“Bring Her Back” Review: Unnerving Thrill Ride About Grief That You Just Can’t Tear Eyes Off

Horror is an old genre, arguably as old as cinema itself. In that timeframe, moviemakers have found various ways to scare folks – some hate the experience, others live for it. Naturally, filmmakers have experimented with varying techniques and sub-genres, ranging from extraterrestrial, slasher and gore, to torture porn, eldritch horror, and so on. If you’re an avid horror enjoyer, you’ve probably seen it all and have probably even grown numb to it. But have you ever seen how terrifying a mother’s love can be?

That is the core theme of “Bring Her Back,” which sees the brothers Danny and Michael Philippou return to the directorial seat for another supernatural psychological horror that is meant to disturb. while dealing with an emotional gutpunch. It stars Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Sally Hawkins, and Jonah Wren Phillips who help deliver an unforgettable (for better or for worse) cinematic experience that we can’t help but feel hypnotised by.

The film follows Andy (Barratt) and Piper (Wong), step-siblings who were moved to foster care following the accidental death of their father. Andy wishes to be Piper’s legal guardian so they won’t be separated, but due to him being only 17 years old, the two are instead put in the care of Laura (Hawkins), an eccentric former counsellor who experienced the loss of her daughter. Following the tragedy, Laura adopted another child named Oliver (Philips), a mute boy with an odd mark under his right eye.

As the film goes on, the two protagonists find out that their adoptive family isn’t what it seems. What follows is a nail-biting series of events loaded with deceit, grief, and anger that will make you question the conventional villain role in a film, and has enough emotional charge that might even force a tear or two out of you.

“Bring Her Back” is a unique film in every sense of the word. Rather than showcasing the gore or the horror to us, it first establishes the relationship between the characters and how close they really are. From crude jokes to even secret codes, the bond between Billy and Sora is real and gripping – to the point it becomes the very glue that holds the film together outside of the actual horror elements. You root for them so badly that when you see them being torn apart, it actively hurts you to some extent.

Billy’s Andy is a troubled young adult who has a record of misconduct in hopes of getting attention from his late father. On the other hand, Sora’s Piper was heavily favoured by the stepfather, receiving all the attention he could muster. Despite this, the two still put their father’s favouritism aside in favour of their still-alive relatives, step-siblings or otherwise. 

Naturally, being the main antagonist of the film, Sally’s Laura is the main source of the tension, as she does her best to separate the two. Her grief and her desire to be the mother to her lost daughter again are the driving forces as to why she is doing this, as well as a laundry list of other crimes. Because of the already established dynamic of the film, a part of us just wants to punch her in the eye when she tries to separate the two step-siblings. 

However, she is the rare antagonist that we can’t help but empathise with as the film progresses. Through Hawkins’s sheer acting prowess, we can’t help but feel bad for her character, who only wants her daughter back and is desperate enough to try anything in order to achieve it. Her pain is visceral and potent, so potent, in fact, that you can feel it through the screen. It doesn’t try to justify her actions and what she is doing is horrible, but you still understand why she is doing it, to some degree.

Her anger and desire to be a mom again are crystallised in Oliver, Laura’s foster son. The strange child is played masterfully by Phillips. His unnerving and terrifying performance is the main reason why this film is classified as horror. From the jarring way he eats his fruits to his unhinged and violent mannerisms, he is a force to be reckoned with as a boy and as a little monster. Many images are left imprinted on our minds as we recall this movie for this review, and more than half of them are Phillips’ performance. We dare not say more, as it’s something that needs to be witnessed without warning or filter.

However, for all the praise it’s received, there are still gaps in the film. For one thing, you can make the argument that it’s not really horror, as it feels more like a supernatural thriller. A majority of the film is largely focused on escalating the suspense and tension of the film, and not much on the horror, though that is subjective to the moviegoer. The horror aspect is largely defined by how uneasy this film makes you and how it does its best to burrow under your skin; it systematically lowers your guard with images of siblings getting along and near misses to deliver the oppressive tension that sucks the hope out of you. Despite this, the film is still hopeful, albeit on a bittersweet note.

This movie is a rollercoaster of emotions, from heartwarming bonding to supernatural and otherworldly scares and even some light-hearted comedy that will captivate as much as it will terrify you. It is a complex web that grabs your heart and tears it up thanks to its various themes and the complicated relationships between each character. Another strength of “Bring Her Back” is its otherworldly ability to communicate directly with the audience about grief and loss, pulling us further into its gripping story. By the end of it, it asks those who are still mourning the dead to let go and live in their stead.

Overall, “Bring Her Back” is a gut-wrenching film that will tug on your heartstrings – from exploring strong familial ties to the deep-seated grief of those mourning a lost loved one, this movie will shake you to your core. The beating heart of this horror flick is the four main cast members whose collective performance sends shivers down our spines and tears down our eyes. To say it is a powerful piece that needs further analysis by experts is a massive understatement, and needs to be experienced firsthand.

“Bring Her Back” Arrives In Theatres On 31st July.