Rated: MA15+
My Rating: 6.5/10
There’s something oddly poetic about leaving the cinema midway through a horror film not because you’re bored, but because your body physically demands it. That was my exact experience with Bring Her Back, the Philippou brothers’ brutally visceral follow-up to their breakout debut Talk to Me. In their second feature, the YouTube pranksters-turned-horror auteurs known as RackaRacka once again prove they’re not here to offer popcorn-friendly frights, but rather full-body experiences designed to unsettle, confront, and leave you squirming long after the credits roll.
Let me be blunt: this film is grotesque. It is gore in capital letters. But it's also beautiful, hauntingly so, shot with such precision and style that even the most stomach-churning moments are rendered with painterly finesse. That’s the strange duality of Bring Her Back it’s as much a visual and sonic masterpiece as it is a narrative head-scratcher.
For those unfamiliar with the Philippou brothers, they stormed onto the mainstream horror scene with Talk to Me (2022), a smart, social-media-infused ghost story that earned global acclaim and festival buzz. But long before that, they built an empire of chaos on YouTube through RackaRacka, known for their wild, stunt-filled content and hyper-violent comedy. With Bring Her Back, they seem to have merged their two worlds: the cinematic discipline of Talk to Me with the unfiltered madness of their online origins.
The story follows two siblings, teenagers still reeling from the recent death of their father, who are placed into foster care. They find themselves under the watch of Laura, played with unsettling nuance by Sally Hawkins. Laura initially presents as soft-spoken and kind, but as the days pass, the kids begin to notice odd behaviour.
The premise is promising. The execution, well, that’s where things get complicated.
There’s no denying that Bring Her Back is an absolute triumph in cinematography. Every frame is meticulously crafted often with long, creeping takes that force you to sit in your discomfort. The lighting design is especially commendable, with dimly lit interiors giving way to flickering candles and shadow-play that evokes dread before a single drop of blood is spilled.
The cinematography, credited to Aaron McLisky (returning from Talk to Me), doesn’t just support the film it elevates it. One particularly memorable sequence unfolds entirely in silence, as the camera glides through Laura’s house at night, revealing just enough to let your imagination run wild. It’s reminiscent of early Ari Aster, yet distinctly Philippou in its tension-building and boldness.
If anything, Bring Her Back proves that these directors are no fluke. They know how to build a world. They know how to manipulate the visual language of horror. And above all, they know how to unnerve.
But if the visuals are a masterclass, the sound design is downright punishing in the best possible way. Every bone snap, every squelch, every moment of flesh meeting steel is rendered in nauseating detail. It's not just there to gross you out; it's layered, calculated, and absolutely essential to the film’s impact.
This is one of those rare horror films where you feel the violence. It doesn’t just play out in front of you it assaults your senses. At one point, a scene was so intense I genuinely felt ill and had to step outside the cinema for a breather. That’s not an exaggeration. It’s a testament to how powerful the sound design is and how unflinching the film becomes when it descends into horror.
That said, it’s also this dedication to sensory overload that may push audiences too far. Bring Her Back does not offer relief. It doesn’t have comic beats or tender interludes to offset the darkness. Once it drops you into its grim universe, it holds you there, suffocating you in dread. In that sense, it’s effective. But it’s also punishing, and not always in service of the story.
Sally Hawkins is a force. Her performance as Laura is equal parts tragic and terrifying. She oscillates between warmth and menace with such control that you never quite know where she stands. Hawkins brings a gravity to the role that could have easily descended into cliché in lesser hands.
The two young leads whose names will undoubtedly be everywhere in the next few years give equally compelling performances. They manage to portray the fear, confusion, and desperation of children trying to make sense of the incomprehensible, grounding the film emotionally even when the plot begins to unravel.
Because here’s the thing: the story isn’t all that strong. As much as the performances dazzle and the atmosphere absorbs, the narrative often feels like it’s playing second fiddle to the carnage.
Plot threads are introduced, then seemingly forgotten. Certain moments especially in the third act—feel like they belong to an entirely different film. You’re left wondering: Why did that character do that? What happened to that subplot? Was that scene meant to mean something or just shock me?
This isn’t to say the story is devoid of meaning. It clearly aims to explore grief, trauma, and the desperation to hold on to lost loved ones classic horror themes. But unlike Talk to Me, which maintained a tight emotional core, Bring Her Back feels looser, messier, and occasionally incoherent. It’s not a lack of ideas, but a lack of focus.
It’s fair to ask whether Bring Her Back prioritises style over substance. At times, it certainly feels that way. The film is so consumed by its need to shock and disturb that it neglects the emotional payoff that could have made the horror more impactful.
The result is a film that leaves you exhausted, but not necessarily fulfilled. You’ll walk out dazed, maybe even nauseated, but you won’t necessarily feel moved or satisfied by where the story ended up. And maybe that’s the point. Like Talk to Me, this is a film designed to leave you worse than when you entered the cinema. But unlike their debut, Bring Her Back struggles to balance the emotional and the grotesque.
That balance is what made Talk to Me so memorable it horrified you and broke your heart. Here, the horror dominates so completely that the human story gets drowned in blood.
Despite its flaws, Bring Her Back is a bold, uncompromising film. It cements the Philippou brothers as visionaries of modern horror filmmakers unafraid to push boundaries and test audiences. It’s technically masterful, often beautiful, and undeniably effective at evoking visceral reactions.
But it’s also uneven. The plot doesn’t hold together as tightly as it should, and many story elements feel underdeveloped or tossed aside. You get the sense that the script needed a few more passes before production began, or perhaps some restraint during editing to bring the emotional threads back into focus.
Still, the acting is superb, the direction is fearless, and the sound and visuals are nothing short of world-class. This is a film worth seeing if only to witness how far modern horror can go when unchained. Just don’t make the mistake of watching it on a full stomach. That’s why I rate the film a 6.5/10
All Images and Videos are owned by Sony Pictures and A24
In Cinemas 30th May 2025