The Fantasy Review’s review of Bring Her Back (2025).
After the incredible Talk to Me (2022), The Philippou Brothers return to bring us a haunting, stylish horror movie that dives deep into grief and trauma. Bring Her Back (2025) isn’t as strong as Talk to Me, yet it still hits hard and is one of my favourite films of the year.
Spoiler-Free Review of Bring Her Back (2025)
Sally Hawkins, who I’d previously known best as Mrs. Brown in the Paddington films, absolutely steals the show. She plays an unconventional horror villain who is deeply sympathetic but diabolical.
Every scene she was in I held my breath. There is something about her performance from the very beginning that sets your teeth on edge.
Pair the fabulous performances all-round with the grimy-yet-polished visuals (kind of like if Saw had a bit more light) and you have a movie that chills you to the bone. The visuals, the acting, and the music combine to create a sensory masterpiece.
The writing was pretty strong, with the dialogue being the highlight. The characters came through well through the dialogue, and any exposition was provided naturally. The only downside to the writing was the third act of the plot.
Pacing throughout was great, leading slowly to layers of reveals and heightened fear. However, I felt that the finale left me wanting more.
The final shot is perfect, and I love the visuals and emotional resonance of that. It’s the section from the end of act 2 I feel the plot struggled to deliver on its promises – all that build-up for not a huge amount.I get that this is a movie about grief and trauma – and on those themes, Bring Her Back absolutely delivers. The plot just needed some fine tuning for the final act.
