Following the success of their feature debut, the horror film Talk to Me, the directing duo of Danny and Michael Philippou signed on to make a new film adaptation of the Street Fighter video game franchise, started developing a Talk to Me sequel titled Talk 2 Me, and let it be known that they had already shot some sort of Talk to Me prequel (but it’s not clear if or when we’ll get to see that footage), had an action drama project they’d like to make, and also had a horror script called Bring Her Back that they wanted to get into production. They were so dedicated to getting Bring Her Back made that they dropped Street Fighter in favor of their horror movie, which wrapped after 41 days of filming back at the start of August. The film is now heading toward a May 30 theatrical release date, and the first reactions have just dropped online to let us know that this flick is gnarly, dread-inducing, and gut-wrenching.
Here’s a collection of first reaction posts, starting with one from JoBlo’s own JimmyO:
Our man @JimmytotheO saw #BringHerBack : Bring Her Back sits with you. The latest from the Philippou’s is an unsettling look at grief. Sally Hawkins is stunning in her first straight up horror performance. It’s unforgettable! She, along with an impressive young cast create an…
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) May 7, 2025
BRING HER BACK – I need a hug after that.
A lot of horror films use grief as a metaphor, but this one says fuck all that and drowns you in the sad, brutal reality of loss – then somehow turns it into a good time at the movies.
Gnarly, cathartic, and beautifully filmed. pic.twitter.com/tqRY9MSk3B
— patrick. (@imPatrickT) May 7, 2025
#BringHerBack made me uncomfortable in the best way. One of the unsettling, disturbing, and gut-wrenching horror movies that A24 has done. Sally Hawkins gives one of the most psychotic performance in her career. Whenever a horror movie gets under my skin, it’s done its job right. pic.twitter.com/grErzhTltM
— Anthony Jenkins (@AJMAC2000) May 7, 2025
Bring Her Back is gnarly, intense, and unrelenting. What I wasn’t prepared for is how somber the film is, I was sobbing afterwards. pic.twitter.com/GoRYbeh8WY
— Frankie @ CCFF (@malortandmoet) May 7, 2025
#BringHerBack 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. pic.twitter.com/VmVAnGTCGY
— Sean Boelman (@bigtunaonfilm) May 7, 2025
Holy shit. BRING HER BACK is incredibly dread inducing. A film that properly explores grief and the limits it will push us to. Danny and Michael Philippou bring to life some of the most haunting (and sad) imagery I’ve seen in recent memory.
Wildly recommended!! pic.twitter.com/hKwbwkpg58
— Reyna Cervantes (@Jfcdoomblade) May 7, 2025
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. #bringherback pic.twitter.com/fH8SN5ejOc
— Junior Felix (@JuniorFett) May 7, 2025
Bring Her Back is a devastating & heartbreaking look at grief. It goes way harder than I expected – in a good way. It’s disturbing, disgusting & thoroughly entertaining. As a parent there’s a lot going through my mind right now. I dug it, but it’s a LOT to take in. #BringHerBack pic.twitter.com/iuIv6u91ul
— Tessa Smith – Mama’s Geeky (@MamasGeeky) May 7, 2025
BRING HER BACK is a terrifying, next-level follow-up to “Talk to Me.” Sally Hawkins stuns with her most haunting role yet. Danny & Michael Philippou deliver masterful horror, grief, & tragedy. A must-watch. #Horror #BringHerBack pic.twitter.com/HCo7t6PvNe
— Josh Blumenkranz (@moviebuddyjb) May 7, 2025
Extremely grateful that I got to see a screening for #bringherback with @gigimurakami murakami! We even got to meet the directors and leave some gifts behind! I don’t want to give anything away, but it’s a really solid film. I loved Talk To Me and Bring Her Back is a new… pic.twitter.com/Tl0Uown0Ow
— Nikolas Draper-Ivey (@NikDraperIvey) May 7, 2025
First Reaction: Gruesome, eerie, and packed with dread. #BringHerBack starts slow but builds to terrifying tension. Flesh-ripping scenes and nightmarish imagery prove the Philippou brothers will haunt your dreams and make you sleep with the night light on. pic.twitter.com/ZeVAfhIJOX
— DapperDrFeel (@DapperDrFeel) May 7, 2025
BRING HER BACK is fucked up!! Danny and Michael Philippou have carfted another gnarly grief and trauma laden horror story. Like thisnone MUCH more than TALK TO ME. Also, I’ve never been terrified of Sally Hawkins before. She can do anything. #BringHerBack #A24 pic.twitter.com/7uYBM5LL9T
— Brandon Norwood (@bjntweets) May 7, 2025
#BringHerBack is uncomfortable but in the best way possible. The film deals with grief in a way we’ve never seen in a film. It’s frighteningly beautiful and filled with moments that will have you squirming in your seat. Damn that was gnarly! pic.twitter.com/dR8T16APJz
— That Hashtag Show (Official) (@ThatHashtagShow) May 7, 2025
Bring Her Back is a disgustingly good time! The Philippou brothers have done it again. This is body horror at its finest. This is one of the most visually stunning and unsettling films A24 has ever made and deserves to be seen on the big screen!@A24 #bringherback #a24 pic.twitter.com/KN9KVhKUcQ
— Eli (@EBCcorp) May 7, 2025
Bring Her Back is a horrifying gut punch, drenched from head to toe in loss and grief. Interesting supernatural lore, absolutely top-notch body horror, and excellent performances from its young protagonists. Sally Hawkins, incredible. My next Shape of Water watch will be weird. pic.twitter.com/n6WGcQZwqA
— Jeff Ewing (@ReelJeffEwing) May 7, 2025
Standing out from the pack, we have this negative (but still complimentary) reaction:
BRING HER BACK is a disappointing follow up to Talk to Me. It features the same jolting, graphic violence, but none of the terror. The filmmaking is technical and refined, the performances are phenomenal and, as a violent and extreme meditation on grief, the film certainly… pic.twitter.com/9g7naZEhsG
— The HoloFiles – Movies & TV News & Reviews (@theholofiles) May 7, 2025
Bring Her Back is coming our way from A24, the company that also sent Talk to Me out into the world. The film is being produced by Talk To Me producers Samantha Jennings and Kristina Ceyton of Causeway Films. A Deadline report about the film revealed that the Philippous are also working on “a documentary project inspired by their own journey into the world of international underground deathmatch wrestling.”
Plot details were being kept under wraps, but when the teaser trailer dropped, we were provided with the following synopsis: A brother and sister uncover a terrifying ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother. The cast of Bring Her Back includes Billy Barratt (Invasion), Jonah Wren Philips (Sweet Tooth), Sally-Anne Upton (Wentworth), Stephen Phillips (The Leftovers), newcomer Sora Wong, and two-time Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins of The Shape of Water and Blue Jasmine.
What did you think of these Bring Her Back reactions? Will you be catching the movie on the big screen at the end of this month? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
The post Bring Her Back first reactions call the film gnarly, dread-inducing, and gut-wrenching appeared first on JoBlo.
