Bring Her Back is a worthy follow-up to Talk To Me. It is unsettling, disturbing, and difficult to watch, which is exactly what makes a horror movie great.
Talk To Me is one of those movies that has stuck with me for quite a while after watching it, so I should have known that Bring Her Back was also going to mess with my head. Danny and Michael Philippou are brilliant writers and directors who truly understand horror and what they need to do to get under viewers’ skin.
It was clear early on that I was going to feel some kind of way about this movie because I am a parent. Without giving too much away, Bring Her Back follows a young girl named Piper (Sora Wong) and her brother Andy (Billy Barratt) when an unexpected tragedy forces them into a foster home.
Right from the start, their foster mother, Laura (Sally Hawkins) is weird. Something is off, and it doesn’t take long before it is clear to the audience that a bizarre and terrifying ritual is underway. The longer the movie goes on, the more that is revealed. Even if you have an idea of where things are going, you will never expect the full extent of it. I promise you that.
Bring Her Back is a devastating exploration of grief. As a mother, this one really came at me from multiple angles. Early on we learn that Laura has lost her daughter, the literal worst nightmare of any parent. Would I do anything to bring my child back? I would do a lot, but I don’t know that I would do ANYTHING.
Seeing things from the perspective of Piper, Andy, and Laura’s foster child who is already living there when the siblings arrive, Ollie (Jonah Wren Phillips), sent me through another wave of feelings. I consider myself an empath as well, which means that Bring Her Back was quite the experience for me. I watched a whole lot of it through my fingers, but I have to admit, I really love this movie.
Horror films have always been my jam. They are often a lot of fun, and for one reason or another, I enjoy squirming in my seat. I am not sure what that says about me, but here we are. This movie, however, takes things to a whole new level. There are certain scenes I cannot think about without it sending shivers down my spine.
I was also pretty sure I wasn’t going to eat for a full week after watching Bring Her Back – and not just because of the visuals – the sound design is on a whole new level. You know the sound of nails on a chalkboard? Think that times one thousand.
Bring Her Back evoked a lot of emotions from me. I found myself watching through my fingers with my shoulders up around my ears as I hid in my seat. I was disgusted, disturbed, and absolutely terrified — but all in the best way possible. The body horror elements are off the charts, and while I love twisted body horror, this movie was so much more for me.
There are a lot of heavy themes in this movie, which is expected from horror movies. There is grief, of course, and not just Laura’s, that is explored throughout. At the same time, we see a sibling bond that is something that made me smile. I have two children of my own, and I would certainly hope they would be there for each other through thick and thin, always looking out for one another.
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Perhaps it is because I am coming at this from a parent’s point of view, but there are beautiful moments layered through the terrifying and unsettling ones. The ending is earned, and my feels were through the roof, especially after some truly devastating scenes.
There are jump scares and horrifying visuals and sounds that will haunt your dreams, but when you boil it all down, Bring Her Back is an exploration of grief. One that will have a lasting impact on me. One that made me rush home and hug my kids. This one is going to be in my brain for a long time. That said, I can’t wait to see it again.