Sally Hawkins delivers a chilling performance in the Philippou brothers’ latest horror film, Bring Her Back, portraying a foster mother with unsettling motivations. The film, a follow-up to their 2022 breakout hit Talk to Me, began production this summer with A24, according to an announcement made in April 2024.
Hawkins plays Laura, a grieving mother who takes in two siblings, 17-year-old Andy and his partially sighted younger sister Piper, along with another disturbed child, Oliver. The film explores the dark side of maternal love and the consequences of unresolved grief, with the directors noting Hawkins is “terrifying” in the role. “She’s dealing with [grief] in the wrong way,” explained Michael Philippou in an interview. “If she couldn’t let go, what does that mean?”
The Philippou brothers, Danny and Michael, gained recognition initially as YouTube pranksters under the name RackaRacka before transitioning to filmmaking. Their debut feature, Talk to Me, became A24’s highest-grossing horror film domestically last summer, earning approximately $92 million against a budget of $4.5 million. The success of Talk to Me has led to the development of a sequel and a documentary project focused on their experiences in the world of international underground deathmatch wrestling.
Bring Her Back reunites the filmmaking duo with A24 and producers Samantha Jennings and Kristina Ceyton of Causeway Films, who were also involved in Talk to Me, as well as films like The Babadook and The Nightingale. The film’s plot details remain largely undisclosed, but the title itself hints at a central mystery surrounding Laura’s intentions.
Hawkins, a two-time Oscar nominee for her roles in The Shape of Water and Blue Jasmine, has limited experience in the horror genre, with her previous venture being a 2007 film. She recently appeared in the box office success Wonka, playing Willy’s mother. The directors emphasized Hawkins’ ability to fully embody the intensity required for the role, noting that even the crew felt apprehensive approaching her when she was in character.
The film is described as packing “plenty of emotional heft” and going “deeper” than Talk to Me, according to the filmmakers. They expressed an interest in exploring intimate character work, drawing inspiration from dramas like HBO’s In Treatment.
As of late July 2025, it remained unclear whether Bring Her Back would be included in A24’s sales slate for the Cannes Film Festival, with the studio prioritizing other projects such as Ari Aster’s Eddington and Bennie Safdie’s The Smashing Machine, a biopic featuring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
