BRING HER BACK
****
Directed by Danny and Michael Philippou.
Starring Sally Hawkins, Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Jonah Wren Phillips.
Horror, Australia, 104 minutes, Certificate 18.
Released in cinemas in the UK on July 26th 2026 by Sony Pictures Releasing.
There is nothing more raw, painful, and devastating than the loss of a loved one. For decades, horror has drawn from that grief and the anguish it brings to craft some truly terrifying tales. In recent years, grief has emerged not just as atmosphere but as the driving force behind some of the genre’s most harrowing narratives. This new wave of griefploitation cinema owes a debt to earlier works like DON’T LOOK NOW, THE CHANGELING, and PET SEMATARY, stories that made sorrow part of the scare.
Like their breakout hit TALK TO ME, the Philippou brothers return to explore emotional trauma in BRING HER BACK, following siblings Andy and Piper after the sudden loss of their father. The children are placed in the care of Laura, a woman still haunted by the grief of losing her own child. As Piper forms a fragile connection with Laura, Andy grows increasingly wary of her erratic behaviour and unsettled by another foster child in the home. The atmosphere thickens with dread as Andy’s protective instincts intensify and tensions rise. What unfolds is a psychologically charged story that probes the limits of trust, grief, and the fragile bonds that hold people together.
The film’s setting shifts from a noisy, bustling cityscape to a remote countryside house steeped in eerie silence. This stark contrast underscores the emotional dislocation at the heart of the story. An overhead shot capturing the children's arrival at the house evokes a sense of separation and isolation that reverberates throughout the film, visually foreshadowing the psychological journey to come.
The film wears its influences proudly. Echoes of THE BABADOOK and A DARK SONG creep through its shadowy corners. Sadness is ever present, represented by a palette of blues, greens, and greys. This is not the bright, oversaturated, sunny Australia we’re used to seeing. This Australia is grey and gloomy. Like its protagonists, it is drained of joy. A constant threat of rain looms, further darkening the tone and intensifying the dread as the story unfolds.
Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman have crafted a multilayered narrative that elevates their storytelling. TALK TO ME, though sprinkled with moments of intense darkness, was a more straightforward tale of teenagers taking foolish risks and facing the consequences. Here, they deliver a more mature story that dives deeper into the loneliness of grief and how, without proper support, it becomes an isolating experience, especially for young people. It resonated with me deeply, reminding me of my own early experiences with loss and how hard it was to express myself as a child when my emotions were drowned out by the tears of those around me.
As with TALK TO ME, you feel an ominous force clawing its way into the world, something people shouldn’t be tampering with, something that will only bring incomprehensible pain. Though the stories are separate, both films seem to exist in the same eerie universe. Disturbing imagery adds layers of creepiness, making the world feel tainted and dangerous. When it comes to gore, the filmmakers don’t hold back. They jab you with sudden bursts of violence and then deliver a final gut punch that is as brutal as it is emotionally devastating.
BRING HER BACK is a dark, disturbing ride, a tale about how grief can drag us so far under that it feels like we may never surface again. The cast is phenomenal, guiding us through moments of intense emotional vulnerability and brutal conflict. Sally Hawkins gives a remarkable performance, breathing humanity into a character who could easily have been one note, and leaving us with a surprising amount of empathy for her pain. My only reservation is that Piper sometimes feels overshadowed by the conflict between Andy and Laura. A fuller exploration of her emotional arc would have added more resonance. Still, this is top tier horror from the Philippou brothers, less overtly frightening than TALK TO ME, but undeniably more disturbing.
It is a film that lingers, like grief itself.
Bev Tew