Bring Her Back Review: Talk to Me Team Make Another Cult Classic

As the central siblings,  Wong and Barratt form an impressive duo, with the former making her feature debut in a performance that immediately marks her as a serious talent to watch. It’s rare to see a sight-impaired actor onscreen, let alone leading a horror film, but Wong shoulders that responsibility with a courage and humor that alongside Barratt makes the siblings painfully believable. And as the dread ratchets up, Barratt showcases raw talent while Andy faces down Laura’s constant gaslighting and psychological torture as he attempts to protect his sister from their supposed guardian—although to what purposes Laura’s schemes delve remains an unsettling mystery for most of the film. 

Grotesque and often shockingly gory if you’re someone who (like me) went through a French New Extremity phase, you’ll likely warm to the horrors while being pleasantly surprised by how performance-focused the film is, only using its gore and grossness to further the journeys of our four extremely messed up leading characters. Even at a brisk hour and 39 minutes, the film manages to feel impactful, especially for those easily shaken by gnarly practical effects and movies that will give you an existential crisis.

There are practical effects here that will turn your stomach in the best way, though the emotional hits will linger far after you cleanse your mind of some of the bloodier moments. In spite of all that, Bring Her Back is the kind of horror that feels like it’ll find an unexpected audience in those who don’t usually watch horror as its emotional core is so strong, and Hawkins is a revelation in such a villainous role. 

In era where movies about trauma are at the center of the horror conversation (for better or worse), Bring Her Back stands as one of the best in the genre, unafraid to scare, haunt, and disturb its audience as it pushes through the pain and picks at the part of your brain that asks just how far you’d go to bring a loved one back from the dead and what you’d do to achieve it. 

Bring Her Back opens in limited release in the U.S. on May 30 and wide on June 6. Learn more about Den of Geek’s review process and why you can trust our recommendations here.