Movie Review: Bring Her Back

The world is a scary place, and horror movies can serve as a healthy way to deal with the myriad fears it instills within us without ever putting us in any real danger. But the genre can also function as an excellent vehicle for dealing with other worries and emotions, most notably grief. In their second feature, the Philippou brothers once again use the supernatural to examine the lengths that loss can drive a person to while they also demonstrate a great deal of growth from their already fantastic debut Talk to Me.

Andy (Billy Barratt) and visually-impaired step-sister Piper (Sora Wong) find themselves in the foster care system after the sudden death of their father. They are placed with Laura (Sally Hawkins), whose own daughter, who was also blind, died recently in a tragic accident. The pair are shown to their rooms and then come upon her other foster child, Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips), who is mute and displays some disturbing behavior.

It quickly becomes apparent to Andy that Laura strongly favors his sister, to such a degree that he begins to wonder over her intentions. Laura meanwhile has been studying old VHS tapes of bizarre rituals that purport to hold the power to resurrect the dead. To say more would risk ruining the film’s surprises, but you can probably tell from this that it’s not headed anywhere good.

Reteaming with their Talk to Me cowriter Bill Hinzman, the Philippous have crafted a deeply upsetting movie that lingers with the viewer long after it’s ended. A sense of dread pervades nearly every frame, staining even the few moments of happiness the characters are permitted, and keeping the audience in constant suspense over what fate awaits each of them.

All three leads give flawless performances. Barratt embues Andy with a great deal of depth while Wong’s Piper is the embodiment of hope and light, largely thanks to how much her older brother has tried to instill those qualities in her and protect her from the world. Hawkins is fantastic as always, cycling through a range of emotions and nailing them all. Phillips is truly put through it though, and despite having a smaller role, leaves a strong impression.

A masterclass in horror filmmaking, the movie eschews cheap jump scares and instead relies on its story and style to generate fear, creating the sense that the audience is watching a nightmare play out before their eyes. There are genuinely shocking moments throughout, including one that will be forever carved into the memories of those who see it. Bring Her Back isn’t just scary though, it is also deeply sad. Every character has something taken from them and by the end the viewer feels like they’ve been put through the emotional wringer in a way that few other movies can truly pull off. Frightening, haunting, disturbing, and tear-inducingly tragic, this is an instant genre classic. ★★★★★