Bring Her Back

Inspired in part by Bong Joon-ho’s Memories of Murder, Bring Her Back balances psychological dread and visceral body horror with a complex character study. And like Bong’s film, it explores how trauma and the unknowability of others can be more terrifying than any ghost.

Sally Hawkins gives a memorable performance as Laura, the adoptive mom who is as pitiful as she is petrifying. When we meet her, she’s kind and welcoming, a brightly-dressed savior to two traumatized teenagers. Cracks in her facade being to appear, as does another foster child named Oliver, a selective mute covered in bruises who is locked in a room when no one else is home.

As Oliver, Jonah Wren Phillips gives one of the most emotionally complex child performances in any recent horror film. He scared the living daylights out of me.  If anyone is on the lookout for a child actor who can shake people to their core, look no further. His body movements and his physical transformation reminded me of the legendary creature actor Doug Jones, who played the Amphibian Man opposite Hawkins in The Shape of Water.

As Laura’s obsession deepens into a series of disturbing rituals, it becomes clear that the scariest thing in the house isn’t Oliver or any spirit – it’s the depth of her denial and the psychological wreckage in its wake.

Once again, the Philippou brothers’ sound design heightens the film’s gruesome scenes. From flesh being torn away or a head bashing into glass, you feel every gut-plummeting, skin-crawling moment. The sound also underscores all of the shocks, and combined with practical effects, Bring Her Back is primed to become a cult favorite among horror fans – especially for those who like their fear layered with deeper questions.