BRING HER BACK – An Artistic Descent into Trauma & Terror
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Directed by: Michael Philippou, Danny Philippou
Starring: Sally Hawkins, Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Jonah Wren Phillips
Release Date: May 30, 2025
Platform: Theatrical
Rating: 5/5
By Crystal Justine
“Bring Her Back is both horrific and breathtaking.”
The Philippou brothers have returned, and they didn’t just raise the bar; they obliterated it. With BRING HER BACK, twin brothers Michael and Danny Philippou have crafted a horror-thriller that is not only more terrifying than their breakout hit Talk To Me but also more emotionally devastating. It is a masterwork of genre filmmaking—gruesome, beautifully shot, and soaked in trauma so thick you’ll sit in silence once the credits hit.
The story centers on a brother and sister who are placed with a new foster mother. While appearances to the outside world may seem normal, they slowly start to uncover a ritual so deeply disturbing that it claws at your own psyche. The brilliance of this film lies in how little it tells you upfront. The movie trailers gave the audience a glimpse into the unnerving feeling the film evokes without revealing anything about the actual story itself. The A24 marketing team did the audience justice with BRING HER BACK by taking the less-is-more approach.
Written by Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman—yes, the same writers behind Talk To Me—BRING HER BACKleans into circular storytelling, and if you’ve seen the film, that pun will hit harder than expected. The structure is tight, every moment intentional. There is no filler. Just dread, emotion, slow-burn pacing, and masterful storytelling.
Sally Hawkins delivers one of the best performances of the year. Known for her Oscar-nominated performance in The Shape of Water and her tender role in Paddington, Hawkins here becomes something else entirely. Her performance is raw, guttural, and utterly transformative. She doesn’t act in this movie; she becomes something, and it’s astonishing to witness.
Billy Barratt and Sora Wong play the central sibling duo, and their chemistry is so authentic and naturally intimate you’d think they were actual family. Wong is a pleasant surprise, and if this is what she’s bringing in her first role, consider the bar set sky-high. Jonah Wren Phillips, however, is a true breakout. His physicality and facial expressiveness could rival seasoned adult actors. It’s a performance so layered, it’s already being called one of the best child performances of the decade, and it is not an exaggeration.
Visually, BRING HER BACK is both horrific and breathtaking. The cinematography turns brutality into works of art. There are moments so grotesque they should repulse you, yet you can’t quite look away. The lighting, the framing, and the shot composition are exquisite. Even mundane things like rainfall or running shower water are loaded with meaning. A simple close-up shot of Sally Hawkins delivering dialogue with a perfect balance of light and shadow could be a gallery still.
Aside from the visuals, the sound design is next level. It’s oppressive in all the right ways. Every sound swells with tension. Every silence is deafening. The slow pacing builds the pressure until you feel like something is about to snap. There are several scenes where the combination of sound, lighting, and performance creates chilling horror history moments that will be talked about for ages.
The Philippou brothers, once known for their YouTube RackaRacka, have evolved into true auteurs. What makes them special is their passion for the craft. You can feel their love of cinema bleeding through every frame. Nothing is half-assed. They aren’t trying to make horror movies. They’re trying to make you feel something deeply, and with that they succeed.
And let’s talk about that final shot! Stunning. Haunting. Beautiful. Bleak. Unforgettable. It belongs in the same conversation as the ending scenes of Saint Maud and Nosferatu.
BRING HER BACK isn’t just a great horror film. It’s an emotionally searing, exquisitely crafted cinematic experience that redefines what modern horror can do. You will not leave the theater the same. Brace yourself—and do not look away.
