Substitution - Bring Her Back

83/100

Bring Her Back is one of those rare horror films that hit both emotionally and technically. The story is intimate and unsettling, but it's the execution that makes it stand out.

First, Sally Hawkins delivers a phenomenal performance - raw, layered, and painfully real. She holds the entire film on her shoulders with such precision and emotion that it's honestly Oscar-worthy. I couldn't help but think of Hereditary (2018), where Toni Collette also gave a mind-blowing performance but was completely snubbed by the Academy. Let's hope history doesn't repeat itself.

Atmosphere is tense from the very first scene. The film masterfully builds dread without relying on cheap jump scares. The cinematography is elegant and intimate, often using close shots and cold tones to create a feeling of claustrophobia and grief. Sound design and music are subtle but deeply effective - at times you don't even notice them, but they're working in the background, crawling under your skin.

This is not just another horror flick. It's thoughtful, beautifully acted, and full of emotional weight. Highly recommended if you appreciate horror that respects your intelligence.

This is a horror movie that doesn't have to rely on jumpscares; it doesn't have to rely on possession or creepy rituals, even though it's got both. And gore; I had to look away in one scene in particular. The actual horror is the all-too believable manipulations of a foster mother with a hidden agenda, and our feeling of powerlessness to stop her. This was the kind of film that it would be excruciating to have to leave before seeing the end, because it makes you care about its characters so much. You'll probably even finding yourself root for the villain. This is the best horror movie I've seen in a while and it stuck with me for days.

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 !

After the success of "Talk To Me," Danny and Michael Philippou teamed up again to make "Bring Her Back." This movie had a lot of buzz when it came out, but I never got around to seeing it until recently. Starring Billy Barratt, Sally Hawkins, and Sora Wong, this movie is about a pair of siblings moving to a foster home after their dad died. However, some things don't seem to be normal at their new home.

It is a type of movie that I suggest going into blind, so you can get the best experience. It is a story that has been seen before, but it's done in a unique way. Horror this year has been giving us a lot of good original stories. The gore and effects were disturbing and gnarly. The effects seemed practical, but if they weren't, the CGI was great. I found the characters to be interesting and well-acted. Sora Wong is actually visually impaired in real life, but she was able to emote and connect to the scene really well. There were many tense situations due to her character's condition. Billy Barratt was a strong protagonist who had a compelling character arc mostly. Sally Hawkins was the standout, however. Her character had a different mask for each character she interacted with.

From the beginning of the movie, there were rules set about certain things. The movie follows those rules loosely, especially in the third act, but it was never explained why these rules existed. There was a lot of ambiguity involved that allowed the movie to go where it did. The third act also seemed to fizzle out. I was let down by how weakly the movie ended. We never got a satisfying ending to the stories of multiple characters, but this is also due to how poorly they handled one of the main characters toward the end. There was a setup that they never capitalized on. It is almost like the studio said there had to be some positivity in this movie, so they threw it in at the very end.

Overall, "Bring Her Back" was a decent movie exploring grief. The gore and horror elements were very good, but the film dragged on in what should have been a simple ending. I would only recommend this to horror fans.

From the very first scenes, the film sets a heavy unsettling tone. From the beginning, the story doesn't really try to hide much I think you kind of understand where it's going early on. It's not particularly scary in the traditional sense, but it really messes with your nerves, and that's where the movie puts all its power.

It never really lands anywhere specific though...By the time the credits roll, you're left thinking, "All that... for nothing?". Not because it was a bad film, but because it left you with an emotional emptiness. It lingers in a sad, slightly disappointing way not from poor storytelling, but from how little it seemed to leave behind.