Let’s get one thing out of the way – Bring Her Back, directed by brothers Danny and Michael Philippou, wasn’t exactly the nightmare-inducing screamfest I’d geared myself up for. I went in expecting to be hiding behind my popcorn bag and possibly embarrass myself in public with a yelp or two. Instead, I was met with something slightly different – a film far more interested in shocking you into silence than making you leap out of your seat.
And honestly? It worked.
What Bring Her Back lacks in traditional horror jump-scares and supernatural tension, it makes up for in full-on gore and those gloriously twisted moments that make you whisper “oh no no no no no” while simultaneously refusing to look away. It’s the sort of film that slowly reminds you why horror is such a brilliant genre. All the guessing, the growing dread, the internal dialogue of “What’s the worst that could possibly happen now?” followed immediately by that worst thing actually happening on screen. 
There’s a delicious kind of anxiety in that.
The story centres around [of course I’m not telling you, this is a review not a spoiler], but it’s safe to say it’s got an interesting blend of grief, obsession, and very bad decisions. The kind of plot where you know from the start that everyone’s going to end up worse off BUT you’re strapped in for the ride, popcorn in one hand, trauma in the other.
The performances were strong, the cinematography sleek (the photographer geek in me was pleased throughout), and the soundtrack knew exactly when to creep in and unsettle. But it was the moments – those juicy, gory little scenes – that stuck with me. You know the type. The ones that make you wince and mutter “why would you even do that?!” then remember you’re in a movie theatre.
Now, as someone who hasn’t dipped into a horror in a while, this was the reintroduction I needed. Like being welcomed back by an old friend who’s covered in blood and whispering secrets in the dark. Charming, really.
Would I recommend it? If you’re more into the psychological dread sprinkled with a stomach-churning consequences side of horror rather than the jumpy ghost-in-the-corner stuff, then yes.
Bring snacks. Maybe not anything red.
