Are Danny and Michael Philippou the new masters of horror? They might not be at the very top yet, but they’re certainly rising stars in the genre. No one else comes close right now. The Philippou brothers made a stunning debut with Talk to Me, and now they’re back with another chilling tale set in their hometown of suburban Adelaide, South Australia.
Their latest film, Bring Her Back, unfolds in a strange house with a triangular empty swimming pool—destined to fill with rainwater as the story builds toward its grim finale. The movie gives Sally Hawkins a standout villainous role and introduces non-professional teen actor Sora Wong in a brilliant debut.
This horror preys expertly on our protective instincts toward the vulnerable, our fear of weakness, the guilt of abuse, and the twisted loyalty survivors sometimes feel toward their abusers. Themes of blindness and visual impairment might even remind viewers of older films like Wait Until Dark and Don’t Look Now.
The story follows Andy (Billy Barratt) and his partially sighted stepsister Piper (Wong), who are orphaned when their cruel father dies suddenly. They’re placed in the care of Laura (Hawkins), a grieving woman who has already lost her own blind daughter and is raising a troubled boy named Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips). Laura puts on a cheerful, overly friendly front—laughing too loudly, making awkward jokes—but her mask slips when Andy reveals he plans to seek custody of Piper when he turns 18.
From then on, Laura begins a quiet campaign to undermine Andy and torment Piper. In secret, she obsessively watches a disturbing VHS tape (an eerie relic in itself) that she may have obtained from the dark web. The footage shows a group of Russian speakers with extreme ideas about coping with grief—ideas Laura is eager to try.
The Philippou brothers excel not just at jump scares but at slow-burning dread—the kind that makes you cringe, squirm, and shift uncomfortably in your seat. One particularly gruesome scene involves Laura forcing Andy to participate in unsettling funeral rituals for his late father. The performances from Wong and Hawkins are electrifying.
Bring Her Back hits UK and Irish cinemas on 1 August.
