Danny and Michael Philippou’s Aussie supernatural shocker Talk To Me went on to earn $92 million worldwide and emerged as A24’s third-highest-grossing release of all time. The popular indie banner will be hoping to replicate the film’s success with the siblings’ sophomore feature, and based on these first reactions, Bring Her Back is shaping up to be just as big a hit with horror hounds.
Though there are a couple of negative-leaning posts, the majority of critics who were invited to see the movie early were very impressed – although Bring Her Back does not sound like an easy watch (we’d expect nothing less).
The official synopsis doesn’t tell us very much: “A brother and sister uncover a terrifying ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother.”
Said brother and sister are played by Billy Barratt and Sora Wong, with the great Sally Hawkins playing against type as the foster mother. Other cast members include Jonah Wren Phillips, Sally-Anne Upton, Stephen Phillips and Mischa Heywood.
The recent full trailer did give us a little more to go on, seemingly revealing that Hawkins’ character has discovered a young medium who can serve as a conduit to contact and potentially resurrect the spirit of her deceased daughter.
Check out the social media reactions below, and we’ll be sure to update as more are shared.
BRING HER BACK – I need a hug after that.
A lot of horror films use grief as a metaphor, but this one says [frick] all that and drowns you in the sad, brutal reality of loss – then somehow turns it into a good time at the movies.
Gnarly, cathartic, and beautifully filmed. pic.twitter.com/tqRY9MSk3B
— patrick. (@imPatrickT) May 7, 2025
Bring Her Back is one of the most original horror films I’ve seen in years. The film is heavy, frightening and just plain bonkers. It’s a slow burn but trust me there are scenes that will have squirming in your seat and you’ll leave the theater uncomfortable.Damn. #bringherback pic.twitter.com/fH8SN5ejOc
— Junior Felix (@JuniorFett) May 7, 2025
Bring Her Back is a horrifying gut punch, drenched from head to toe in loss and grief. Interesting supernatural lore, absolutely top-notch body horror, and excellent performances from its young protagonists. Sally Hawkins, incredible. My next Shape of Water watch will be weird. pic.twitter.com/n6WGcQZwqA
— Jeff Ewing (@ReelJeffEwing) May 7, 2025
#BringHerBack is, in some ways, your typical indie horror about grief/trauma. However, it is one of the most disturbingly executed horror films I have seen in years. I don’t often get squeamish in movies, but this one got me… not once but twice. A massive surprise. pic.twitter.com/VmVAnGTCGY
— Sean Boelman (@bigtunaonfilm) May 7, 2025
BRING HER BACK is a terrifying, next-level follow-up to “Talk to Me.” Sally Hawkins stuns with her most haunting role yet. Danny & Michael Philippou deliver masterful horror, grief, & tragedy. A must-watch. #Horror #BringHerBack pic.twitter.com/HCo7t6PvNe
— Josh Blumenkranz (@moviebuddyjb) May 7, 2025
Bring Her Back is gnarly, intense, and unrelenting. What I wasn’t prepared for is how somber the film is, I was sobbing afterwards. pic.twitter.com/GoRYbeh8WY
— Frankie @ CCFF 🔪🪩 (@malortandmoet) May 7, 2025
#BringHerBack is a smart, disturbing and uncomfortable sophomore win for Danny and Michael Philippou. It’s [frick]ed up art that is as deeply human as it is darkly maleficent. This ode to trauma is the stuff of nightmares. Sally Hawkins is the powerhouse lead of a first class cast. pic.twitter.com/JE03EhwHSX
— Simon Thompson (@ShowbizSimon) May 7, 2025
BRING HER BACK finds the Philippous crafting another compellingly eerie atmosphere that’s filled dread and some effective gory moments. Yet, the narrative is built on pedestrian tropes, leaving a shallow emotional depth to explore. Hawkins brings a great tragedy and menace. pic.twitter.com/BiLCTGvE3Y
— Josh Parham (@JRParham) May 7, 2025
BRING HER BACK is a disappointing follow up to Talk to Me. It features the same jolting, graphic violence, but none of the terror. The filmmaking is technical and refined, the performances are phenomenal and, as a violent and extreme meditation on grief, the film certainly… pic.twitter.com/9g7naZEhsG
— The HoloFiles – Movies & TV News & Reviews (@theholofiles) May 7, 2025
Unsettling. Disturbing. Twisted.#BringHerBack is not for the faint of heart. The Philippou Brothers push every boundary, especially with the younger cast.
If you loved #TalkToMe, this doubles down in every way.
You’ll need time to process… because wow.#Horror #A24 @a24 pic.twitter.com/T24n1AcnEq— Big Gold Belt Media (@BigGoldBelt) May 7, 2025
Holy shit, Bring Her Back is an intense experience. Dark and grisly and emotional and wrenching. The Philippou brothers very much avoid any sophomore slump while also going even deeper into rather unrelenting horror, both physical and psychological. I Ioved it and also… damn! https://t.co/03yftQ94mJ
— Eric Goldman (@TheEricGoldman) May 7, 2025
“We were in the middle of writing Bring Her Back,” Danny Philippou shared during a preview event (via Bloody Disgusting), “and my cousin lost her two-year-old, and we were in the hospital, and I was just seeing her on the bed, holding this kid, and the family were all around him, and they were holding his feet, and his hands, and his head, and his arms, and eventually, over time, everyone let him go. And my cousin was the last one to let him go.”
“Horror is a fun way to look at dark things like that,” Danny added. “Like the idea of her never being okay ever again after that, that was an inspiration point. How far she would go, you know, to heal herself from it. And the idea of a never ending grief cycle is terrifying to me, and seeing raw grief like that is terrifying.”
“It’s fantastic to welcome Danny and Michael back to Adelaide to shoot their second film. These two are enormously talented and a credit to South Australia. ‘Talk to Me’ has been a huge success globally and I can’t wait to see Bring Her Back get underway and showcase South Australia to the world,” said South Australia’s state Minister for the Arts, Andrea Michaels.
The movie is produced by Causeway Films and RackaRacka, in association with Salmira Productions and SAFC.
“The SAFC is so proud to have played a supporting role in Danny and Michael Philippou’s meteoric rise to success, and we are thrilled that they have chosen to bring their next feature film back home to South Australia and Adelaide Studios,” said SAFC CEO Kate Croser. Bring Her Back hits theaters this summer.
