This post was updated June 1 at 12:22 p.m.

Editor’s note: This review contains depictions of abuse and mental health that may be disturbing to some readers.

Warning: spoilers ahead.

“Bring Her Back” is a visceral horror that keeps audiences wanting more.

Brothers Danny and Michael Philippou – the box-office-breaking directors of 2022’s “Talk to Me” – came back Friday to deliver another devastating horror to audiences. The story follows two siblings – Andy (Billy Barratt) and Piper (Sora Wong) – who move into their foster parent Laura’s (Sally Hawkins) house after the sudden death of their father. Laura quickly sees a kindred spirit in Piper, leaving Andy to notice the odd happenings between Laura and his new foster brother Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips). Andy realizes that Laura’s bubbly attitude hides a desperate interior hell-bent on using Piper and a supernatural ritual to bring her daughter Cathy (Mischa Heywood) back to her. The film balances the precarious emotions of grief and love through its intricate script and haunting acting.

The center of the film revolves around Andy and Piper, who excel at being a likable and relatable duo. Where “Bring Her Back” differs from “Talk to Me” is its bleak bittersweetness. The audience sees the deep love between the two characters and wants nothing more than for them to escape the horrors that lie ahead.

The actors play off each other well, with both going through the confusion and distrust Laura sows but ultimately loving and trying to save each other. Their bond feels natural, with both characters feeling real and raw. This is especially impressive considering “Bring Her Back” is Wong’s debut film. This phenomenal acting is mirrored in Laura’s and Oliver’s character developments in the film.

Laura is a methodical and calculated villain who slowly reveals her true intentions for her charges. Laura instills feelings of dread and anger in the audience instead of a deep terror like a traditional slasher or grindhouse film would. The character pokes and prods Andy toward a psychotic break by strategically using her background as a counselor to make him out to be Piper’s abuser, granting Laura complete custody. She does not break through doors or enact physical violence for the sake of it but instead slowly inches her victims closer to the edge through a facade of comfort and wisdom.

Hawkins shines in her depiction of Laura with the ability to showcase her as a complex, nuanced woman struck with grief. The script calls for Hawkins to be manipulatively nice, cunning, and then manic and desperate within minutes of each other. She nails it every time, taking the audience on a terrifying ride of tension – and leaving it wondering what she’s willing to do next as the stakes get worse. She is also able to depict the small moments of regret and indecision Laura has through subtle movements or facial expressions. This ability to embody a character that is so easily disliked but understandable makes Hawkins’ performance all the more praiseworthy.

Phillips also shines in his depiction of Oliver. He fully commits to the unnerving characteristics of Oliver’s possessed form, with his small body moving robotically and ceaselessly through the physical pain of his supernatural entrapment. When Oliver does break through, we see a terrified, traumatized child – a vast difference from the character the audience is used to. Each actor gives their role their all.

The film starts as a supernatural thriller and descends into fleshy, anguished horror by its end. As Laura’s well-planned ritual begins to be broken by Andy’s growing distrust and Oliver’s intense aggression, the film builds up to its ultimate conclusion. More and more of the supernatural ritual is revealed, finally settling into the frenzied climax of its performance. The audience sits with bated breath and is left feeling a bit empty at its bleak conclusion. The horror and tension culminate in a feeling of quiet, sad dread.

This bittersweet ending is both grounded in the reality of the film and a bit disappointing. “Bring Her Back” ends, and the audience is left hoping for more from its conclusion. The film is filled with great practical effects – keeping the audience on edge with its body horror – and has a great score, with a mix of hair-raising acoustics and fast-paced techno. The film keeps you seated throughout with its well-paced terror, making the viewer feel like seconds have passed despite its hour-and-44-minute running time.

“Bring Her Back” excels in bringing supernatural horror and terror to the big screen.