If you are looking for a horror film that will make your skin crawl, Bring Her Back is exactly what you need. It is not just scary for the sake of it. This one stays with you. As expected from A24, the production is sharp, the tension builds steadily, and when the payoff comes, it is brutal. One thing about A24 is they know how to serve horror that feels real and unsettling. Bring Her Back is no exception.
Directed by Danny and Michael Philippou, Bring Her Back has an uneasy plot that is co-written by Danny Philippou alongside Bill Hinzman, this 2025 Australian supernatural horror is produced by Causeway Films and Blue Bear, in collaboration with Salmira Productions and the South Australia Film Corporation. Bring Her Back was premiered theatrically by Sony Pictures as it was released internationally in Australia on 29 May 2025 and dropped in North America the next day through A24.
The film stars Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Jonah Wren Phillips, and Sally Hawkins, with a chilling story that follows two half-siblings who get pulled into a terrifying occult ritual involving their foster mother’s desperate attempt to resurrect her daughter.
Premise
Bring Her Back follows two half-siblings, Andy and Piper, whose lives spiral into chaos after the sudden death of their father. Andy (played by Billy Barratt), still a teenager with college dreams, walks in to find his father’s lifeless body sprawled out from a fatal slip in the bathroom. The scene is unsettling and silent. Piper (Sora Wong), his younger sister with special needs, crouches beside the body, unsure whether her father is asleep or dead. She cannot process what Andy can, as she only sees shadows, not full shapes or faces.
Now orphaned, Andy pleads with Wendy (Sally Anne Upton), a social worker tasked with placing children in new homes. He begs not to be separated from Piper. His sister cannot function without him. She does not just need a home. She needs him. Wendy hesitantly agrees, under the condition that Andy behaves and fits the ideal mold the new foster parent is looking for. Andy agrees to everything. He just wants Piper safe.
Soon, the siblings are placed with another social worker, who seems far too eager to accept Piper. That’s where they meet Laura (Sally Hawkins), a former social worker herself, a woman still grieving the loss of her own daughter. Piper reminds her of what she lost. So, she takes them in. That’s also where they meet Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips), a mute, bald-headed boy with a stare so chilling, it could freeze you in place. He never speaks. But he never needs to. His presence is a warning in itself.
At first, everything seems manageable. But Laura only wants Piper. And she will do anything to separate Andy from his sister. She does not just manipulate the boy. She slowly breaks him. Andy begins bedwetting, a stress response he hides by scrubbing sheets and washing his clothes before anyone notices. Laura’s mind games become darker, more personal. She even forces Andy to kiss the corpse of his father during a staged ritual, deliberately targeting his trauma.
As the days stretch into weeks, Andy unravels. He loses sleep. He cannot think straight. The pressure mounts until he ends up in a hospital. There, he sees something chilling: a photo of Oliver on a missing child’s board. He has been missing for thirteen days. Panic sets in, as Andy contacts Wendy in a rush, warning her that Piper is in danger. She dismisses him at first. But something pushes her to check anyway.
When she arrives, the horror becomes real. Laura is willing to fight anyone who threatens to take Piper away from her. What follows is a horrifying twist of madness and desperation.
Cast and Performances
Laura played by Sally Hawkins
This is not a woman. This is a beast in sheep’s clothing. Hawkins portrays Laura with such intense precision that you start to believe she truly is capable of anything. Her pain is raw, her grief obsessive, and her intentions terrifying. She plays the grieving mother with such madness that it leaves your stomach in knots. I am afraid she played her role a little bit too good, it would leave you questioning what she was capable of in real life.
Although the movie has a family plot, Laura took things further and let everything flow for her selfish desires. The fact that her daughter’s body was never properly buried, but preserved, speaks volumes. The character Laura is twisted and powerful, and played by Sally Hawkins makes her unforgettable.
Andy played by Billy Barratt
Andy will frustrate you. His helplessness, his slow responses, the way he freezes when he should run or scream, it’s enough to make you want to climb into the screen and shake him, making you want to yell; “do this”, “run”, “call the cops”, “go save Piper”, because I found myself screaming these exact phrases. But that’s the point. He carries guilt. His performance is deliberate, built to make you feel every ounce of his fear and confusion. He delivers it well, but part of me wished the role had gone to someone with a bit more energy, though that still would’ve changed the impact.
Piper played by Sora Wong
Piper’s presence is powerful. Like Abayomi in Everything Light Touches, she radiates strength, despite her condition. Sora Wong made Piper both soft and sharp. Her silence does not equal weakness. She fights when it counts. I see her as brave, because she was met with life-threatening situations and still gave a fight. I truly hope this role unlocks bigger doors for her. She deserves it.
Oliver played by Jonah Wren Phillips
If terror had a face, it would be Oliver’s. Jonah Wren Phillips did not have to say a word. His performance was carved in silence. His eyes do all the talking. And every glance is a warning. He is the kind of character that stays with you, not because he jumps out and screams, but because he just stands there. Quietly watching. Like something cursed. His presence mirrors what Bill Skarsgård brought to IT—a slow-burning fear that crawls under your skin.
What I Liked About Bring Her Back
What I loved most about Bring Her Back is how it blurs the line between psychological and supernatural horror. It constantly makes you question what is real. The gaslighting, the manipulation, the mind games, it is all layered in such a precise way that it builds without ever feeling rushed.
The scene where Andy starts bedwetting is subtle, but it tells you everything you need to know about how dark and sinister the plot gets. And Laura uses that to her advantage. She knew Andy was fragile. She made him do the unthinkable, Laura knew how traumatised Andy was to see his father’s dead body, she made him kiss it, in hope that certain moves like that would break Andy.
There’s this haunting, grainy footage that keeps reappearing throughout the film. Laura watches it like it’s her gospel; it hints at an occult ritual, one that grows clearer as the story unfolds. Laura’s calm demeanour is almost annoying, but it can not be overlooked how she handled intense situations, like appearing like a saint in front of everyone and making Andy look like a bad guy.
The cinematography was top-notch. Even with distractions in the theatre I watched it in, I could still appreciate the framing, the atmosphere, the subtle uses of light and shadow to reflect Piper’s limited vision. The fear creeps in quietly and then smothers you.
And the chemistry among the cast? Seamless. It felt like they had known each other their entire lives, just like I said in Nonnas. There were no weak links. Even the child actors brought everything.
What I Didn’t Like About Bring Her Back
My only issue is how long it took before people saw through Laura. The wait dragged, and I am impatient when it comes to reveals. Watching Piper suffer silently while Laura tortured her emotionally was maddening. And somehow, everyone still believed Laura was the saint. All the terrible things Laura did to poor blind Piper and blamed it all on Andy made my blood boil. The abuse, manipulation and gaslighting, it was too much for me to watch without twitching.
There was also the moment when Andy finally had a chance to expose Laura. You think it’s about to happen. But she always stays ten steps ahead. I won’t spoil the details, but if you have ever watched a movie and wanted to scream at the screen in frustration, then Bring Her Back is for you.
Verdict
Bring Her Back is not the kind of horror that gives you cheap thrills. It is the type that unsettles you and leaves you thinking. It stays with you, just like the best of A24’s catalog.
This is not a family weekend getaway movie, neither is it one you should see on your first date, nor one you should see alone or in the company of kids. Prepare your mind, I was prepared but I still felt ambushed as the plot evolved.
It takes its time, but it delivers, the buildup is definitely worth it. Bring Her Back checks all the boxes for a perfect horror movie. It is chilling, twisted, deeply emotional, and disturbingly believable.
My Rating
Bring Her Back earns fearful 5 out of 5.
