Following up their viral debut Talk to Me, directors Danny and Michael Philippou return with Bring Her Back, an unrelenting, visceral exploration of maternal grief and occult horror.
The A24 film centers on orphaned siblings Andy (Billy Barratt) and partially sighted Piper (Sora Wong), who are placed with foster mother Laura (Sally Hawkins) after their father’s death. Laura, still reeling from the drowning of her own daughter, quickly reveals herself to be deeply disturbed, driven by a sinister ritualistic plot to fill the void in her life.
Hawkins delivers a career-defining, unhinged performance, brilliantly oscillating between manic warmth and chilling malevolence as she attempts to gaslight Andy and isolate Piper. The Philippous once again display their mastery of body horror and dread, relying on practical effects and a deeply unsettling sound design to create an atmosphere of relentless anxiety.
While the film operates at a slower burn than its predecessor, its dedication to emotional brutality is often more profound. The story struggles in places, occasionally layering on twists and side plots that feel disjointed, but its core — the terrifying breakdown of a family unit under the weight of unmanaged trauma — is devastatingly effective. Bring Her Back is a disturbing, emotionally taxing watch that firmly establishes the Philippous as major voices in contemporary horror.
Bring Her Back is available now on Cathay Pacific‘s award-winning inflight entertainment system.
