Always Good Movies

Direction: Danny and Michael Philippou
Country: Australia

The Philippou Brothers, who stirred up some frisson with their debut Talk To Me (2022), strike again with Bring Her Back, finding further creepiness in morbid rituals and macabre video recordings. The story, co-written by Danny and Bill Hinzman, follows orphaned step-siblings Andy (Billy Barratt) and visually impaired Piper (first-timer Sora Wong). They are placed in foster care under the supervision of Laura (Sally Hawkins), a grief-stricken former counselor who becomes dangerously unhinged. She also cares for Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips), a sinister mute child insensible to pain.

More creepy than outright scary, Bring Her Back possesses a fierce brutality and visceral desperation that kept me watching. The Philippous have a gift for crafting atmospherics, establishing a sustained mood of uneasiness. They don’t shy away from the rough stuff, striving to bring extra layers to the genre, though leaving viewers emotionally drained in the process.

Hawkins, forever remembered for Mike Leigh’s comedy Happy-Go-Lucky (2008) and Del Toro’s fantasy The Shape of Water (2017), delivers a terrific first foray into horror. She even performs her own stunts here. Bring Her Back will probably stick in your gut for a little while, and don't be surprised if you walk away feeling hollow inside. This aggressively ferocious horror flick pushes cruelty to the edge, and is certainly not for the faint of heart.

Direction: Stephen Frears
Country: UK

Although historically interesting, The Lost King is academic in many aspects, which is upsetting since it comes from Stephen Frears, an experienced director whose major works include Philomena (2013), The Queen (2006), Dirty Pretty Things (2002), and Dangerous Liaisons (1988). Stumbling in a faulty staging, this classically crafted film inspired by an incredible true story, tries too hard to please the audience, but it shrieks as it aims for that middle bar that pushes everything into comedic context.

This is the story of Philippa Langley (Sally Hawkins), a mother of two with chronic fatigue syndrome whose determination and subjective intuition lead her to the spot where the cursed King Richard III was buried. His body had never been found since his disappearance in the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. Guided by passion and obsession, and having fleeting dialogues with the ghost of the king (Harry Lloyd) while roaming through the streets of Edinburgh, she succeeded where many have failed.

Steve Coogan, who also stars as the protagonist’s supportive ex-husband, co-wrote this infinitely modest autobiographical drama with Jeff Pope, never missing an opportunity to adorn the situations with a dash of British humor.

The dragging first half makes it harder for us to fully enjoy what comes next, and by the time the story reaches its climax, all my excitement has been drained away. All those cynical opportunists, tough sponsors, and difficult excavations don’t emanate enough tension, with Frears struggling to give a consistent rhythm to the storytelling as well as to find a distinctive style. One of those cases where the tedium outweighed the anticipation.