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CBC
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
Bring Her Back proves even great horrors aren't horrifying anymore
Do movies have the ability to scare us anymore? This is not a question of whether they can disturb us. The early 2000s evolution to violence-based endurance cinema via Saw, Hostel and The Human Centipede proved we still cringe at the worst depictions of gore. The more recent turn to cultural commentary via horror metaphor — as seen in The Substance, Sinners and The Invisible Man — proves we are still at least passingly interested in horror as a vehicle for something deeper. After all, what's more cutting than to suggest that racism, colonialism and misogyny are the actual boogeymen of today — and that these, unlike vampires, are shockingly real? But for those films that still try to achieve the genre's original goal of making us shudder at what goes bump in the night, perhaps their work is cut out for them. That includes Michael and Danny Philippou's new A24 production, Bring Her Back. The follow-up to their 2022 viral smash Talk To Me, it's a visually beautiful and cinematically stylish outing, though it may be better viewed as a blood-drenched drama rather than pure horror. Another supernatural thriller à la The Exorcist, its slick excesses are sure to garner critical and audience approval, even if one can effectively guess at the general beats of its possession plot about 15 minutes after its unfortunate stars amble in together. WATCH | Bring Her Back trailer: That's because, like its recent predecessors, Bring Her Back isn't among the meta-fictional outcropping of horrors. Those offerings — like Ready or Not, Cabin in the Woods or Happy Death Day — eschew fear entirely, to instead cleverly point out, and joyfully subvert, just how formulaic the genre has become. Instead, as its marketing would suggest, Bring Her Back goes for something closer to horror's increasingly elusive original promise. Following blind teen Piper (Sora Wong) and step-brother Andy (Billy Barratt) shortly after the death of their father, the "her" of Bring Her Back 's title takes a bit of doing to get to. First, we're greeted by manically kind foster mother Laura (Sally Hawkins), her creepily mute foster son Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips) and her deeply unsettling stuffed dog. But as Laura bristles at Andy's plan to apply for guardianship of his sister when he turns 18, the foreboding atmosphere quickly ramps up. There's something wrong with Oliver; his dead-eyed stare and attempts to wrestle with their cat can't be right. There's something off with Andy; his bed-wetting, dead-to-the-world drooling sleep and hallucinations of his dead father suggest as much. And most of all, there's something worrying with Laura; her thinly disguised obsession with Piper — and even less disguised disapproval of Andy — is clearly covering something more sinister. There is a creeping, malevolent wrongness in that house, bubbling up from just barely beneath the surface. Though, again, all but the most horror-averse will likely piece together what's hiding under that surface no longer than about 10 minutes after the character archetypes establish themselves. There is the innocent lamb here, the penitent but sin-stained martyr there, and the ill-advised deals with the devil that can only ever go one way for those foolish enough to enter into them. That's compounded by an ending that feels like a step back from the edge, an at-once predictable yet vaguely disappointing finale that undercuts its own message. This kind of failsafe turn, while something of a relief from the unrelentingly dour atmosphere up until then, also feels like the Philippous are unable to trust that their audience knows what kind of movie they've agreed to. But this type of ending is not rare for mainstream horror, a genre that isn't quite willing to alienate all but its most die-hard fans. And it also isn't enough to ruin what has come already, predictable as it may be. It at least occasionally shocks through the gore, namely through its blood-drenched, toothy crunches — almost more horrifying when you hold your hands in front of your face to be assaulted solely by the sound. Unsettling cinema However, overall — through both its atmosphere and the dare-you-to-watch marketing — Bring Her Back means to unsettle. It is overwhelmingly the strategy of the modern, "straight-scary" movie. Films that, at least on their face, exist solely to push us to imagine things that make real life pale in comparison — that are so awfully, bitterly, shockingly unsettling we check under the bed before going to sleep — are vanishingly few now. Or more accurately, vanishingly effective. That's likely due to the same reason that flashing ankles or showing married couples sleeping in the same bed is unlikely to titillate or provoke nowadays. We are so inundated with real-life stories of horrors — and so used