This article is part of Trick or Stream, a seasonal series where Tom's Guide writers share their favorite horror movies and thrillers.
The Philippous brothers have quickly developed a reputation as horror masters since their low-budget Australian chiller "Talk to Me" burst onto the scene in 2022. Just when it seemed safe to turn off that nightlight, the filmmakers are tormenting audiences once again with a fresh wave of nightmare fuel that'll hurt your heart with "Bring Her Back." And this is one horror movie I'm glad I didn't catch in theaters; I ended up watching some of the more gruesome scenes between my fingers, squirming in my seat.
That's why, while there are about a billion horror movies I could recommend this spooky season, when I saw HBO Max just added "Bring Her Back" to its lineup, that made the choice easy. If you're a fan of other modern horror favorites like "Hereditary," "Midsommar," or "Barbarian," this is one you won't want to miss.
What sets "Bring Her Back" apart isn’t just its body-horror moments (which are seriously impressive, once I worked up the courage to rewatch them), but the emotional depth beneath the terror. If you've got the stomach for it, "Bring Her Back" is a mettle-testing watch that's haunting and unsettling in the best ways.
What is "Bring Her Back' about?
"Bring Her Back" is the kind of movie where you know from the jump that you'll probably have to watch it again to catch everything you missed. From the first moments, it hooks you with footage of a horrifying bustle of some ungodly ritual that seems to make even less sense the longer it goes. This disorienting intro sets the tone for the rest of the movie.
Cut to Andy (Billy Barratt) and his visually impaired younger stepsister, Piper (Sora Wong), who are thrown into the foster system after finding their dad dead in the shower. A former counsellor named Laura (Sally Hawkins), whose daughter Cathy (Mischa Heywood) died in a tragic drowning accident, agrees to take them in until 17-year-old Andy can apply for guardianship. Laura quickly wins over Piper, but her treatment of Andy is far more sinister, gaslighting him in cruel and humiliating ways. Stranger still, there's another child living there, Ollie (Jonah Wren Phillips), who's going for gold in the "creepiest horror movie kid" Olympics.
That's really as much as should be said about the plot. This is one you'll want to go into with as little prior knowledge as possible. There are enough breadcrumbs to piece together a vague idea of what's going on by the end of act one, as Laura's sunny demeanor does little to disguise her manipulation. It's obvious there's something rotten going on, but even once you start connecting the dots, the creeping dread seeping through every frame entices you to see just how bad things will get for these star-crossed characters.
'Bring Her Back' came for me personally
While Ryan Coogler's masterpiece "Sinners" is still my favorite horror movie of 2025 so far, "Bring Her Back" isn't that far behind, and I get the sense it's one I'll find myself returning to every October from now on. Every year 'round spooky season, I make it a habit to revisit some of the horror movies I used to watch with my mom, both for Halloween and to celebrate her birthday, October 1.
"Talk to Me" also centered around a mother-daughter dynamic, which caught me off guard when I first watched it, just a few months after she passed suddenly. I thought surely the Philippous brothers wouldn't be able to turn me into a blubbering mess again, and boy was I wrong. That's thanks in large part to some surprisingly powerful character work, especially Andy, whose story is so tragic I just wanted to give the poor dude a hug.
The touching glimpses we see into him and Piper's relationship reveal a troubled teen who's trying his best in an impossible situation. Every adult in his life is failing him with a smile while he's forced to grow up quickly. Meanwhile, Piper's frustrated by being treated with kid gloves because of her disability. One early scene demonstrates this masterfully when a counselor consoles his stepsister while Andy is left alone, idly watching paramedics struggle to get his dad's body out the door as Piper's told how brave she is.
Sally Hawkins gives a career-defining performance as a twist on the evil stepmother archetype, equal parts unsettling and slimy enough to make you want to crawl out of your skin even as your heart breaks for her. She comes with her own mountain of red flags, and there's something deeply unsettling about how quickly she switches masks to play the children against each other, weaponizing what vulnerabilities she manages to coax out of them. At one point, she asks Andy, “Why don’t you try and take a shower?” — and I swear that question has never sounded more menacing.
But as obvious as it is that she's up to no good, she's still a grieving mother buckling under the weight of her loss, and that rawness peeks through whatever's possessed her now. One particularly heartwrenching scene sees her confess she'd do anything to hear her daughter call her "mom" again, and I can relate to that so much it hurts. She and Andy become foils to each other, both desperate to believe a terrible lie if it means holding onto hope in this dark time.
Stream 'Bring Her Back' on HBO Max now
If you're still not convinced to give "Bring Her Back" a spot on your watchlist, maybe the glowing response from critics can persuade you. It's rare to see horror movies earn high marks on Rotten Tomatoes, but "Bring Her Back" holds an impressive 89%. The critical consensus reads: "A domestic nightmare that draws its most profound scares from Sally Hawkins' deranged performance, Bring Her Back is an exemplary chiller that reaffirms directors Danny and Michael Philippou as modern masters of horror."
I couldn't agree more. "Bring Her Back" is the kind of layered horror film that's fun to revisit just to catch everything you missed, because it makes the story that much richer. Its relentless tension and truly gruesome special effects are grounded in emotional depth that makes the scares all the more haunting and the tragedy even harder to shake.
I honestly can't wait to see what the Philippou brothers have next. Though I'll be sure to bring tissues next time.
Stream "Bring Her Back" on HBO Max now
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