A24 has reteamed with Talk to Me creators Danny and Michael Philippou for their next horror film, Bring Her Back. The indie distributor debuted the first teaser on Wednesday and it's just as unsettling and bleak as one might expect from the Talk to Me directors.
Showing only brief snippets from the movie with some clever wordplay, the teaser does an exceptional job at establishing the film's unnerving tone, without giving away critical plot details. However, the official logline is as follows: "A brother and sister uncover a terrifying ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother."
Based on some of the imagery shown in the video, I'm going to hazard a guess that star Sally Hawkins plays a desperate mother attempting to do whatever it takes to bring back her deceased child. IndieWire suggests that Hawkins' character will sacrifice her foster children as part of a dark ritual.
Clips shown in the teaser indicate that necromancy might be at play, so the outlet's theory does seem like a strong possibility. In the teaser, we're shown things like a funeral for an unknown man, Hawkins' character dragging her bloodstained hand across a window, and a naked man stepping into a ritualistic circle with a young girl. The phrases used in the teaser read "let me die," "let me out," and "let her die." Hawkins screams "he's going to bring her back."
Another clip of interest shows an unknown figure cutting someone's hair with scissors. Whoever is doing the cutting has painted nails and is holding a photo of the man from the funeral. Are they cutting his hair from his body as it lies in the coffin?
Lots of questions and plenty of fodder for theories, all of the hallmarks of a great teaser that intrigues but doesn't spoil.
Hawkins is an Academy Award-nominated actress best known for her work in movies like the Best Picture-winning sci-fi fantasy film The Shape of Water and Blue Jasmine. She's joined in the cast by Billy Barratt (Invasion). Jonah Wren Phillips, Sally-Anne Upton, Stephen Phillips, Sora Wong, and Liam Damons also star.
The film has not yet been rated, but I'd be surprised if it wasn't rated R. A24 previously shared the first poster for Bring Her Back, included below. It shows a blood-smeared pane of glass with the words "bring her back" written in the condensation.
Bring Her Back will be released in theaters on May 30.