Bring Her Back (2025)

What impressed me most about Bring Her Back is how effectively the filmmakers turn grief into horror without losing sight of the people caught in the middle. I liked Talk to Me, so I was interested in seeing what Danny and Michael Philippou would do next. This is a very different kind of experience. It’s darker, more emotionally exhausting, and filled with images that are genuinely difficult to watch. I wouldn’t call it a fun movie, but I do think it’s an exceptionally well-made one.

The thing that works is the way the film builds its dread. There are disturbing moments, and the effects are incredibly convincing, but it isn’t just a series of gross-out scenes designed to get a reaction. The story gives those moments context. You understand enough about what these people have lost and what they’re afraid of losing that even a quiet scene can feel unbearable. When the movie does push into more graphic territory, it hits harder because you’ve been living with that tension.

I also liked the way the supernatural element was handled. The movie gives you pieces of information as you need them rather than stopping everything for a long explanation. That leaves room for some mystery without making the whole thing feel random. The performances are strong, particularly because the characters need to carry so much of the emotional weight. For me, that combination of acting, effects, and carefully controlled pacing is what makes the horror work.

There were a few moments when I winced, and I can understand why someone would decide this was simply too much for them. I wouldn’t be eager to sit through it again immediately either. Still, I don’t judge a horror film by whether it’s comfortable to watch. Sometimes the entire point is to put you somewhere upsetting and make it feel real. Bring Her Back does that extremely well. If you enjoy disturbing, emotionally heavy horror, I think this is one you should see, even if you only ever watch it once.

I can recognize when a movie is done well and still never want to see it again. That’s exactly how I feel about Bring Her Back. The acting is good, the effects are convincing, and the filmmakers clearly knew how to make everything feel disturbing. The problem for me is that it was so dark and unpleasant that I couldn’t enjoy the experience at all.

What got to me wasn’t just blood or a jump scare. I watch horror movies because, even when they scare me, there is usually something fun about it. It’s a little like going through a haunted house: I might be terrified while I’m there, but afterward I can laugh about it. This movie gave me none of that feeling. I spent so much of it saying no to what was happening on the screen, and the more the story developed, the more uncomfortable I became.

There are some really gross moments, too. I’m not going to describe them because I don’t think anyone needs those images before watching the movie, but I was very glad we weren’t sitting there eating. A lot of horror movies can be gory without bothering me quite this way. Here it was the combination of the images, the way people were treated, and the sadness running through everything. It all felt heavy from beginning to end.

I will give the movie credit for making me care about the people in danger. That matters to me, and it made the situations even more upsetting. The characters weren’t just there so something horrible could happen to them. Unfortunately, caring about them also meant I felt every awful thing that much more.

I know this is the kind of movie some horror fans will appreciate, and I wouldn’t argue with anyone who says it is good. I can see the work that went into it. I just don’t need this level of misery when I sit down to watch a movie. I finished it, and I am perfectly happy to leave it at that.