BRING HER BACK Reviewed by GREG KING
Directors: Danny and Michael Pilippou
Stars: Sally Hawkins, Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Jonah Wren Philips, Sally-Anne Upton.
Adelaide filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou began their careers making short horror films for their You Tube channel. They broke through to feature films with their acclaimed, award-winning debut Talk To Me in 2022, which established them as amongst Australia’s top echelon of horror filmmakers. And again the filmmaking siblings seem to be interested in themes of death, loss, grief, family, abuse, and what happens after death. The disturbing and gory film is darker in themes and content than their first film. Bring Her Back is mostly a character study suffused with the tropes of the horror genre.
Seventeen-year-old Andy (British actor Billy Barratt, from Kraven The Hunter, etc)and his vision-impaired younger half-sister Piper (newcomer Sora Wong in her film debut) are left orphaned after their abusive father dies in the shower. When social services try to split them up and pace them in foster care Andy, who is fiercely protective of his sister, insists that they stay together until he turns 18 and can legally assume guardianship.
As a result, they are sent to live in the care of Laura (Sally Hawkins), herself a former social worker. Andy quickly suspects that there is something a little off about the seemingly perky, happy-go-lucky flighty Laura. She had a daughter named Cathy, who drowned in the family pool a couple of years earlier and she is still grieving over her loss. Laura also has in her care a strange and creepy, mute young boy named Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips, from How To Make Gravy, etc), whom she keeps locked in his room except for those occasions when she takes him into the locked shed at the rear of the property. Oliver has a voracious appetite, albeit for things other than food, and a propensity for self-harm. It soon becomes clear that Laura sees Piper as a replacement for Cathy and we soon learn that she has a darker side.
The script was written by Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman. The Philippou brothers create an unsettling and claustrophobic atmosphere here and ratchet up the suspense. The unease is palpable and visceral. They also deliver some confronting and decidedly gory moments, especially one scene involving a knife and a bit of fruit, and even I had to look away from the screen at a couple of moments. There is some great makeup and prosthetic design from Larry Van Duynhoven (Upgrade, etc). Kudos also to the production team who have created the cluttered, messy and claustrophobic interior of Laura’s remote home. Emma Bortignon’s sound design is also very creepy and adds to the overall aesthetic of the film. And water becomes a potent metaphor used effectively throughout the film to conjure up a further sense of unease.
The performances of the lead cast are all very good. Barratt is convincing as Andy and conveys his growing sense of frustration and suspicion. In an impressive debut Wong, who is partially sighted herself, conveys Piper’s vulnerability but also imbues her character with a resilience and resolve. Barratt and Wong develop a great and easy-going brother-sister dynamic and rapport that makes their relationship credible. With his shaven head and a purple mark beneath his right eye and his fixed stare Phillips is unsettling as the macabre and seemingly possessed Oliver, and he creates one of the creepiest children we’ve seen on screen in a long time. Sally-Anne Upton also registers strongly in her small but important role as Wendy, a social worker.
Cast against type, Hawkins (a veteran of many of Mike Leigh’s dramas) is excellent and brings an intensity to her performance as the monstrous, manipulative, abusive Laura, who grows more unhinged as the film develops. She reminded me a little of Kathy Bates’ Annie Wilkes from Misery. She is the very embodiment of the evil stepmother. Early on we see Laura watching some grainy old DVD footage of what looks like a satanic ritual and some cult-like activity and sacrifices, which further hint at her deranged mind. These scenes seem like a deliberate throwback to the video nasties so popular in the 70s.
Bring Her Back is strong stuff, and is another fine addition to the canon of standout Australian horror films, such as The Babadook, etc.
★★★☆
