Two and a half years ago, YouTubers and twin brothers, Danny and Michael Philippou, brought their small, independent horror movie, Talk To Me, to audiences worldwide. Originally from Australia, the brothers were stunt performers who would film their stunts and put them on YouTube, becoming quite well-known over time. They then directed their first feature film, which made its way around the film festival circuit before being picked up by A24. Their sophomore release (also being distributed by A24), Bring Her Back, once again delves into the world of the supernatural while offering a solid story based in reality. hits theaters on May 29 internationally and May 30, 2025, in the United States.
Piper (newcomer Sora Wong), who is blind, lives with her father and step-brother, Andy (Billy Barratt; Blinded By the Light). However, Piper and Andy return home one day to find their dad dead on the bathroom floor, instantly changing their world forever. When foster care wants to split them up, Andy refuses, and the two are sent to live with Laura (Sally Hawkins; The Shape of Water), a former case worker whose biological (and also blind) daughter, Cathy (Mischa Heywood; The Wonder Gang), accidentally drowned in their swimming pool a few years earlier.
Once at the isolated home, the two meet Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips; Human Error), another child living in Laura's home, who seems a bit "off". At first, everything seems alright, but over time, Andy notices odd things. When Laura accuses him of hitting Piper, he goes to the foster agency, where he sees a picture of Oliver on a missing child poster. Suddenly, Andy knows Piper is in danger and returns to the home, but is unable to stop the plan that has been set in motion.
Hawkins is, as always, excellent as Laura, the seemingly sweet, kind woman who takes in Piper and Andy, but as the tables turn, she becomes more and more twisted and slightly unhinged. Wong is good considering it is her first feature role, and both Barratt and Phillips play their parts well. Phillips is especially good as the "odd" child who doesn't speak. While there are a few other minor cast members, the majority of the scenes revolve around Laura, Piper, Andy, and Oliver, and the actors who portray them seem to have solid chemistry throughout the film.
The Philippou Brothers, as witnessed by Talk To Me, are terrific at creating a world full of suspense and drama while including a supernatural element to their story. They also bring a gore factor that wasn't seen in Talk To Me, which pushes the horror element up a notch. Their pacing is slow-perhaps a little too slow at times-and they don't exactly explain the supernatural part in detail, which, as a viewer, is frustrating. However, they made a name for themselves in 2022, and they are continuing to build a legacy with Bring Her Back.
The cinematography offers another level of suspense as the aerial shots solidify the isolation of the location while offering a larger picture of the lengths Laura has gone through to fortify her surroundings. The gloominess of the outdoor scenes adds to the overall look and feel of the film as if the whole movie were covered in an eerie, grayish film.
These brothers seemingly fell into the horror genre by accident and made $92 million on a $4.5 million budget right out of the gate, so there are certain expectations for their second film to be as successful, if not more, than their first. Whether Bring Her Back will exceed Talk To Me at the box office remains to be seen, but for their sophomore film, Danny and Michael Philippou have once again delivered a terrifying, gory horror film, further cementing their reputation as standout directors in the horror genre.
Grade: B+
