A brother and sister uncover a terrifying ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother in Bring Her Back, the latest horror movie from Talk to Me directors Danny and Michael Philippou.
The Philippous have directed the Sally-Hawkins starring film from a script by Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman.
We first reported on Bring Her Back in July 2023 in an interview with the Adelaide-born brothers.
‘We’ve written so many different things. I’ve got a romantic comedy that I wrote that I’d love to do one day. I’ve also got another horror film that I’ve finished called Bring Her Back‘
ScreenHub: From RackaRacka to Talk To Me: Michael and Danny Philippou stay humble
Co-financed by Salmira Productions and South Australian Film Corporation, the film is produced by the Talk to Me duo of Samantha Jennings and Kristina Ceyton through their Causeway Films.
According to Deadline, Bring Her Back wrapped production in Australia last winter. Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions has acquired all international rights excluding Canada, China, Japan and Russia, with A24 retaining US rights.
The film stars Sally Hawkins, Billy Barrat and Jonah Wren Phillips.
Watch the teaser trailer for Bring Her Back below.
Bring Her Back: what to expect
Danny and Michael Phillipou described their directorial style as ‘very collaborative’. ‘We loved finding heads of departments that we really admire and look up to, because we know we could never accomplish that look on our own,’ said Michael in our 2023 interview.
‘I think we’ve been subconsciously inspired by so many different films and directors that there’s no single one that represents what we’re trying to do,’ he continued.
They also talked about the style of horror they like to emulate, which focuses more on suspense than jump scares: ‘It’s all about the dread and being invested with the characters while they’re waiting, so that the anticipation is more painful than the bang,’ said Danny. If the trailer above is anything to go by, Bring Her Back will definitely be amping up the dread.
ScreenHub: Bring Her Back: what we know about the Philippou’s new A24 horror film
We raved about the Phillipou’s debut feature, Talk To Me, two years ago in our review of the film:
‘The moment you glimpse a harried mum incongruously chopping veggies in the midst of a heaving, strobe-lit house party in the Adelaide suburbs during the frenetic, one-shot cold open of twin brothers Danny and Michael Philippou’s frighteningly good horror debut Talk to Me, something in your bones tells you the term ‘Chekhov’s gun’ – in which a firearm spotted will almost certainly be shot later – needs updating. The ching-ching of Emma Bortignon’s razor-sharp sound design slices and dices it and, suffice it to say, this Chekhov’s knife does not disappoint.
‘Much like the original Scream (1996), this chaotically good opener – illuminated by the eerie glow of a battalion of torchlit smartphone live-streamers oblivious of the mayhem that’s about to unfold – is only loosely connected to the story we’re about to follow.’
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‘But for all the terror, there is also a spunky teen spirit with attendant doofus humour that’s sure to strike a chord with local audiences. The film greatly benefits from the Philippou’s insistence on shooting in Adelaide with age-appropriate Australian actors. Doing it their way is undoubtedly why Talk to Me was such a scene-stealer at this year’s Sundance Film Festival – after debuting at the Adelaide Film Festival last October – landing a North American distribution deal with indie powerhouse A24′ – Stephen A Russell.
Read the full review: Talk to Me review: an Australian horror to possess you
Stream it on: Netflix/Stan/Apple TV+
Bring Her Back does not yet have a release date.
