Bring Her Back (2025) review – A gruesome, emotional successor to Talk to Me

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Back in 2022, Aussie YouTube creators Danny and Michael Philippou rocked the horror world with their massive supernatural hit film Talk to Me. Three years later, they had the unenviable task of attempting to follow up that success with their sophomore effort Bring Her Back. Today, we are going to be taking a look at whether or not they succeeded.

Grief, Loss, and… Satanic Rituals?

Whereas Talk to Me was a fairly formulaic supernatural story that acted as an analogue for substance abuse, Bring Her Back goes in a completely different direction. The focus here is on grief, loss, and finding the strength to move on after a death. All told through a medium of satanic rituals and some absolutely wince inducing body horror.

The story follows step-siblings Andy (Billy Barratt) and Piper (Sora Wong). The pair have found themselves entering the foster care system after the death of their father. Andy, soon to turn 18, wants to take custody of Piper but, due to his age and a history of violent behaviour, is currently unable to do so.

After they are both placed under the care of child psychologist Laura (Sally Hawkins), Andy has to be on his best behaviour to keep a low profile. A task that will become incredibly difficult as it seems as though Laura is hiding a terrible secret.

I’ve actually already explained the ending to Bring Her Back so go check that out if you are looking for answers. Keep in mind though, while this review is spoiler free, the ending explained most definitely isn’t.

From RackaRacka to Bring Her Back

The story behind the Philippou brothers, known online collectively as RackaRacka, is pretty incredible. They started their YouTube career over a decade ago in 2013 with Danny funding the endeavour via his participation in medical experiments… Ouch! Their online success garnered the attention of production company Triptych Pictures. This afforded the pair an opportunity to work as additional crew on The Babadook. From there on out, it’s been success after success.

Talk to Me was a breakout hit in 2022 and garnered a bunch of mentions in best horror movie of the year lists. Deservedly so, too. I have to be perfectly honest, as much as I could appreciate the movie, the obnoxious lead character really undermined my enjoyment of it. Bring Her Back has no such problem. The characters here, Piper and Andy, are incredibly likable and easy to root for.

We are dropped in right as their father passes away. A lot of water that has gone under the bridge in the recent past and we learn more about this as the movie goes on. Suffice to say, Andy and Piper’s relationship was once complicated but they are now devoted to each other. Piper has severely impaired sight and Andy acts as something of a comfort to her. Helping to guide her through life.

The step-siblings are dealing with both the grief from losing their father and the fear of losing each other. The lady they are placed with, Laura, has dealt with her own measure of grief. She lost her daughter recently in a horrible accident. She’s currently caring for her mute nephew, Oliver, as well. It seems like all isn’t quite what it seems in her isolated home.

The characters are likable, the villain is twisted

The characters here are easy to relate to and very well developed. Andy is a likable protagonist and his motivations are always easy to understand. Piper’s impairment, obviously, imparts a sense of vulnerability on her that only adds to how much you want these two to succeed. Oliver, we know less about but he is going to be providing the bulk of the horror. Later exposition will only heighten the impact of some of his scenes.

“Laura is a very interesting antagonist who is incredibly well performed by British actress Sally Hawkins. It’s impossible not to despise her.”

All three characters are buoyed up by some utterly stellar performances from Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, and Jonah Wren Phillips. There isn’t a weak link in this cast and everyone stands out as being completely believable. Phillips, in particular, has such a complex role to play but delivers it fantastically.

Laura is a very interesting antagonist who is incredibly well performed by British actress Sally Hawkins. While her motivations are understandable, she’s such a twisted person that it’s impossible not to despise her for what she has planned. It creates an interesting clash of emotions that makes her extremely compelling.

These are characters that you are going to invest in and care about. That’s a testament to the Philippou brother’s extremely capable presentation of the denizens of their fictional worlds.

The horror is very visceral but the film has an emotional core

The supernatural stuff does, once again, take centre stage here, for the most part. Bring Her Back takes place in the same universe as Talk to Me. A universe where the supernatural is very real. Expect more work from the Philippou brothers in the future to tie this world together even further. The spiritual shenanigans sit neatly alongside a heavy dose of domestic drama. A deft balancing act to say the least.

“The Philippou twins were in their bag when it comes to shocking the viewer. It’s horrifyingly creative stuff… I guarantee you will wince.”

For horror fans that enjoy a bit of gore however, the supernatural stuff takes a back seat to some of the nastiest body-horror moments I have ever seen in film. Obviously, I won’t spoil them but the Philippou twins were in their bag when it comes to shocking the viewer. It’s horrifyingly creative stuff and the practical effects only make it even more visceral and nasty. I guarantee you will wince.

Despite how graphic the visuals can be, it’s actually the emotional heft of the story that carries this movie. This is, ostensibly, a tale about crushing grief that is told through a horror lens. Bring her Back is frequently crushingly sad and horribly tragic.

What’s more surprising is that it actually features a few enjoyable moments of catharsis as the characters briefly forget their pain. It’s a careful mix that speaks to a pair of filmmakers who aren’t afraid to weave an intricate, complex story of the human condition.

It’s not just the character writing where the Philippou brothers shine, though. Bring Her Back is a technical feast that shows major growth. Shot setups are better, cinematography is improved, the script is tighter, and everything feels a lot more crisp and well developed. This feels like the work of experienced directors and a great sign of what’s to come.

The story is ambitious yet occasionally muddled

With the praise comes a few problems. Whereas Talk to Me was a very focused movie that rarely strayed from the simple story it was trying to tell. Bring Her Back is a bit more ambitious and, consequently, a little more muddled. There are a lot of strings to this story and a few competing narrative elements. It doesn’t always work.

We have Andy and Piper’s grief, their previously complicated relationship, Andy’s desire to gain custody of Piper, and a bunch of dark family secrets. Laura’s own story of grief plays out alongside Oliver’s strange behaviour. There’s also a bunch of other side stuff all going on at the same time.

There’s even some satanic cult stuff that only adds to the chaos. It can feel a bit messy, a lot less focused, and like there are too many competing arcs, at times. This is something that will likely throw some viewers off.

“Whereas Talk to Me was a very focused movie… Bring Her Back is a bit more ambitious and, consequently, a little more muddled.”

To be perfectly honest though, the messiness doesn’t derail the movie’s emotional core. It’s more of a hindrance to the singular focus of scaring the viewer and encouraging them to invest in the horror. Speaking of the horror, some are likely to feel as though it is purely based around shock value. While this is true in certain scenes, the reality of the story, as a whole, is actually quite terrifying. What’s scarier and more relatable than grief and loss?

The ending is one that will absolutely divide viewers, as well. It was altered from the first story draft due to the twins actually experiencing the death of a friend which changed how they viewed the subject. This leaves it feeling a lot more conclusive but also a lot less creative and interesting. Some will likely find it to be extremely unsatisfying.

Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight

Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

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