BRING HER BACK – The Weirdest Foster Family Ever!

BRING HER BACK is directed by Danny and Michael Philippou. The film stars Sally Hawkins, Billy Barratt, and Sora Wong.

Two stepsiblings are rehomed following the death of their father, send to live with foster mom Laura. But upon arrival in their new living situation, it quickly becomes clear that something isn’t quite right, given Laura’s eccentric behavior, and that of their new foster sibling. Trying to adjust to the changes in their life until they can seek a home of their own, a sinister plot soon reveals itself to the youngsters – and they aren’t safe.

The Philippou Brothers scored a surprise hit a few years back with their debut film, TALK TO ME, an Australian film that shocked moviegoers and took the world by storm. A few years later, we have a follow-up film from the twosome, BRING HER BACK. Needless to say, all eyes are on the brothers following their initial film. This critic is pleased to say that BRING HER BACK is suitably creepy, and while it may not quite reach the same highs as their directorial debut, it’s still a damn good film. Oh, and it’s scary and violent as all hell.

One thing that immediately elevates BRING HER BACK is the present of an A-list actress: None other than Sally Hawkins, the star of 2017’s Best Picture winner, THE SHAPE OF WATER! Playing an eccentric foster mom, Hawkins is almost unrecognizable at first glance. Her eccentric behavior, which becomes even more unraveled and shocking as the film moves along, speaks for itself. To go into further details would veer into spoiler territory, so I’ll keep my mouth shut.

Not to be outdone by Ms. Hawkins are a pair of young actors: Billy Barratt as former delinquent Andy, and his stepsister Piper, afflicted with visual impairments. The story of these two having to be rehomed following the death of their father alone would be heart wrenching enough on its own… but of course the Philippou Brothers stop at nothing and throw the twosome into the creepiest, most bizarre, and most surreal situation imaginable. They’re brilliant at luring the audience into a false sense of security one minute amid personal tragedies, but it’s merely an “out of the frying pan and into the fire” situation. The Philippou Brothers have wowed me twice so far. I can’t wait to see what their third film will be.

The movie’s not quite perfect. Admittedly, it does take a while to get going. I do appreciate the character development, but things don’t start falling into place (or unraveling, depending on who you ask) until quite some time into the movie. Likewise, the climax everything is building up to feels like it drags on endlessly when it finally does arrive. As much as I like the movie, it would’ve benefited from around 10-15 minutes of edits and streamlining. That’s a small complaint though.

BRING HER BACK is creepy, scary, violent, and perhaps most importantly, original. The Philippou Brothers are two talents to keep your eyes on, as are the pair of young stars contending with Sally Hawkins in one of her most outlandish (and memorable!) performances ever. It definitely ain’t for the squeamish, but fans of bloody and suspenseful horror can’t go wrong with BRING HER BACK. Very highly recommended!