to the once-new medium of cinema that our cognition is evolving with it — that actually scaring adults who are looking for fear has become a virtually impossible dragon to slay. That doesn't mean conjuring fear is forever out of filmmakers' reach: There are always the infrequent watchers, still spooked easily enough to increase the hype around new releases. And the trite jump scare — of which Bring Her Back thankfully is mostly absent — is an easy gimmick to make most watchers flinch. But for the vast swaths of other mainstream straight horrors, there's really only one strategy going forward. Oz Perkins used it in his bait-and-switch crime drama Long Legs, as did Kyle Edward Ball for the ingeniously confusing Skinamarink: It's to openly lie in your ads. To use viral marketing and social media to promise the most unsettling theatrical experience of your life; to assure audiences that they'll scarcely be able to sit through the stunningly suspenseful agony without screaming, passing out or running for the exit. Audiences aren't the delicate, ankle-sensitive viewers they once were. So filmmakers have to instead aim to trigger similar — though still distinct — emotions in them to at least pretend to deliver on their marketed promise. Whether shame, disgust, pity or just general discomfort, more and more, true horror movies opt to act as violation simulators to elicit the visceral reactions that draw people in. That is overwhelmingly true of Bring Her Back, a horror touted as eminently scary, but which is more eminently unsettling for how forcefully it makes its audiences sit through the various violations of social contracts and basic trust. Piper, our blind character, is repeatedly lied to about her surroundings by those she relies on to tell the truth. Andy's hulking masculinity is routinely used against him, as characters purposely misrepresent his behaviour as violent and threatening. And the most basic social contract — that adults should protect children — is so consistently and totally violated it becomes the uncomfortable thesis upon which the entire narrative rests. It's a dominant and unrelenting theme that, while not triggering fear, makes you squirm nonetheless. It is a strange but common thing, then, to say that though it is not really frightening, Bring Her Back is one of the best modern horror movies in ages.
The Sun
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Channel 5 fans ‘scared to go to bed' after watching Robson Green's new thriller – but that's not the biggest complaint
CHANNEL 5 fans 'scared to go to bed' after watching Robson Green's new thriller - but that's not the biggest complaint. The Game stars W1A star Jason Watkins as a retired detective called Huw Miller. 5 The former police officer remains haunted by one of his previous cases which remains unsolved. The open mystery on Channel 5 involved a sadistic serial killer who was nicknamed the Ripton Stalker. However, Patrick Harbottle (Robson Green) moves in next door with shocking repercussions. Miller is caught completely by surprise when his new neighbour repeats the killer's catchphrase. The officer is certain that he has finally cracked the case and caught the wanted man at large. Many viewers of the growing commercial network took to social media as they claimed they were struggling to watch the 'scary drama'. Writing on X - formerly known as Twitter - one fan stated: "Just watched Ep 2 and it really gets into your head !! Episode 3 behind the sofa!" A second claimed: "TheGame finding it a bit scary tbh, in fact, watched a fair bit through my fingers tonight." "Jason Watkins and Robson Green - a thrilling thriller - but I'm now too scared to go to bed!," wrote a third. However, the frightening aspect of the show isn't even the worst complaint for TV viewers. Grantchester fans stunned as Emmerdale favourite makes appearance alongside Robson Green Robson, 60, is known for his high-profile detective roles in Wire in the Blood and Grantchester. Many fans of the star could not believe that he was cast as the main antagonist in the new series. Another user commented: "Really enjoying this series #TheGame but I don't like #RobsonGreene being the bad guy. He's so lovely. Brilliant acting by both him and #JasonWatkins." "Is it just me, or wouldn't the casting have made more sense with Robson as the detective and Jason Watkins as the stalker? Tony Hill can't be the bad guy!," posted someone else. Top Channel 5 dramas Channel 5 has become a hub for gripping drama, these are some of the best My5 has to offer. All Creatures Great and Small - Based on the best-selling novels by real-life vet Alf Wright, the show revolves around a trio of vets working in the Yorkshire Dales in the late 1930s. Eccentric Siegfried Farnon (Samuel West) hires James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph) for his veterinary practice at Skeldale House alongside himself and his younger brother Tristan (Callum Woodhouse). There James settles