Movie review
May 28, 2025 · 104 min · R
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Bring Her Back follows step-siblings Andy and Piper after their father's sudden death. They enter foster care with Laura, a woman hiding an occult ritual meant to resurrect her own lost daughter. The film delivers bleak supernatural horror centered on grief, family bonds, and ritual terror through practical effects and strong performances. No identity-driven themes, political messaging, or representation-first framing appear in the story, marketing, or reception.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Bring Her Back.
Woke representation / casting
Features a visually impaired character whose traits serve the horror plot and a naturally multicultural Australian cast; no identity signaling, swaps, or mismatches with the story world.
Woke political dialogue
Occasional grief and trauma references fit standard horror conventions; no activist framing or institutional lectures.
Identity-driven story themes
Core narrative stays on personal loss, sibling loyalty, and supernatural ritual with no race, gender, sexuality, or identity politics.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Foster care isolation heightens personal madness and grief for horror effect; no modern activist critique of systems, patriarchy, or Western norms.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant. Original story.
Production
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
No public complaints accusing the film of woke, DEI, or identity politics messaging; coverage shows complete absence of such debate.
Creator track record context
Philippou brothers focus on personal trauma-inspired horror with zero activist history; producers note socially relevant stories but show no recurring identity-driven or DEI pattern.
