Culture
Now Playing – ‘Bring Her Back’: The creepy Australian thriller shows us a foster home becoming a house of horror
By: Gordon Briggs
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Yes, there’s blood in this film, grotesque images, and bizarre rituals built around children, but for my money, a horror film like this works when it feels like disturbing things are happening to real people. That is one of the reasons I enjoyed Bring Her Back. It lets us get to know its characters and then puts them through Hell.
Playing like a modern-day version of Hansel and Gretel, we follow the story of two step-siblings who, after the death of their father, are sent to live with a foster mom (Sally Hawkins) and her strange child whose dead-eyed expression graces the movie poster. Circumstances grow eerie when the foster kids witness strange supernatural events and terrifying rituals around their secluded home. Even seasoned horror fans may be put off by some of the film’s viewers. Much of the horror centers around the mouth and people being bitten, vomiting, and other oral-based bodily trauma that I won’t write about here.
What gives the story its impact are the three lead characters. I must complete the two actors who play the foster kids, Billy Barratt and Sora Wong. The two are believable and likable when playing a protective brother and his blind sister. The two feel like siblings, and giving Sora Wong’s character a sense of humor was smart. However, the ace in the hole here is Sally Hawkins.
The last time I saw her, she played the sweet mother in Paddington. Here, she’s just the right mix of sinister and sweet; you feel empathy for her even as she does the unspeakable. Bring Her Back is another feature from Danny and Michael Philippou, whose last film, the Australian supernatural horror film Talk To Me, became a hit with horror fans. Bring Her Back proves that these two filmmakers are a welcome addition to the world of international horror.
Rating: ★★★1/2
Now Playing is a column by film scholar Dr. Gordon Briggs published each Tuesday and Thursday. Tuesday’s column focuses on recently released film, followed by a Thursday piece that offers historical context or explores a related film.