Pretty much as soon as horror movie fans walked out of Talk to Me — one of A24’s best horror flicks — we started yearning for whatever Danny and Michael Philippou would offer us next. Well, that second course is coming soon. Bring Her Back is set to hit the 2025 movie calendar on Friday, May 30, and people are taking to social media with their first reactions from early screenings of the upcoming horror movie.
It goes without saying that anticipation is high among genre fans — especially since we’ve been feasting so far in 2025. CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg was jumping out of his chair when he got an extended look, and now that he’s seen the full movie, he can confirm we’re in for some deeply shocking horror. He says on Bluesky:
BRING HER BACK gets a big WOW from me. Scenes had me squirming to the extreme, and I can't get over how brilliant Danny and Michael Philippou are at building lore and creating deeply shocking horror. This is a must-see.
The story revolves around a brother and sister following the death of their mother. After their foster mother introduces them to a new brother, a gruesome and terrifying secret is revealed that has some thinking Bring Her Back might be this generation’s Pet Sematary.
Ross Bonaime of Collider notes how wild it is for the Philippous to turn acclaimed actress Sally Hawkins into someone so horrifying, writing:
Bring Her Back is a stressful nightmare about grief that is a fitting follow-up to Talk to Me. Genuinely unnerving and often surprisingly moving. Sally Hawkins is terrifying, and I simply can’t believe Paddington’s mom would do such things.
Germain Lussier of Gizmodo also says he wasn’t ready for how far it goes in terms of horror and violence, posting:
Bring Her Back is way way more horrifying than I even imagined. I think the story doesn’t always warrant or earn its gore, and it takes a while to get there, but when it hits, it hits big. Finds scares and violence in so many unexpected places. Sally Hawkins chills & thrills.
Brandon Norwood confirms “the Philippou Brothers have the juice y'all,” also noting how discombobulating it is to be terrified of the Paddington actress. Norwood says:
BRING HER BACK is fucked up!! Danny and Michael Philippou have [crafted] another gnarly grief and trauma laden horror story. Like [this one] MUCH more than TALK TO ME. Also, I've never been terrified of Sally Hawkins before. She can do anything.
Many of the critics are giving potential audience members warnings of just how uncomfortable Bring Her Back gets. Junior Felix of The Hashtag Show, for example, posts:
Bring Her Back is one of the most original horror films I've seen in years. The film is heavy, frightening and just plain bonkers. It's a slow burn but trust me there are scenes that will have squirming in your seat and you'll leave the theater uncomfortable.Damn.
That “damn” on the end really hits hard, and apparently you don’t even have to be the squeamish type to be physically affected by this upcoming A24 movie. Critic Sean Boelman writes:
Bring Her Back is, in some ways, your typical indie horror about grief/trauma. However, it is one of the most disturbingly executed horror films I have seen in years. I don't often get squeamish in movies, but this one got me... not once but twice. A massive surprise.
Russ Milheim of The Direct says no need to worry about a sophomore slump for the Philippou brothers. They own this genre and aren’t afraid to go heavy on the body horror. Milheim says:
I’ve now seen Bring Her Back, and Danny & Michael Philippou make it very clear that they have horror down to a tee & man is some of this film uber uncomfortable. It’s a dark film that uses the horror genre to creatively explore grief in harrowing fashion—and lots of body horror.
Julian Singleton, like others who caught early screenings, says he’s going to have trouble getting this one out of his head, writing:
Well, I’m not going to be shaking this anytime soon. Bring Her Back is a viscerally uncomfortable and unforgettable film, augmented by Sally Hawkins’ gentle yet poisonously evil performance. The Philippous cement themselves as fiendishly inventive horror auteurs with ironclad grips on their audience.
Sounds like there might be a lot of sleepless movie critics out there tonight after experiencing Danny and Michael Philippou’s follow-up to Talk to Me (not to be confused with the highly anticipated Talk to Me sequel). I can’t wait to read more when full reviews come out, but until then we can at least rewatch Talk to Me, which is streaming with a Netflix subscription.
Bring Her Back is set to hit theaters Friday, May 30.
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