In Bring Her Back, the Philippou brothers return to the horror genre with a film that feels more intimate and emotionally raw than their breakout hit Talk to Me. The story follows Piper, a blind teenager, and her older brother Andy, who are placed into foster care after a family tragedy. Their new guardian, Laura, appears nurturing at first—but that quickly unravels. As strange behavior escalates and the mysterious child Oliver begins to show signs of something far more sinister, the film dives headfirst into unsettling psychological horror, wrapped in themes of grief, trauma, and unspoken pain.
Bring Her Back Trailer:

The Good
The performances were great across the board. Billy Barratt and Sora Wong had such believable sibling chemistry that I bought into their relationship immediately. Jonah Wren Phillips (plays Oliver) does a remarkable job of being eerie and downright creepy. But it’s Sally Hawkins who absolutely steals the show in a commanding performance as the disturbed foster mother. Her every expression keeps you guessing, and every word drips with quiet menace. She’s mezmorizing and intriguing in every scene.
The story and its themes hit the mark. I appreciated how Piper’s disability was woven into the story.  Her journey makes you root for her harder because of the challenges her character undergoes physically and emotionally. The film’s exploration of grief is haunting and effective. Not only does it make you sympathize, but it makes you uncomfortable because you understand even the most broken characters in a deeply unsettling way.

When it comes to the real star of Bring Her Back, that title goes to the gore. This movie goes there and doesn’t let up. Some scenes are just brutal. The makeup and effects teams deserve major praise for how realistically horrific the violence looks. There’s a scene in a kitchen that had me stop eating mytheater snacks immediately. That’s how visceral it gets.
The Bad
While the movie thrives on atmosphere and unease, it does tip its hand a little too early. Once you start to piece together Laura’s motivations, the mystery behind her weird behavior starts to lose its punch. That robs some tension from what could have been an even more suspenseful build.
The mythology is also a bit under developed. There are glimpses through VHS tapes and bits of exposition, but it feels like the movie had more to say and didn’t fully dive into its own lore.

As much as I admired the practical effects, there were moments where the violence almost became too much. It pushes so far into grotesque territory that it risks distracting from the emotional stakes. At one point, I wasn’t even thinking about the characters. Instead, I was just trying not to get sick.
The Verdict
Bring Her Back is a welcome and original addition to modern horror. It delivers a disturbing, character-focused story about grief while pushing the boundaries of on-screen violence. This isn’t your typical scary movie. It’s the kind that makes you squirm because it feels real, raw, and wrong in all the right ways.
I can’t say this will be for all horror fans because it’s more so uncomfortably disturbing than it is scary. I definitely wouldn’t recommend eating before watching this film. Check it out in theaters.

Director: Danny Philippou and Michael PhilippouWriter(s): Danny Philippou and Michael PhilippouStars: Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Jonah Wren Phillips, Sally-Anne Upton, Stephen Phillips, Mischa Heywood, and Sally HawkinsBring Her Back comes to theaters May 30th, 2025. Be sure to follow E-Man’s Movie Reviews on Facebook, Subscribe on YouTube, or follow me on Twitter/IG @EmansReviews for even more movie news and reviews!

Bring Her Back Review: Grief Is the Real Scary Monster

Acting – 7/10

Cinematography/Visual Effects – 8/10

Plot/Screenplay – 7/10

Setting/Theme – 8/10

Watchability – 7/10

Rewatchability – 5/10

User Review

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