Bring Her Back? Steven says 4/5

Before the studio logos even finish, Bring Her Back punches you with unsettling imagery. It’s one of those rare horror films that doesn’t wait for the tension to build, it drags you straight into the nightmare and refuses to let go.

The story centers on two step-siblings grieving from the death of their father, placed under the care of Laura (Sally Hawkins), a foster mother grappling with the recent loss of her own daughter, Cathy. What follows is a harrowing descent into grief, obsession, and the question of how far a grieving mother will go to see her child again.

The acting is phenomenal across the board, but two performances demand attention: Sora Wong as Piper, and Sally Hawkins as Laura. Piper brings a quiet intensity that anchors the film’s emotional beats, while Hawkins delivers a performance so unsettling, so raw, that it’s hard to look away, even when you desperately want to. Her portrayal is a masterclass in horror: terrifying, tragic, grotesque, and grounded. She’s not a villain, she’s a mother in mourning, and that’s what makes her so frightening.

There are scenes in this film I wish I could forget. Two in particular left me physically sick; I screamed in the theater, something I never do. One involved a knife, which made one of my friends bolt to the garbage can outside the theater. It’s visceral in a way most horror films only pretend to be.

And then there’s the ending. The final five minutes didn’t just break me, they unlocked something buried. I was sobbing in my seat, not just scared but devastated.

Bring Her Back doesn’t just scare you, it follows you home, crawling into your brain and sitting with you long after the credits roll. It’s not just one of the best horror films of the year, it might be one of the best explorations of grief I’ve ever seen.

I can’t stop thinking about it.

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