FILM

Title: Bring Her Back, 2025

Directors: Danny and Michael Philippou

Starring: Billy Barrratt, Sora Wong, Sally Hawkins

After absorbing this masterpiece at an advance screening, my wife and I agreed that there is something quite special about a mundane kind of evil. Despite all the gruesomeness and clever use of some horror tropes, the Philippous’ second outing after the superb Talk To Me succeeds due to its grounded performances. In particular, Hawkins, as the social worker cum guardian to orphaned Andy and Piper, nails her role beautifully. I knew very little about the movie going in and see no reason to unveil too much here, as there are some lovely, superbly paced reveals. There’s an isolated, hippie-style home in the hills, a spooky video tape, a spooky kid, all pieces in a game of cunning manipulation. Add some occult rituals and jaw-clenching body horror, anchored on real care, love and desperate loss, and you have one of the strongest horror films since, well, Talk To Me. I can’t wait to see what the Adelaide duo do next.