Hot on the heels of their successful debut feature, Talk to Me, Australian sibling filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou refined and improved on the idea of supernatural trauma with Bring Her Back, a powerhouse showcase for its four lead actors. It's tough to pull off a balancing act between truly visceral and shocking physical horror and deep emotional resonance, but this one manages it while also basking in the most sinister rainy atmosphere this side of The Last Wave. By this point it's become something of a punchline that modern horror films keep turning into grief therapy sessions, but this one mines something truly new and unexpected while also delivering a slew of unforgettable visual touches.

Pushed into the Australian foster system after finding their father dead, teenager Andy (Barratt) and his sight-impaired stepsister Piper (Wong) are sent to live at the suburban home of Laura (Hawkins), a retired child services counselor whose daughter, Cathy, drowned in the house's swimming pool. Also living there is Oliver (Phillips), a strange and mute foster child who has to be confined when he's unattended in his room and shows aggression to animals around him. Andy soon comes to suspect that something is very wrong in the household, especially when Oliver seems to be communicating for help when he isn't bursting into random acts of self-mutilation. On top of that, Laura manipulates Andy in what appears to be an attempt to separate the brother and sister for some mysterious reason...

The obvious draw here is Hawkins giving one of her strongest performances, pulling complexity and even empathy out of a character that could have come off as simply monstrous. However, the three young actors are all exceptional here as well with the believable bond between Andy and Piper giving the film a strong emotional core. It's this underlying mercy and compassion beneath the more brutal imagery that helps the film stick the landing here, and while it doesn't have a stylish twist ending on the same level of Talk to Me, it goes for something more complex and inevitable.

Given that Talk to Me was one of A24's biggest genre hits, it's no surprise that they kept the brothers around for their sophomore film. However, where that prior title got a wide retail release via Lionsgate, this one gets the specialty boutique treatment directly from the label with Blu-ray or 4K UHD options. As usual the packaging is striking with a fold-out design and six collectible postcards with production photos included. The UHD reviewed here looks outstanding, preserving the 2.10:01 aspect ratio as seen in theaters but with a far more impressive color range than what was seen in theaters. The HDR10-compatible Dolby Vision grade brings out some striking shades of red and blue in particular, and even the darkest scenes are razor sharp and have a pleasing sense of depth. The 7.1 Dolby Atmos mix is up to the same level with plenty of chilling separation effects throughout; anything with rain scenes is going to be a nice Atmos showcase (as anyone who's seen Crawl or the first John Wick can attest), and this is no exception. Optional English SDH or Spanish subtitles are included, and the directors appear for a lively audio commentary in which they deliver rapid-fire memories from the set while enthusing over the actors including the coaching of Wong to feel comfortable in front of the camera and their unwavering awe of Hawkins' abilities. "Coming Full Circle: Making Bring Her Back" (19m25s) features Hawkins and the directors chatting about the film and their most memorable moments from the shoot intercut with extensive production footage and separate interviews with the cast and crew. It's actually gratifying and a little weird to see all the actors being bubbly and goofing around between takes on the set! There's also a cool (and scary) Easter egg that's very easy to find, plus a quick "Ding Dong Dash" deleted scene (1m4s) showing more interaction between the brother and sister with a little jump scare.

Reviewed on August 20, 2025