Ticketworthy! - Bring Her Back

There are some movies that you can watch, enjoy, and brush off like nothing happened. That’s not to say that it’s a bad movie, it’s just one that you don’t carry with you out of the theater. Bring Her Back is not that kind of movie. It will make you cringe and squirm in your seat. It will unsettle you, and it will stay with you long after the ending credits.

It’s hardly the first time that the Philippous have directed a shockingly good horror film, though this outing doesn’t quite achieve the heights of 2022’s Talk to Me. That movie had a quirky charm that balanced the uncomfortable horror. Bring Her Back foregoes any such levity and delves even further into the disturbing gore and psychological horror. It’s still very good, but it’s much harder to watch.

A big part of what sells the brutal scenes is that the cast all throw themselves completely into the characters. Sally Hawkins leads the way and is horrifying to watch as Laura, a woman who agrees to foster two siblings (Billy Barratt and Sora Wong) after they lose their father. Laura previously lost her own daughter to drowning and is very obviously reeling mentally from that devastation. Hawkins gives a manic and off-putting performance that carries the entire film along with it, and it’s impossible to look away no matter how much you may want to.

From a cinematic standpoint, I’m not sure enough praise can be heaped on the Philippous as directors. The entire experience of watching Bring Her Back is unpleasant, in the best possible way, thanks to the tension they weave into every shot. Much of the movie is filmed in tight shots, allowing the actors to do a lot of brilliant work with their faces and eyes, while also leaving the audience feeling like there might be things they are missing just off camera. It allows us to experience the story through the characters, as they often get to react to what’s happening around them before we ever see it, leaving our minds to briefly fill in the horrific blanks.

Unfortunately, the story doesn’t quite keep up with the thrills, especially as the third act unfolds. It’s a bit haphazard and rushed near the end as it tries to wrap up all the dangling plot threads before time runs out. Characters die seemingly just because the story is done with them, and the full weight of major deaths isn’t explored terribly well. These issues don’t derail the movie, as the suspense and fantastic performances carry the plot along, but they are still present.

As a whole, though, Bring Her Back works marvelously. It’s a creepy, chilling movie that I genuinely think deserves to be seen in the cinema. It’s an experience that you’ll be glad to have had at least once, though more squeamish viewers probably won’t need to see it more than that. Still, if you can stomach it and appreciate the art and passion dripping out of every frame, this is one you won’t be able to let go of – and it won’t let go of you.