Bring Her Back: Good, but not Great
Bring Her Back was a hard movie to review. On one hand, it is hard to not walk into this movie with sky high expectations after watching Talk to Me, but on the other hand with the resources the directors receive is it not a little fair to expect them to step up the game.
The Good
- Visual Effects: You will squirm in your seat and gasp.
- Actor Performances: Child actors who can act and Sally Hawkins can act
- Striking Themes: You can tell the film directors wanted to tackle complex themes that provoke mixed feelings in the audience
The Bad
- No Clear Direction: This is a bit of an unfair criticism, but still relevant and distinctly impacted my viewing experience negatively. Talk to Me was very clear on who we were following, where we were going, and what the outcome we wanted to see. Bring Her Back is not. It is intended to play into its theme of grief, but it feels more confusing than satisfying or thought provoking
- Shirking Horror Tropes, Unless It's Convenient: The film abandons horror tropes that would feel satisfying and help us follow a clear character direction (plot, purpose, progress), but still leans on cheesy tropes like miscommunication or characters suddenly choosing the most risky options to move the story forward.
Overall, I would wait to stream it at home and do not expect it to rise to the heights of Talk to Me, but far from a poor movie.