Carl Roberts 
Danny and Michael Philippou have delivered a real treat with Bring Her Back. More thriller than horror, it hits every mark it aims for.
Bring Her Back is coming to UK cinema screens on July 25th. The movie comes to us from the pair of Talk To Me directors, Danny and Michael Philippou. Featuring a cast which includes Billy Barratt, Sora Wong and Sally Hawkins, the film is a decent little chiller to keep the audience happy. To be honest, the film is more of a slow-burning psychological thriller than a horror movie. Instead of throwing itself headlong into the frights. Gore and bloodshed, it slowly builds up to reach a crescendo that stuns the audience. Along the way, there are some sequences that are certainly not for the squeamish. After the success and prowess the two brothers showed with their last film, can they again prove they are superb filmmakers? Or does the film get dragged down, making us want to turn our backs on it?
THE PREMISE
The plot follows two step-siblings who find themselves orphaned and placed in the middle of an occult ritual by their new foster mother.
THOUGHTS
Although the film is a slow burner, it has more than enough going for it to keep us invested. It keeps us guessing at the motivations of certain characters while also having us fear for several of them. And we are right to be fearful for them. Make no mistake, the tension builds from around fifteen minutes in and rarely lets us go. Add in some scenes that have us clutching at our seats, squirming and wanting to look away and you have a neat little thriller that finds its footing from the start.
THE CAST
The cast is led by the young actors Billy Barratt and Sora Wong as Andy and Piper, respectively. These two characters are the ones we will follow for the majority of the film. Billy Barratt is superb as Andy, Piper’s stepbrother and the person who protects her as best he can. From the second we meet the pair of them, we are in a protective state of mind. Piper has coloboma and microphthalmia, which has left her with limited sight, a condition Sora Wong suffers from in reality.
From the second we witness Piper being ridiculed by other teenage girls, we want to scoop her up and protect her. But this is Andy’s job, something he takes to like a duck to water. Despite learning a few uncomfortable truths about him, we are firmly on Andy’s side. Billy Barratt, no stranger to acting on the big screen, excels in his role.
In contrast, Sora Wong has no acting experience whatsoever. However, from her performance in the film, you’d never have guessed it. The young actress is, without doubt, a star in the making. For someone so young (she’s 14), she almost steals all the acting plaudits from the entire cast. Strip away the vulnerability both she and the character have, and you’d still be amazed at what she has lurking in her acting locker. While we feel sorry and protective of Piper, she never plays on the fact of her limited vision, instead using it as a trait that makes her stronger than we think. We simply can’t help but be in awe of both the actress and her character. This is a strong performance that lives long in the memory.
JONAH WREN PHILLIPS
Special mention has to go to actor Jonah Wren Phillips as Oliver, Laura’s mute son. The actor hardly speaks throughout the whole film, but he chills us to the bone with his creepy, unhinged performance. Every time we see him in the film, we are on edge, fearful of what he might do next, either to himself or to one of the other characters. It is he who gets the goriest parts of the film. And I do mean gory. We suddenly find ourselves questioning if the film has abandoned its thriller approach and headed into full-on horror movie territory.
Cat lovers will be on the edge of their seats in fear for the feline that appears in the film. By the climax, we are fearful of him as well as being fearful for him. It is a stellar performance from Jonah Wren Phillips. Another performance that will give us nightmares and live with us long after the film has ended.
SALLY HAWKINS
The three young actors come ever so close to taking the acting plaudits. But they are outdone by a powerhouse performance from Sally Hawkins as Laura, the grieving mother. From the second we meet her, we know something isn’t quite right with her. Her friendliness with Piper is seemingly genuine, while her friendliness with Andy is forced. And we know and see it. As the tale unravels, so does Laura. We are not talking Mrs Bates territory, this is far more subtle and chilling.
From locking Oliver in his room at almost all times to actions she performs against Andy and Piper, we are watching an unhinged woman with an agenda we can’t quite put our finger on. Has the death of her daughter caused her to go into a spiral, or is she just deranged? But Laura also shows tenderness at times that we don’t expect. These scenes, though, make us lower our guard.
The answer is never made clear until the horrific climax. By then, we shrink back into our seats in fear at the very sight of her. Laura manipulates every aspect of what we see on the screen, making her a character that, again, lives long in our minds after the film ends. The final shot we see of her in the film has us conflicted, happy, scared, but also with a sadness for her. Sally Hawkins delivers a performance that has to be seen and experienced to be believed. The Oscar-nominated actress excels here, giving a chilling, haunting performance that defies belief. This is where the true horror lies, not in the gory aspects we experience, but in the depths of depravity this unhinged, depressed woman will go to, both physically and mentally, including in her own mind.
DIRECTION AND WRITING
The direction from Danny and Michael Philippou is exemplary. The Philippous returned to their home state of South Australia to film in Adelaide and its surrounding areas, like Lightsview. And they know their locations so well, it feels as if they are characters in their own right. They bring the beauty, the grace, the charm of their locations to life while also making them places we begin to fear. The pair direct the dramatic scenes with aplomb, the gory scenes as if they are perfectly natural and an everyday occurrence and the darkness as if it too has been cast in the film. They elicit completely superb performances from their cast throughout, never letting them settle. It is done with such style, grace and panache that we can’t help but take notice.
The screenplay by Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman is a deliberate slow build-up to what we will experience later on. Along the way, they give us things to think about after the film has ended. They are not afraid to delve into the psychological side of things with Laura and her fragile mental state, the fear Andy feels when he approaches a shower and Piper’s sight condition. All are dealt with in a heartfelt, respectable way, never making them feel as they are a needless plot device. The graphic violence and gore, while shocking, add to the film in a way we wouldn’t expect. Although shocking, the film needs tit to completely tell the story. Add in the brilliant ways they have written the characters, and we can’t help but marvel at what we are given.
VERDICT
Danny and Michael Philippou have delivered a real treat with Bring Her Back. More thriller than horror, it hits every mark it aims for. The cast delivers stellar performances that resonate. While the slow burn approach may not suit everyone’s tastes, it is what they need and deserve. Instead of throwing violence and gore in our faces from the start, it takes a more refined, dignified approach. It lulls us into almost a false sense of security. Almost. We know something evil and frightening is lurking under the surface. But we never know when it will rear its head and attack both the characters and us sitting in our seats watching. Having said that, we also see why the majority of the violence happens, the reasons behind it, and the need for it.
Rather than being violence and gore for the sake of it, it actually comes across as tragic more than scary. Bring Her Back is one of those films that come out of left field. Going in, you think you know what to expect, only to have the rug pulled out from under you. That is what makes the film a genuine surprise, a film that we don’t expect to have such an impact on us. It also makes us think at times, something again, we don’t expect from a film like this.
The climax has us happy and sad at the same time. It also leaves us with a sadness that we wouldn’t think we would experience. This is a film that is one of the year’s best surprises, one of the most original films we have seen for a long time. Kudos to the Philippou brothers; they have delivered a worthy follow-up to Talk To Me. And I’m already eager to experience their next foray into filmmaking. Highly recommended.
Bring Her Back will be in UK cinemas on July 25th, courtesy of Sony Pictures.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
