Bring Her Back is an upcoming psychological horror film written and directed by Australian twin filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou, marking their second feature with A24 following the commercial success of Talk to Me in 2023. The film is scheduled to release in theaters on May 30, 2025.
Bring Her Back follows the story of a brother and sister who witness a disturbing ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother. The cast includes Sally Hawkins, Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Jonah Wren Phillips, and Sally-Anne Upton.
According to a Fangoria report dated March 31, 2025, the filmmakers described Bring Her Back as a “spiritual successor” to Talk to Me, with both scripts originally written at the same time and characters once interchanged.
As per Deadline’s March 31, 2025, article, the film draws from personal experiences of grief and loss, with a stronger focus on psychological themes compared to their debut. The production is nearly complete, with final touches on sound design underway ahead of its theatrical release.
Has Bring Her Back announced a release date yet?
Yes, Bring Her Back is officially slated for a theatrical release on May 30, 2025. This date was confirmed across multiple platforms, including Bloody Disgusting and Deadline reports dated March 31, 2025.
According to Deadline's March 31, 2025, coverage, the Philippou brothers revealed during an A24-hosted preview event in Los Angeles that the film is currently in post-production, with “final touches” in sound design and music underway.
They described Bring Her Back as a “spiritual successor” to Talk to Me, with both scripts developed concurrently and some characters even swapped between the two at one stage of writing.
In a separate Fangoria report dated March 31, 2025, the filmmakers said they were 95% finished with the project and expected to complete it within weeks. During the same event, attendees were shown exclusive scenes and the first trailer, though plot details remain minimal. The official synopsis reads:
“A brother and sister witness a terrifying ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother.”
The May 30 release follows an earlier rollout in Australia on May 29, as noted by Polygon on February 20, 2025. It continues A24’s collaboration with the Philippous, who are also set to direct Talk to Me 2 in the future.
What will Bring Her Back be all about?
Bring Her Back centers on a brother and sister who encounter a disturbing ritual at the isolated residence of their new foster mother. While the synopsis remains intentionally minimal, the film is described as a character-driven psychological horror story that builds on similar themes explored in Talk to Me.
According to a Deadline report dated March 31, 2025, directors Danny and Michael Philippou revealed that Bring Her Back was written at the same time as Talk to Me, and at one point, the scripts even featured interchangeable characters.
The narrative focuses on grief, loss, and the emotional toll of unresolved trauma. Danny Philippou explained that a personal family tragedy, specifically, the death of their cousin’s young child, inspired the film’s core idea. He stated,
“The idea of a never-ending grief cycle is terrifying to me.”
As per a Fangoria report dated March 31, 2025, the brothers emphasized that the film leans deeper into psychological elements, with scenes designed to explore the emotional state of its characters rather than relying solely on horror tropes. Michael Philippou noted that the film is “a lot more grim” than their debut and also “a lot more gruesome.”
The film’s mythology was developed from unconventional research, including interviews with people who believe in occult practices. Danny Philippou recounted going undercover as “Trevor” to study obscure resurrection beliefs, as shared during A24’s preview event.
Overall, Bring Her Back is positioned as an intimate, grief-driven horror film that uses supernatural elements to examine how far people might go to recover from emotional devastation.
Stay tuned for more updates.