Bring Her Back, directed by Australian twins Danny and Michael Philippou, explores the monstrous effects of grief. Following the success of Talk to Me (2022), the Philippous deliver a darker, more unrelenting horror story. The film blends psychological tension with supernatural horror, culminating in an ending that leaves audiences disturbed, bewildered, and deeply unsettled.
The story centers on step-siblings Piper (Sora Wong) and Andy (Billy Barratt), who are thrust into the foster system after the tragic death of their father. They are placed with Laura (Sally Hawkins), an eccentric foster mother still mourning her own daughter, Cathy. Her attention to Piper is intense and unsettling, raising questions about whether Piper is a replacement for Laura’s lost child.
Domestic Drama Turns Dark Occult Tale Fueled by Grief and Sinister Obsession
The movie begins as a tense domestic drama but gradually turns into a chilling occult tale. VHS tapes, satanic rituals, and the discovery of a corpse in the shed introduce supernatural elements. By the climax, viewers are left questioning what is more terrifying: Laura’s grief-driven obsession or the failure of the foster system and social workers to intervene sooner.
Bring Her Back (Sony Pictures)Andy and Piper’s father dies in a grotesque bathroom accident, leaving the children traumatized. Andy vows to protect Piper until he can legally gain custody, a plan complicated by Laura’s increasingly disturbing behavior. Laura’s grief over Cathy’s drowning fuels her manipulative and sinister actions, making her an unpredictable and threatening presence in the household.
Laura’s obsession with Piper leads her to perform a resurrection ritual involving Cathy’s corpse, Piper as the vessel, and another boy, Oliver, as the host. She employs cruel psychological tactics against Andy, exploiting his past guilt and mental health struggles to ensure compliance. Her actions blur the line between maternal affection and murderous obsession, creating a deeply unsettling dynamic.
Ritual Collapses, Piper Escapes, and Grief’s Horrifying Consequences Leave Lasting Impact
As the ritual unfolds, Andy attempts to alert their social worker, Wendy, but Laura responds violently, killing Wendy and drowning Andy. Piper is dragged to the pool, where the ritual is supposed to transfer Cathy’s soul into her. A momentary lapse in Laura’s control, prompted by Piper’s plea, collapses the ritual, allowing Piper to escape and ending the demonic possession.
Connor (the possessed boy) is freed from the ritual, though likely traumatized. Laura is arrested, still clutching her daughter’s decomposed corpse, a tragic and horrifying image of grief uncontained. Piper survives, symbolically hearing a plane overhead, which Andy had once told her carries the souls of the dead, leaving an ambiguous but hopeful note in an otherwise grim story.
Bring Her Back is a meditation on grief, obsession, and the human capacity for horror in the name of love. It highlights the failures of the foster system while showing how mourning can transform affection into a destructive force. Sally Hawkins delivers a standout performance as a mother undone by loss, supported by the young cast’s emotional depth. Ultimately, the film emphasizes that the most terrifying monsters are often human.
