Bring Her Back Review: The Feel-Bad Horror Movie Of 2025 Will Make You Squirm

The feel-bad movie of the year, "Bring Her Back" is so unapologetically disturbing that I wonder how a more casual moviegoer might react to it ... if they're brave enough to see it at all. The latest bit of venom from twin Australian filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou feels like the complete opposite of their breakout hit "Talk To Me." When I reviewed that film at Sundance, I commented that the vibes it was throwing off reminded me of the early work of Sam Raimi. It clearly had more of a budget than Raimi's iconic "The Evil Dead," but it featured a similar spook-a-blast tone. In other words, "Talk To Me" was fun even when it was being scary. There's no fun to be had with "Bring Her Back." While there are a handful of moments that might result in intentional laughs (the Philippous clearly have a twisted sense of humor), the atmosphere here is so ominous and unsettling that you'll find yourself squirming in your seat. If "Talk To Me" had Raimi vibes, "Bring Her Back" recalls the days of the brutal New French Extremity. It's not quite as gore-soaked as, say, "Martyrs," but it has the same kind of attitude.

"We don't want to be scared of something that's a horror movie. We want to embrace that it's a horror film, and be proud of making a horror film," Danny Philippou says in press notes for "Bring Her Back," and I think that might be the secret to the Philippous success. Many filmmakers seem almost embarrassed to admit they've made a horror film (I've even seen some folks involved with recent box office hit "Sinners" try to claim it's not really a horror movie, even though it very much is). Horror is a consistently popular genre, and yet it also feels dirty and shameful. To admit you like horror is to admit there's something wrong with you, at least according to some people. 

So these days, we get a lot of horror-adjacent films made by people who claim what they've really made is a serious drama with supernatural stuff acting as a metaphor for grief or trauma. And "Bring Her Back" could've easily fallen into these trappings, since death and grief are very much at the center of the narrative. And yet, the film is overloaded with horrific, ghastly horror movie moments — some mysterious grainy VHS tapes showcasing what can only be described as torture-filled rituals keep popping up, and there's a moment of pure body horror that had my audience groaning in chorus. I really don't want to oversell this thing, because the fact of the matter is that "Bring Her Back" is not for everyone. There will be people completely turned off by what this film is selling. But if you can get in tune with the movie's nasty wavelengths, you'll witness more proof that the Philippous are horror filmmakers who really know what they're doing.

As "Bring Her Back" begins, teenager Andy (Billy Barratt) and his little sister Piper (Sora Wong) have just lost their father — a death that renders them orphans. The siblings have a fun, genuinely sweet relationship: Piper is constantly cracking jokes at Andy's expense, while Andy is kind and protective of his sister, who is low-sighted (she can only see shapes). Andy will be 18 soon and can file for guardianship of Piper, but until that happens, the kids have to go into foster care. Wendy (Sally-Anne Upton), a not-unsympathetic social worker, mentions that there's a chance the pair will be split up, but Andy insists they stay together.

Brother and sister end up in the home of Laura (Sally Hawkins), a beaming, kooky therapist who seems kind and generous ... at first. Hawkins is tasked with some heavy lifting here, building a character who we eventually see as both ominous and sympathetic. We hate what she's doing while also understanding why she's doing it. It's tricky, surprisingly complex stuff, and Hawkins plays it perfectly, making Laura seem like everyone's distant "fun" relative; the one who is your personal favorite when you're a kid, until you get older and see how damaged she actually is.

Andy and Piper are surprised to learn they're not the only kids in the house: there's also Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips), who doesn't speak and seems emotionally disturbed in some unclear way. The siblings also learn right away that Laura's daughter Cathy has recently died, having drowned in the pool in the yard. You might be able to figure out where all of this is going based on the title of the film alone, and yet, "Bring Her Back" is in no hurry to lay all its cards on the table. Instead, "Bring Her Back" is a slow-burn, letting character building moments fill in the blanks. We learn that Andy and his late father did not have the best relationship, and that the recent death is having a serious impact on Andy in ways he doesn't want to reveal. Laura seems sympathetic and helpful at first ... or does she?

There's a prevailing sense of dread practically smothering "Bring Her Back," and it never lets up. We are poised to expect something terrible to happen at any moment, and the effect has us on edge. The filmmakers are essentially playing us like a fiddle while bringing us along on a journey into hopeless horror where the cruel, inescapable threat of death and doom colors everything.

Working again with cinematographer Aaron McLisky, who also shot "Talk To Me," the Philippous get great mileage out of their location. Almost the entire film takes place at Laura's house, which seems both sprawling and claustrophobic at the same time. Rainy weather prevails throughout the story, giving the movie a damp, moldy feel that reminds one of rot and decay and putrefaction. This only heightens the sense of discomfort, making "Bring Her Back" almost relentlessly unpleasant (that's a compliment since it's a feature, not a bug).

I imagine some viewers will be slightly disappointed in the film's climax, horrific though it may be. "Bring Her Back" finds a satisfying, even emotional finale to give us, though I wonder if it's a little too easy; too neat. Others may be frustrated that the Philippous deliberately leave us in the dark on some details, although I think this approach only heightens things — Laura is pushing up against the unknowable here, it only makes sense that some things will remain shrouded in mystery.

Ultimately, your enjoyment (although perhaps that's not the right word for such an intentionally gloomy movie) of "Bring Her Back" depends on what type of horror you're in the mood for. If you crave fun rollercoaster-like thrills, you may leave the theater in a funk. But if you like your horror bleak, mean, and scary in ways you can't quite articulate, you're in for a wonderfully nasty treat.

/Film Rating: 8 out of 10

"Bring Her Back" opens in theaters on May 30, 2025.