Bring Her Back is one of the most disturbing horror films of the century due an unshakable sense of dread and despair that permeates every frame of the film, that when Danny and Michael Philippou pack on grotesque and bloody moments, an unnerving story and a sensational lead performance from Sally Hawkins, makes for one of A24’s best horror films to date. 

 

When audiences think of A24 in the horror realm, experimental art house horror films like Hereditary and Midsommar instantly come to mind. Films that feature strong storytelling, a slow burn and an unthinkable terror that may be lost on the more commercial viewer who cannot see the depth in the storytelling. But for those who can appreciate the artistry on display, they have caused moments to terrorize viewers long after watching the films. With their recent entries in the horror genre, such as the X trilogy, Opus and Death of a Unicorn, A24 has been producing more commercially viable projects, but the latest directorial effort from Australian brothers Danny and Michael Philippou takes the studio back to their arthouse roots. While they shocked viewers with 2023’s Talk to Me, the dark spirits they mastered with their film debut is only an appetizer for what they have in store for viewers in their new film: Bring Her Back. With a carefully plotted tale of despair and grief, the Philippous unleash an unparalleled vision of fear that is gripping, harrowing and enough to give even the bravest of viewers some proper nightmares. 

 

The extremes that individuals will go to neglect coming to terms with their grief is sometimes astonishing, and that is what lies at the heart of Bring Her Back. Pretty quickly after Andy and Piper meet their new foster mother Laura, the audience knows that something is not right. Whether it be the salt ring surrounding Laura’s property, the unsettling nature of Laura’s nephew Oliver, or Laura’s erratic behaviour, viewers are on high alert. While it’s evident the direction the story is going to take, nothing can prepare audiences for what is about to unfold on screen. Hurtling past the accepted standard for horror flicks, Danny and Michael Philippou go to unfathomable lengths to submerge the audience in an unflinching dread for the entirety of the film’s second and third acts. Words cannot describe the horrors that unfold on screen as the brother directing team dabble with the occult, shocking violence and mutilation as this story grapples with unresolved grief, trauma and abuse, weaving an unavoidable sense of despair within the audience. 

Part of what makes Bring Her Back so terrifying is the sense of mystery surrounding what Laura is up to. There is enough information on what she is doing for viewers to follow along with the story, and there is no doubt that viewers will understand what Laura’s endgame is. But, instead of spoon feeding every answer to exactly how she is accomplishing that goal, Danny Philippou and his co-writer Bill Hinzman leave enough unspoken within the screenplay and avoid a dumping of backstory and exposition which would dampen the unsettling terror of the film, allowing the audience’s wild imagination to fill in the terrifying gaps. This leaves many of the story's most horrifying moments largely unexplained, creating a deadly fear within viewers of the unfathomable terrors that occur in front of their eyes, as the Philippous truly push the boundaries with how far they take this story. Disturbing doesn’t even begin to touch the tip of the iceberg of Bring Her Back, which not only challenges the strength of some of the most seasoned horror fans with mortifying events that will have packed theatres screaming in bloody terror, but matches the outstanding independent arthouse horror standard set by remarkable films like Hereditary and Midsommar.