No. 006 - 'Bring Her Back' by Danny & Michael Philippou (2025)

Watched by Matthew Donlan at Dendy Newtown

Grief isn’t just a metaphor, it’s all-consuming in the second horror from the Philippou brothers, Bring Her Back.

Siblings, Andy and Piper, are sent to live with foster mother Laura (Sally Hawkins) after the sudden death of their father. Andy (Billy Barratt) is a few months short of turning 18 and intends to apply for guardianship of his visually-impaired younger sister Piper (Sora Wong). Except Laura has other plans for Piper. Plans involving Connor (Jonah Wren Phillips), the mysteriously silent boy living with Laura, and Cathy, her recently deceased daughter.

Grief is abound in this supernatural horror film. It haunts every character as they grapple with sudden losses in their lives. Instead of demons and cults acting as Trojan horse metaphors for grief, in this film, grief is the main vehicle with the supernatural just sitting on the periphery. What emerges is an incredibly grounded story full of pathos and reality. The supernatural, instead, represents the extreme lengths we may go to for those we love.

The claustrophobic atmosphere is aided by both the cinematography and sound design. The former moves smoothly on action and keeps close to Andy and Piper, mimicking their point of view and limiting the information shared with us. The shallow depth of focus, while at times somewhat nauseating, feels deliberate and effective in blurring the lines between the real and spiritual world. The sound design too is crunchy and visceral. Not only does this help raise the squirm factor in crucial scenes but it again grounds the supernatural in the physical world, making it all seem just that bit more possible.

Bring Her Back is a strong second feature which affirms the Philippou brothers’ space not only in Australian horror but internationally (thanks to A24 backing). It’s combination of visceral horror and grounded emotions, supported by a stellar cast, sets the brothers on a strong trajectory.

Bring Her Back is showing at most cinemas across Sydney including Dendy Newtown, Palace and the Ritz.

Editor’s Recommendation

The Sydney Film Festival has kicked off with a stacked program of Australian and international films. In the guide below are just a few of the many incredible movies on offer.

Screenings: Thursday 5 June - Wednesday 11 June

QTopia Sub-station
Queer Bites: Pride Fest Film Night
Thursday

Astro’s Arcade Bar
Twin Dragons (1992, Ringo Lam & Tsui Hark)
Tuesday

Inner West Libraries Film Club
Ablaze (2021, Tiriki Onus & Alec Morgan)
Wednesday

Waverley Library Bad Movie Club
Hard Ticket to Hawaii (1987, Andy Sidaris)
Friday

Riverside Parramatta
Uyra - The Rising Forest (2022, Juliana Curi)
Friday

Pride Fest: Queer Bites (2025)
Saturday

Hayden Orpheum | selected highlights
SFF - The Mahabharata (1989, Peter Brook)
Thursday

SFF - Deeper (2025, Jennifer Peedom)
Tuesday

Golden Age Cinema | selected highlights
Thief or Reality (2001, Antoinetta Angelidi)
Thursday

Universal Language (2024, Matthew Rankin)
Saturday & Sunday

Ritz Cinemas, Randwick | selected highlights

SFF - Marlon Williams: Two Worlds - Ngā Ao E Rua (2025, Ursula Grace Williams)
Wednesday

SFF - Went Up The Hill (2025, Samuel Van Grinsven)
w/ Q+A
Sunday

Dangerous Animals (2025, Sean Byrne)
w/ Q+A
Tuesday

Robert Altman Retrospective (link)
McCabe & Mrs Miller (1971, Robert Altman)
Thursday

Cult Classics (link)
Howl’s Moving Castle (2004, Hayao Miyazaki)
Saturday & Monday

Celluloid Film (link)
Rosemary’s Baby (1968, Roman Polanski)
Friday

Classic Matinees (link)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962, David Lean)
Saturday & Monday

Make It Musical (link)
Josie And The Pussycats (2001, Deborah Kaplan & Harry Elfont)
Sunday & Wednesday

Meet Cute (link)
Suddenly 30 (2004, Gary Winick)
Tuesday

Dendy Newtown | selected highlights

SFF - Fwends (2025, Sophie Somerville)
w/ Q+A
Sunday

SFF - Ellis Park (2024, Justin Kurzel)
w/ Q+A
Monday

SFF - Yurlu | Country (2025, Yaara Bou Melhem)
Monday

Dangerous Animals (2025, Sean Byrne)
Preview Screening
Wednesday

Palace Cinemas | selected highlights

SFF - Nechako - It Will Be A Big River Again (2025, Lyana Patrick)
Saturday

SFF - Listen to the Voices (2024, Maxime Jean-Baptiste)
Saturday & Monday

SFF - 2000 Meters to Andriivka (2025, Mstyslav Chernov)
Tuesday

Cult Vault (link)
The Shining (1980, Stanley Kubrick)
Monday

Matinee Memories (link)
Casablanca (1942, Michael Curtiz)
Saturday

Art Gallery of NSW
SFF - Jafar Panahi - Cinema in Rebellion (link)
Saturday, Sunday & Monday

SFF - Elaine May - Urbane Legend (link)
Saturday & Sunday

Sydney Opera House
SFF - Muriel’s Wedding (1994, P.J. Hogan)
w/ Q+A
Saturday

SFF - Lesbian Space Princess (2025, Emma Hough Hobbs & Leela Varghese)
w/ Q+A
Saturday