FILM REVIEW: Bring Her Back

Mother Knows Best

(Minor Spoiler Warning)

Mothers in film get an interesting rep. From Norma Bates in Psycho to Eleanor Sung-Young in Crazy Rich Asians, these mothers’ only motivation is the “unconditional” love for their children. There are billions of mothers in the world! Of course the trope is strong! In Bring Her Back, a new mother arrives. The description made this movie seem like a familiar gory story about a foster mother with a peculiar past. What ends up happening in the Phillippou brothers sophomore outing (after the really-solid Talk to Me) is a much more intimate and touching portrait of familial bonds and the lengths we would go for them. The biggest surprises come from the emotion and understanding behind the decisions some of these characters make.

The creative team flips the expectation of a gory rampage into decisions that have the audience question their ethics if they were in the same conflict. As I felt the emotion, I could not help but pinch myself as a reminder that what is happening on screen is bad. Blending with other familiar beats, the story takes us along for a fun ride. I look forward to the next outing with these directors.

Bring Her Back movie poster outside the specific theater showing the film.

Andy (Billy Barrett) and Wendy (Sora Wong) are step-siblings who discover their father dead on the shower floor. They are almost separated, but with Andy’s insistence, they are both able to stay at the home of foster mom Laura (Sally Hawkins, in a non-Paddington maternal role). When the two step-siblings arrive, they learn that Laura is fostering another boy named Oliver. We discover that Laura is hiding a secret about Oliver, which becomes a fight for both Andy and Wendy’s lives.

This is a story about a mother’s love. When it focuses on that, it succeeds. Luckily, that is a lot of the film. Hawkins is a perfect actress to play Laura. You can see the eccentricity from the start, but her eyes question your belief in her the entire way through. There is a hopelessness in her gaze that sticks in the mind and never lets go. The same could be said about Jonah Wren Phillips’ Oliver. There is a coldness to this blank stare that never falters, which is impressive coming from a child. A character who has both seen everything and nothing at the same time. I also really liked how Wendy’s blindness was written. It felt like a part of the story without being a plot crutch to get the characters to do things truly outrageous.

Danny Phillippou and Bill Hinzman have written a strong script, enhanced by great cinematography from Aaron McLisky (same DP as Talk to Me). A particular moment that stands out is when Laura has to bring Oliver back to his demonic senses. There is glass between the two and she draws circles with blood on the glass. Moving down, Oliver and Laura connect. It is a nice moment where the symbol of the circle combines nicely with the rainy mood of the scene. We see what is happening without it being beaten into our heads with dialogue. What we also see is a mother just trying to reconnect with what she once had. A similar thread that does not get less heart-breaking when acted with this much sincerity. Horror films have always been a safe haven for these kinds of mothers. When presented this well, I can see why.