How far will a mother go for the love of her children? A24’s latest horror film, Bring Her Back, co-directed by Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou and written by Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman, explores that question to a terrifying degree. Set in Australia, Bring Her Back follows adopted siblings Andy (Billy Barratt) and Piper (Sora Wong) who tragically lose their father, leading them to foster mother Laura (Sally Hawkins). While her son Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips) may be unnerving, Laura seems nice enough, at least at first. As Andy becomes suspicious about his and his sister’s new home, he finds out far more than he bargained for as Laura and Oliver’s true colors are increasingly revealed in horrifying fashion.

The Philippou brothers, with their co-scribe Hinzman, are masters of showing and not telling the audience the horrific mystery that unfolds in Bring Her Back. Every scene is judiciously made and their detail-orientation is exemplary, following each character in such a way that lets you feel their every thought, fear, moment of joy, confusion, and much more.

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The approach is mesmerizing and demands your attention, even through the scenes of horror that might urge you to pull away, but ultimately, you can’t. The storytelling is just that compelling, even when you’re watching something revolting on screen. The Philippou brothers and Hinzman, through their script and expert direction, make you care about each and every character, even when you don’t want to.

Hawkins as Laura is the driving force of Bring Her Back, and she gives it her all as this extremely messy foster mom. Laura loves her children, adopted and biological, as if they were her possessions. But Hawkins does a pointed balance of showing Laura as both genuinely caring and possessive to a toxic degree, and how those aspects don’t necessarily have to cancel each other out.

Sally Hawkins plays love and possession with equal strength and terror in Bring Her Back.

From her manipulation and gaslighting of both Piper and Andy, to her (at least apparent) care for Piper and Oliver, and her sincere conviction that she is a righteously devoted mother, Hawkins is terrifying as Laura. She shows the slippery slope of a sincerely caring mother falling into toxic and violent behaviors, which may happen in real life, but is shown to horrifying fashion in the film, carried by Hawkins exemplary performance.

Barratt is wonderfully relatable as Andy, having undergone so much tragedy and hardship in his life that come to the fore in his new unnerving home. In many ways, he’s the audience surrogate, learning more about his new abode and the horrors that come with it through the film. Barratt plays Andy with pathos and sarcastic wit, making him a likable protagonist you want to root for throughout Bring Her Back, including and especially in its most harrowing moments. Occasionally, it feels like the movie needs a bit more from Andy, but ultimately, what’s there is great.

Andy is a genuinely caring and imperfect older brother to Piper, who is played to wonderful effect by Sora Wong in her debut role. She is the innocent younger sister who still has a lot of fight in her, wanting to be as independent as possible with her visual impairment. The film balances letting her be the victim of circumstance but also retaining fierceness of character. Wong also does a great job in her debut role in bringing that to life. To have a legally blind actor play a blind role brings wonderful representation, as the camera work showcases how Piper feels the world around her. Overall, it’s an excellent debut for Wong.

Jonah Wren Phillips terrifies as Oliver in Bring Her Back.

Phillips is terrifying as Oliver, the apparent monster of Bring Her Back. The makeup, combined with his vicious performance, delivers a monster ripe for nightmares. But there is a mystery to this kid that the film also increasingly reveals as it goes along, intriguing him to be watched consistently, even through his most horrifying moments. Phillips gives his all to the role and will certainly unsettle audiences with his horrific displays, including gnarly body horror, and the mystery surrounding his role.

The scares in Bring Her Back are exceptional and woven so well into the film’s fabric. In fact, the film as a whole feels like one huge continuous scare, with it aiming to unnerve you from jump. The characters’ actions, the music, the setting, and so much more set every scene to keep you glued to your seat in fear. The mystery grips you, even as you wince and feel disgust at the spectacle. The Philippou brothers have played a masterful storytelling game, rife with addictive discomfort.

Bring Her Back is an excellent and unnerving horror film about the terrors of possessive motherhood, and what a self-righteous mother figure might do to have her children’s love. With superb performances from the entire cast, excellent direction from the Philippou brothers, a haunting script by Danny Philippou and Hinzman, and a keen focus on terrifying its audience consistently, Bring Her Back isn’t a film horror fans will want to miss. And perhaps in its unique approach, it’ll garner more fans of the genre along the way.

Bring Her Back is playing in U.S. theaters May 30.

Bring Her Back

• 9/10 Rating - 9/10

9/10

TL;DR

Bring Her Back is an excellent and unnerving horror film about the terrors of possessive motherhood, and what a self-righteous mother figure might do to have her children’s love.

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