A few years ago, Australian directors and twin brothers, Danny and Michael Philippou, gave us the intriguing and compelling horror film, Talk To Me, about a mummified hand that conjured spirits. What made that film work so well was its originality and the fact that the directors gave us characters we cared about. Now they are back with their difficult follow-up, Bring Her Back. Does lightning strike twice? Or have these two brothers proved to the world that they are the real deal and can produce quality horror films? On the evidence of this, they seem to be the future of horror.

Andy and his step-sister, Piper, a young girl with sight difficulties, are thrown into foster care after the death of their father. Laura seems to be a slightly wacky carer who already has a child in her home, Oliver, a boy with an unusual look and a selective mute. Yet Andy doesn’t fully trust Laura, and it seems that Laura wants Andy out of the picture.

I’m not going to say too much about the plot, mainly because the less you know, the more you will get from this film. The Philippou brothers have taken a basic idea of siblings torn apart from their family, placed into a home they are unfamiliar with, and a woman who comes across as kind and a little weird, yet it just doesn’t sit right.

This is a film that deals with grief and loss, but in the most unusual manner. It starts with a video of some strange ritual, as if a cult had been filmed, but it has an uneasy sense and the kind of quality of filming that made something like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre so atmospheric. Then we move to the bulk of the story, about two youngsters looking out for each other, even though Piper relies on Andy to be her eyes. Then Laura comes onto the scene, and we see that she is not dissimilar to the siblings.

The film plays out slowly and carefully, trying not to break the tense tone of the story and building the uneasiness of the atmosphere set up at the beginning. In fact, the gore levels until about halfway through are minimal. Yet once the second act arrives, we are into a full-on sensory overload. It doesn’t hold back. In fact, a few times, you find yourself squirming in your seat as we watch the horror unfold.

Yet why is this as effective when other horror films deal the identical cards, and yet we feel nothing? The reason is that we care about the characters. The same trope that the brothers gave us in Talk To Me is on show here. Andy and Piper are two children who have been through hell, and just when they think they are going to be safe, hell comes knocking once again. Yet we also find ourselves, no matter how bizarre Laura’s behaviour is, caring about her and her plight. Her backstory is one of sadness and loss as well.

What really helps are the performances. Both British actor Billy Barrett, as Andy, and newcomer Sora Wong are terrific, bringing an air of compassion to each other and to the film itself. You want to look out for them. Yet it is Sally Hawkins, as Laura, who steals the limelight. The actress who many missed as Mrs Brown from the Paddington movies shows just how good she is. With a pitch-perfect Australian accent, she is allowed full rein of her emotions to be let loose, and she doesn’t hold back. Yet for all her flaws, she still makes the character believable, and you feel for her. It’s an extraordinary performance that is so unexpected in a genre film like this.

Bring Her Back is terrific, both emotionally and in the shocks it brings. You never can second-guess it, and if you allow it, it will get under your skin and stay there long after it has finished. The Philippou brothers are certainly a pair to keep your eye on. Will it be three times a charm? Let’s hope so.

4 out of 5

Directors: Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou

Starring: Sally Hawkins, Billy Barrett, Sona Wong, Mischa Heyworth, Jonah Wren Philips, Stephen Phillips, Sally-Anne Upton, Kathryn Adams

Written by: Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman

Running Time: 104 mins

Cert: 18

Release date: 1st August 2025