Bring Her Back: Gaslighting, Grief & Sally Hawkins’ Amazing Performance

At the premiere of A24’s newest horror offering, “Bring Her Back“, TopMob had a chance to chat with the filmmakers and actors about the chilling storyline. This is the second full-length production by Danny and Michael Philippou, who previously achieved great success with their film, “Talk to Me“.

In a chilling narrative, I found myself drawn into the story of two orphaned siblings who find themselves in the care of a seemingly benevolent foster mother. It didn’t take long to realize that their new life was far from normal and shrouded in an eerie sense of unease.

The following is a compilation of the individuals we had the opportunity to converse with: Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou (co-directors), Billy Barratt (playing Andy), Sora Wong (Piper), Jonah Wren Phillips (Oliver), and Mischa Heywood (Cathy).

Bring Her Back Directors on Exploring Gaslighting and Grief

“We’re Always Tapping Into Things That Freak You Out or Scare You.”

TopMob: “There’s a lot going on in this movie. You have an exploration of grief, you have possession, but you also have, what I found interesting, is gaslighting, which kind of plays a big part in some of the relationships. Can you explain how that, you know, enhances the story that you guys are telling?”

Danny Philippou: You often delve into things that unsettle or alarm you. The concept of a psychologist who possesses the ability to heal and aid others, yet could potentially harm them instead, is truly chilling. This idea served as one of the key inspirations for the movie.

Michael Philippou: The concept originated from discussions with a visually impaired friend’s sister, focusing on truth, deception, what one perceives, what one doesn’t, and trust. Sally Hawkins, in turn, excels in creating confusion and controlling situations through deceit.

Danny: [Danny] She rules over everything, Sally is an exceptional actress, we adore her immensely.

TopMob: “With exploring grief, were there any tropes or just things that you just didn’t really want to do when you were tackling this story?”

Danny Philippou: Essentially, you don’t start with a mindset of going against common trends. Instead, it’s all about making the story your own… That was the narrative that resonated with us at the moment. That was the tale we wanted to share. So it’s just about staying true to yourself… in the process of storytelling.

Michael Philippou: Indeed, it’s a balance between entertaining the crowd with content they enjoy, while simultaneously staying true to your own authentic self in the presentation.
When we undertook “Talk to Me,” there was a possibility it would be taken up by a major distributor, however, certain changes were required. Yet, we opted to remain authentic to our selves and this is what resulted in the creation of “Talk to Me” as it is today.
It’s kind of following that same road, [trying to] make something that feels authentic to us.

Billy Barratt and Sora Wong On Their Character’s Sibling Connection in Bring Her Back

Andy and Piper Share an Unbreakable Bond in the Film

TopMob: “You have a great sibling relationship in this movie. Can you talk about just what you did to help explore and develop that sibling relationship, both on and off set?”

Billy Barratt: For about two weeks prior to production, Sora [Wong] and I spent most of our time together, simply enjoying each other’s company. This period, essentially, served as a bonding experience for us. We grew close, developing a strong friendship, and also discovered the dynamic of a brother-sister relationship during this time. It was an excellent method to get acquainted before diving into our roles.

As a devoted movie enthusiast, in preparation for our upcoming film, I spent two weeks immersing myself in the role. To fully comprehend the experience of my visually impaired character, I wore a goalball blindfold throughout these days. My trusted companion, Billy, who always guides Piper, took on this task with me. We walked side by side, linked arm in arm, and he led me around. This unique exercise, I believe, significantly strengthened our connection, providing a deeper understanding of each other’s challenges and triumphs.

Bring Her Back Cast on Everyone’s Unique Relation to Sally Hawkins’ Laura

Laura is a Little Messed Up, Even If Everyone Can’t See It.

In the movie “Bring Her Back“, Sally Hawkins portrays Laura, a character who eventually assumes the role of the children’s guardian, specifically Andy and Piper.

Billy Barratt, the actor portraying Andy, shed light on TopMob about why his character’s bond with Laura is not all smiles and bright skies.

Billy Barratt: Essentially, she seems to prefer Piper over Andy. In her view, Andy is more like an unwanted intruder or parasite. Consequently, she uses psychological tactics to try and drive a wedge between them. This situation likely makes Andy feel very isolated.
During the filming, I truly experienced that emotion. However, once they yelled “cut,” everything returned to normal again, just as expected. It’s fascinating, though, because Sally maintained her character even then, as mentioned earlier.
We had a fantastic rapport with Sally. In fact, I adore her dearly as she is genuinely kind-hearted. However, on rare occasions, there were humorous comments that seemed to remind me of Andy in an unusual way, making me feel somewhat like myself again.

Although Andy’s bond with Laura appears weak, on the contrary, there’s a strong connection between Sora Wong and his sister, Piper, who has partial sight.

It’s clear that Piper and Laura have a great friendship, as they seem to click well together. Moreover, Piper is eager to find someone to replace a lost loved one, and she sees those qualities in Laura. However, Andy notices that something seems amiss with Laura, suggesting there might be more to her than meets the eye, which Piper struggles to accept, given her belief in Laura’s goodness.

Additionally, there’s Jonah Wren Phillips’ dog named Ollie, who was already living in the house when Andy and Piper arrive. Laura informs them that Jonah is selectively mute and under her care. However, it becomes apparent to Andy from the beginning that something seems unusual about him:

In simpler terms, Laura heavily depends on Jonah Wren Phillips because he is crucial to her – he makes everything possible for her. However, there’s also a sense of fear towards him. This dynamic between them is quite intriguing, as it involves both dependence and fear.

In the movie, Mischa Heywood portrays Laura’s deceased daughter. This tragic event occurred before the storyline unfolds. As a child, Mischa admired Sally Hawkins greatly, so working alongside her was an incredibly strange and memorable experience for the actress.

Mischa Heywood found encountering Sally to be my most bizarre film experience as she portrayed my on-screen mother. It was mind-blowing because, after all, I used to watch her in ‘Paddington,’ so to see her in person was quite a shock. Not only was she fantastic to work with, but the whole situation felt incredibly surreal to me. I remember thinking, “What is going on?” as she stood before me, someone I’d admired on screen for years, who was dedicated and hardworking. Improvisation with her turned out to be a delightful experience that I truly enjoyed. In short, it was fantastic.

The full red carpet interviews for Bring Her Back can be seen here:

A24’s Bring Her Back hits theaters on May 30 worldwide.

2025-05-19 20:36