Login
17-year-old Andy (Billy Barratt) does his best to look out for his partially sighted stepsister, Piper (Sora Wong), maintaining a loving bond. After their father (Stephen Phillips) suddenly dies in the shower, the siblings are placed into foster care, though Andy hopes to gain guardianship of Piper after his upcoming eighteenth birthday in a few months. Refusing to separate, Andy and Piper are adopted by the eccentric Laura (Sally Hawkins), who lives with her mute nephew Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips) and is mourning the recent death of her visually impaired daughter, Cathy (Mischa Heywood). Laura quickly bonds with Piper, but Andy is more reluctant and guarded as he deals with his traumatic past, finding it difficult to trust and open up to his new foster mother. Andy's distrust continues to grow through a series of unsettling incidents, particularly as Oliver displays concerning and violent behaviour, making the teenager wonder about Laura's true intentions with Piper.
Despite its modest $15 million budget, Bring Her Back is best experienced in a cinema, where the movie's intricate audiovisual design can be more fully appreciated. The picture is thick in atmosphere, with cinematographer Aaron McLisky (Talk to Me, TV's Mr Inbetween) creating slick, engaging visuals and making the most of the low-key South Australian locations. Instead of a simplistic "point and shoot" approach, McLisky puts remarkable thought and care into each frame, using different lenses and focal lengths to enhance the horror. Indeed, the movie is unusually artistic. Also chilling is the blurry imagery of occult rituals, with Laura watching VHS tapes of a cult as she learns the intricacies of the ritual she intends to follow to bring Cathy back from the dead. Dim VHS imagery is inherently unsettling (the entire V/H/S series, which refuses to end after more than a decade, clearly understands this), and the sequences add another layer to the movie's creep factor, although this material feels slightly underutilised.
Much like Talk to Me, the directors establish a loose supernatural mythology in Bring Her Back as a basis for the narrative. The lore may not withstand intense scrutiny, and the movie uses the mythology as window dressing, as the script does not delve into the specifics or origins; however, it remains simple and understandable. Bring Her Back is not about cheap shock value or jump scares, as the directors stage the type of horror that gets under your skin and makes you wince. The movie delivers harrowing psychological horror, while the more visceral sequences are equally skin-crawling. Relying on outstanding practical effects, enormously convincing prosthetics, and unnerving sound design, the directors stage numerous grotesque moments, particularly as the story picks up steam during the second half. Additionally, the gore does not feel exploitative or schlocky, as the directors keep firm control of the picture's tone and show appropriate tact. Moreover, the production benefits from a confident sense of pacing, thanks to editor Geoff Lamb (Talk to Me), who ensures the material never devolves into tedium, despite the movie mostly involving tense character interactions rather than action or big set pieces. Bring Her Back is a slow-burn, but it's not dull.
Sally Hawkins arguably delivers one of the year's finest performances as the deeply troubled, manipulative, detestable, grieving foster mother who is unwilling to let go of her deceased daughter. Although the horror genre may seem below the Oscar-nominated actress, Hawkins brings immense emotion and gravitas to the material, espousing an effortlessly authentic and convincing Australian accent that could fool any Aussie native (this reviewer included). Most commendably, Hawkins makes Laura feel like a three-dimensional human being, rather than a shallow caricature, with the film grounding her motivations in grief and desperation.
Similarly impressive is young English actor Billy Barratt (Kraven the Hunter), who also nails the Aussie accent and capably handles the story's intense dramatic elements. Barratt was 17 years old during filming, the same age as his character, which makes him all the more believable - the directors wisely avoided trying to pass off a well-known actor in their late 20s or early 30s as a teenager. Another standout is Sora Wong, who makes her film debut here after landing the role despite having no prior acting experience. The palpable bond between Andy and Piper gives the movie its heart, which is a testament to the writing and performances. Meanwhile, newcomer Jonah Wren Phillips (How to Make Gravy) makes a horrifying impression as the mute Oliver, with the preteen actor participating in some of the movie's most memorable, unnerving moments.
Bring Her Back does not culminate in a massive climactic set piece, and the directors reportedly considered several different endings before settling on something more emotional. Although some genre aficionados might yearn for a bigger payoff, the film's ending feels in keeping with the movie's sombre tone, even if it leaves lingering questions about the demonic cult at the centre of the ominous ritual. Bring Her Back falls in line with the type of heightened, critic-courting horror movies that A24 is renowned for delivering (The Witch, Hereditary), which might make it a less tempting proposition for younger viewers who prefer more streamlined, mainstream-friendly genre flicks. However, it is an engaging, unnerving and emotionally devastating experience, and it does not feel like homework thanks to the strong character work, top-notch performances, and robust sense of atmosphere. It may not be fun or rewatchable, but Bring Her Back is unforgettable.
7.9/10
