One of the biggest surprises in the world of horror in recent years was 2023’s “Talk to Me.” Hailing from A24, the acclaimed film served as the feature directorial debut of Danny and Michael Philippou, transitioning them from YouTube stars to A-list filmmakers. For their follow-up, the Philippou brothers have re-teamed with A24 for another wild horror ride in the form of “Bring Her Back.” While it’s still relatively early in the year, it’s safe to say it features one of the best performances we’re likely to find in the world of genre filmmaking in 2025, and it comes from an unexpected actress.
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Sally Hawkins, a two-time Oscar nominee, leads the cast of “Bring Her Back” as Laura. While Hawkins is known best for her work in movies like “Paddington” and the Best Picture winner “The Shape of Water,” this is Hawkins in a straight-up, uncompromising horror picture. Hawkins doesn’t flinch and, much like Toni Collette in “Hereditary,” she gives it her all and then some.
“We thought there was no way she would say yes,” Danny Philippou said during a post-screening Q&A I recently attended. “There’s no way f*****g Sally Hawkins is gonna say yes.” It turns out, the brothers didn’t think they’d have a great shot at getting her to agree to play Laura, a foster mother who takes in a young blind girl and her brother in the aftermath of a family tragedy, only for them to discover some terrifying secrets at their new secluded home. Hawkins was the number one name on their list, as the duo explained.
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“There was a list written, it was a collaboration with A24 putting together the best list, and our producer Samantha Jennings, and then Sally was at the top of the list. If you watch any of her films, she’s a completely different person every single time. What was also exciting about it is she’d never done a full-blown horror role before ever. The idea of that was just so exciting.”
Bring Her Back lets Sally Hawkins cut loose
“They’re like, ‘Sally loved the script. Sally really liked the script, she wants to meet with you guys,'” Danny added. “We were terrified of an ego, or someone that was going to be difficult to work with.” But the meeting went well, and Hawkins indeed agreed to do the movie.
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As of this writing, not a lot of people have had the good fortune of seeing “Bring Her Back,” perhaps only the teaser trailer A24 released in February. It’s a movie loaded to the brim with surprises so the less said by way of specifics, the better. I don’t want to spoil this twisted ride for anyone. What I can say with great confidence is that the Philippou brothers lucked out by getting the best possible person for the role.
Though it may be a bold statement in light of Hawkins’ impressive career, this may well be her best performance to date, rivaled only by her Oscar-nominated turn in Guillermo del Toro’s “The Shape of Water.” “She was nervous on the call,” Danny said. “She was like, ‘I don’t know if I can pull it off. I don’t know if I’m ready for it.'” Hawkins was most definitely ready for it. As is so often the case, be it Sigourney Weaver as Ripley in “Alien” or Linda Blair as Regan in “The Exorcist,” horror has once again provided a great opportunity for a great actress to cut loose.
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Laura is a complex figure. She is caring, and early on, we get shades of that loving, motherly vibe Hawkins has done so well in the past, with the “Paddington” movies serving as great examples. Even her brief time in “Wonka” is all the more impactful because Hawkins makes the most of those scenes. But Laura is also rather quirky, and it’s quickly made clear there’s more to her than what’s on the surface. Where Hawkins really shines is when it comes to slowly revealing just what’s going on underneath.
Sally Hawkins lived and breathed her character in Bring Her Back
Again, no spoilers, but get ready for some big surprises in that department, surprises that Hawkins commits to rather admirably. I won’t go so far as to say diving deeper into the specifics of what Laura gets up to in the film would be like spoiling the twist in “The Others,” but it would be a detriment to viewers.
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What I can say is that Hawkins has to bring layers upon layers to the proceedings, from portraying a fun, loving mom, to some of the most powerful (and distressing) portrayals of grief one is likely to come across in cinema. It’s a lot, and she never gives it anything but her all. “She just lived and breathed the character,” Danny said with Michael later adding, “You could always just keep recording because she would never break character.”
The directors also added that it was, at times, “scary” to approach her because she was so in the performance. The Philippou Brothers also revealed that the actress pretty much never broke character while they were filming. At times, that made things interesting. As they explained…
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“Sally Hawkins was dressing the set and buying things and putting things into the set. She would buy items as Laura and give them to the production designer.”
Needless to say, that level of commitment shines through on screen. This isn’t some toxic level of method acting. This was all in service of the movie, which is elevated greatly by Hawkins. The cast, which also includes Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, and Sally-Anne Upton, all appeared to up their game in response to Hawkins. I don’t want to get too ahead of myself, but this feels like one we’re going to be talking about quite a bit as the year rolls on.
“Bring Her Back” hits theaters on May 30, 2025.
