Substitution - Bring Her Back

I'm a fan of the Philippou brothers' work on "Talk to Me". While that film had plenty of creepy imagery, it still felt more like a fun, popcorn-style horror experience. That's why I was genuinely excited to hear about "Bring Her Back"-these are the kinds of follow-ups where you really see what directors are made of.

"Bring Her Back" takes a more serious and artistic approach to horror than Talk to Me. The first 30 minutes are dedicated to character development, which felt a bit slow and could have been tighter in editing. However, once the story gains momentum, it really takes off.

Rather than relying on cheap jump scares, this film builds tension through atmosphere and unsettling imagery. It's beautifully shot, often disturbing, and the acting performances are excellent. Definitely worth seeing in theaters.

I'm not one to usually write reviews, but after catching an advanced screening of the Philippou brothers new entry into the horror genre, I just had to praise what I witnessed.

First off, this film is definitely not for the faint hearted, nor is it a horror film to particularly get enjoyment out of. It's bleak, extremely visceral, unrelenting and really emotionally devastating ... but in the best ways horror can be!

As soon as the movie starts revealing its evil side, it takes hold of you and doesn't let go.

All the actors portrayed their characters with emotional and realistic excellence, but Sally Hawkins was just unmatched. It's hard to really describe her performance without getting into spoiler territory, but she couldn't have done a better job at being so unnerving & emotionally powerful, both at the same time.

The cinematography was incredible, with heaps of little foreshadowing details sprinkled throughout the film. So many of the shots were precisely made to convey & ooze that feeling of uneasiness/dread, which just adds that extra layer to the film's atmosphere.

Speaking of the atmosphere, the Philippou brothers sure know how to pack a punch with their direction. While there is still a deeply emotional and brutal story at play here, the brothers don't mind having loose ends here and there & instead, they are more after that gut-wrenching, stomach-churning horror experience as a whole.

That brings me to the practical effects... Somehow, this film got a classification of only MA15+ in Australia, and that just baffles me in the best way possible.

After 'Talk To Me', I was expecting some pretty skin-crawling gore & practical effects, but boy oh boy, I wasn't expecting this.

This film just ramps up the violence on every level and is done so in a way that will have even the hardcore horror fans wincing, incredible stuff!

In all, this movie makes their debut film 'Talk To Me' come across as a fun horror movie to watch after 'Bring Her Back', just to wind down.

It's a slow burn descent into hell & by the end of the film, actually ends up being one of the more depressingly sad/emotional horror films I've seen in some time.

It will make you feel sick, sad & terrified, all at the same time.

Well done RackaRacka !

A movie to disturb the comfortable and also disturb the disturbed, Bring Her Back is the kind of thing I'll probably never watch again, but I'm glad to have seen it the one time. Not sure if it says anything good about me, but horror is the one genre that's able to get to me and reliably make me feel things, so bring on the gnarly stuff. I like it if a movie makes me feel something, even if those feelings aren't pleasant emotions.

There are some familiar horror things here, but I think the Philippou brothers push things far enough to ensure it doesn't really feel derivative while the movie is playing out. Looking back on it, it's kind of like, "Oh yeah, maybe it's not really all that original," but in the moment, Bring Her Back is visceral and intense. There's a very brutal scene that goes for the jugular a bit before the halfway mark, and from there, things do take off... but I think I felt more dread before that point. The knowing that things will go there might've been a stronger feeling than seeing things actually going there. That being said, when things go there, it was still impactful. It's just maybe this would've messed with me more, somehow, if it had never gone full throttle. Though then it would probably just feel like a Michael Haneke film, for better or worse.

I don't really want to say too much about the plot. It's a movie with a fairly limited setting and not many characters, and so saying anything about where those characters go and what they do has the effect of kind of giving away most of the film, potentially undermining the limited (but not non-existent) surprises on offer here in the process. That ties into that whole notion of the experience in the moment being much more striking than thinking back on the movie and trying to break it down. It's a rollercoaster; I was thrilled while it was happening, a bit nauseous right after it finished, and kind of moving on with my life an hour or two later (while not at all regretting going on the ride itself).

Horror is a genre which keeps reinventing itself with creative ways to scare its audiences. We see new twists, new styles, new takes on familiar stories that have been keeping generations of fans on the edge of their seats for decades. Once in a while a movie arrives that is so different and original that it can reset the genre or create a new sub-genre. Bring her back is one of those unnerving original tales that pushes the envelop and leaves a deep mark long after the movie is over.

Fans who were entranced by Danny and Michael Philippou's debut feature Talk to her, will shudder watching their Sophomore effort. Bring her back combines elements of supernatural, religious and psychological horror and injects it with tons of disturbing imagery, blood, teeth and flesh. What makes it really standout are its strong characters, their relationships and their terrific performances.

The bond between the two siblings is truly special and the heart of the movie. Billy Barratt and Sora Wong have done a great job making the audience really care and worry for their characters. The character of young Oliver played by Jonah Wren Phillips is so weird and eerie that even a slight movement and gesture is enough to make one's heart to skip a beat. However it is Sally Hawkins brilliant performance of a loving mother descending into utter darkness that is the real star and soul of the movie.

Dark, unsettling, visceral, horrifying, disturbing are words that describe Bring her back pretty well but at the same time dont do justice to the level of goosebumps, chills and frights it ends up delivering to the viewers. Bring her back is strictly for hardcore horror fans. Original, creative, dark, gory, almost unwatchable and heartbreakingly scary. Not for the faint-hearted. A must watch for horror fans. 9/10.

Bring Her Back is a visual horror masterpiece that left me feeling a bit hollow.

I did have an emotional connection with the characters and each actor was on point. However the ending left me wanting way more. I understand visual story telling, and some things are better left unsaid but with this film I needed more exposition.

This movie could have really built some cool lore with the cult elements and the ancient demonic entity, but instead it was pretty much brushed over. I did enjoy the videotapes when we got to see them but I wanted to see how Laura acquired them. That would have been really cool.

The character of Oliver was by far my favorite and every scene he was in he stole the show.

Brother and sister Andy and Piper were great leads and you could really tell they loved each through all of this grief they experienced.

Laura was a wicked person who had her own motives and she definitely had me sympathetic for her at times.

Overall I'd recommend, it's not for the faint of heart. It's dark, bleak and depressing with a beautiful visual paint brush over the lens. The Philippou brothers are technically brilliant and I'm looking forward to any piece of art they decide to put out in the future.