Films for Breakfast

Danny and Michael Philippou burst onto the horror scene in 2023 with Talk to Me, a breakout debut that stood out for its inventive visual style and unflinching body horror. Their follow-up, Bring Her Back, doubles down on that intensity, delivering a film that’s even bleaker, meaner, and more emotionally harrowing. The film centers on siblings Andy (Billy Barratt) and Piper (Sora Wong), who are placed in a foster home following a family tragedy. At first, their new guardian Laura (Sally Hawkins) appears warm and welcoming, but it soon becomes clear that something far more sinister is lurking beneath her genteel exterior.

As a sophomore directorial effort, Bring Her Back is just as striking as its predecessor. The Philippou brothers have polished their visual language to near-perfection, creating an atmosphere that is relentlessly eerie and punctuated by moments of truly gruesome body horror. Their camerawork is slick and purposeful, transforming even quiet scenes into unsettling moments brimming with dread. The practical effects and makeup are particularly impressive here – both shockingly visceral and disturbingly real, they amplify the film’s suffocating tension into a full-blown nightmare in the best way.

One of Talk to Me’s unexpected strengths was its character work – it provided a believable, narrative reason for why the characters kept engaging with something so clearly dangerous. Bring Her Back doesn’t quite achieve that same level of narrative clarity. While the bond between Andy and Piper is genuinely affecting – thanks in large part to compelling performances from Billy Barratt and newcomer Sora Wong – the horror elements feel more contrived and, at times, frustratingly vague. This disconnect creates a noticeable tension between the film’s stellar direction and performances and a story that never quite clarifies its own stakes and goals of its central antagonist. Some viewers may appreciate the ambiguity, but I found myself wanting more substance to anchor the mystery and drama.

Still, whatever Bring Her Back may lack in narrative cohesion or originality, it more than makes up for with its sheer intensity, haunting atmosphere, and the mesmerizing presence of Sally Hawkins at its center. She masterfully subverts expectations, turning her natural warmth and charisma as a performer into a Trojan horse for something deeply sinister. Hawkins fully sinks her teeth into the role, delivering a performance that’s at once unhinged, sympathetic, and emotionally layered – both chilling and tragic in equal measure.

Even though I personally gravitate more towards Talk to Me as a film, there’s no denying that the Philippou brothers continue to solidify their place as formidable voices in modern horror. With Bring Her Back, they prove that their success wasn’t a fluke – crafting bold, uncompromising nightmares that push boundaries both in terms of visceral horror and emotional depth. Bring Her Back is no exception to this, as it will stay with you long after the credits roll.