into his new life and even finds love with local farmer's daughter Helen (Rachel Shenton). The Ex-Wife - New parents Tasha (Céline Buckens) and Jack (Tom Misson) seem to have the perfect life, but the constant presence of Jack's overly friendly but suspicious ex-wife Jen (Janet Montgomery) puts pressure on the couple. But as the series progresses it becomes less clear who the bad guy really is and how far everyone will go to get the life they think they deserve. Heat - EastEnders alum Danny Dyer leads this four-part action thriller, set in Australia, which sees two families holidaying together during bushfire season. But instead of rest and relaxation, secrets and lies start to unravel — and not everyone will make it out alive… Lie With Me - Another soap legend jets off to Australia, this time its EastEnders alum Charlie Brooks who takes as a married woman trying to saving her marriage by moving halfway around the world after her husband had an affair. However it's far from plain sailing, as a young and attractive live-in nanny comes to work with the Fallmont family, and tensions soon build and eventually, someone ends up dead. The Drowning - Jill Halfpenny plays Jodie, a woman whose life is shattered following the disappearance of her beloved four-year-old son, Daniel. However, ten years later, the grieving mother thinks she's finally found her missing child, and embarks on a journey to discover the truth about him. But has she really just found the son she has been missing for so long? And a sixth watcher added: "I can't believe the lovely #RobsonGreen has me watching from behind a cushion." 5 5 5
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Jaime Chapman: Glamorous women's footy star lashes out over fake AI photo of her in a revealing outfit
NRLW star Jaime Chapman has lashed out online after being targeted in a deepfake photo attack, revealing it's not the first time someone has used AI to produce a doctored photograph of her. The 23-year-old took to Instagram on Monday to slam the 'scary' and 'damaging' effect the deepfake images have had on her. 'Have a good day to everyone except those who make fake ai photos of other people,' she wrote. 'AI is scary these days. 'Next time think of how damaging this can be to someone and their loved ones. 'This has happened a few times now and it needs to stop.' Her words were accompanied by what appears to be the original image that was subsequently doctored. Before it became the subject of a deepfake, the photo showed Chapman taking a selfie as she sat on a bed in a gold bikini. Chapman's comments come shortly after she helped cement her place as one of the biggest stars in the women's game by helping NSW smash Queensland 32-12 in the opening match of this year's State of Origin series. After first cracking the big time with the Cronulla Sharks as a teenager in 2019, she has gone on to star for the Dragons, Broncos and now Gold Coast in the NRLW. Chapman has gone on to represent the Blues five times, while also starring for the Jillaroos national side and Indigenous All Stars in five matches. Earlier this year she opened up about her battle to return to the field after breaking one of the vertebrae in her lower back while playing for the Indigenous team in February this year. Scans the following day revealed the fracture - and for the next fortnight, Chapman barely moved as she looked to recover as quick as possible. 'I've never broken a bone before, so [it was a] pretty hectic one,' she said. 'It was quite painful. The way I pulled up extremely sore the next day I knew something was wrong. 'I was stressed about Origin, will I be OK for NRLW....[in the end] I was very lucky with the type of break that it was and where it was.' Her status as one of the biggest names for the NSW team could lead to some awkward moments with her boyfriend, Dolphins star Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, who plays on the wing for Queensland in men's Origin. 'It'll be pretty weird when it comes around,' Tabuai-Fidow said before the women's interstate series kicked off this year. 'But she's got my support.' Chapman said she will back Tabuai-Fidow when he runs out for the Maroons, despite being on opposite ends of the game's fiercest rivalry. 'I'll support him no matter what he does and no matter what team he plays for,' she said. 'I'll be going for him... but not the Maroons.' The pair became arguably footy's most popular couple when their relationship became public last December. Fellow representative women's players Jessica Sergis and Kezie Apps responded with love-heart emojis, while numerous footy fans also weighed in on the glamour couple. 'Most athletic child in the world,' one supporter wrote in response, as they referenced the couple's famed athleticism when clutching a Steeden. Another said: 'Move over Nathan & Mary', a cheeky comparison to Panthers superstar Nathan Cleary and his girlfriend, Matildas and Manchester City attacking ace Mary Fowler.
