After the breakout success of Talk to Me, which earned over $90 million globally and became one of A24’s top performers, all eyes are on Danny and Michael Philippou’s follow-up. Their next film, Bring Her Back, is already stirring buzz — and early reactions suggest it’s not for the faint of heart.
The film follows a brother and sister who, after being placed in the care of a mysterious new foster mother, uncover a chilling ritual hidden deep within her secluded home. Billy Barratt and Sora Wong take the lead as the sibling pair, with Sally Hawkins — in a rare turn towards horror — playing the eerie matriarch. It’s a tightly wound premise with supernatural undercurrents and emotional trauma at its core.
Though details remain sparse, the first full trailer hints at a mother’s desperate attempt to reconnect with her dead daughter using a young medium. With flickers of found footage and blood-soaked imagery, the tone leans heavily into psychological horror, with grief, loss, and obsession all bubbling to the surface.
The Philippou brothers have spoken openly about the emotional inspiration behind the film. “We were in the middle of writing Bring Her Back, and my cousin lost her two-year-old,” Danny Philippou told Bloody Disgusting “The idea of a never-ending grief cycle is terrifying to me… seeing raw grief like that is terrifying.”
Bring Her Back was filmed in South Australia, once again grounding the duo in their home state after the global success of their debut. “These two are enormously talented and a credit to South Australia,” said Arts Minister Andrea Michaels. SAFC CEO Kate Croser added, “We’re thrilled they chose to bring their next feature back home.”
Reactions from early screenings are largely positive, with critics calling the film “disturbing,” “gut-wrenching,” and “plain bonkers.” While a few mixed responses have surfaced, the buzz points toward another intense, genre-bending entry for horror fans. Sally Hawkins’ performance in particular is being described as both haunting and unexpectedly layered.
Bring Her Back opens in theaters in the US on May 30, UK fans will unfortunately have a two month wait when its released on August 1st. Hopefully the wait is worth it as it’s poised to offer horror lovers another hit of emotional dread with a supernatural twist. The Philippous, clearly, aren’t interested in playing it safe.
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