth into a genuinely disturbing role.

When their dad suddenly dies, Andy (Billy Barratt) and Piper (Sora Wong) his sight-impaired stepsister, are sent to a foster home run by the cheerful and welcoming Laura (Hawkins). Even those who have never seen a horror movie in their life will know that not all is what it seems. But the thing is, even true horror adherents may not be prepared for the depths of despair to which this film is going to take them.

Don’t be expecting jump-scares and fun “boo” moments that’ll make your girlfriend cuddle closer. Because this is the sophomore effort of Australian “horror impressionists” Danny and Michael Philippou, who have already displayed their talent (and ruthlessness) in 2022’s heartwarming Talk to Me.

The plot sometimes gets lost in the weeds, and it’s short on insights. The clearly talented brothers need to mature a bit. Let’s spitball it little: distressing, mean, nasty, body-horror, nihilistic, heart-shattering, eat-your-own-flesh gory and hard to get out of your head. An admittedly effective horror movie that you don’t watch but endure. For hard-core horror fans only. (104 min)