Horror directing duo Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou are back for another round of scares with Bring Her Back. The film follows Piper, a vision-impaired teenager played by Sora Wong, and her older brother Andy, played by Billy Barratt. After the death of their father, the two are forced to live with a foster parent, played by Sally Hawkins.
Danny says the senses play a major role in how they filmed the movie.
“There was a visual language for every character, and there was also an audio language that, like, accompanied everyone,” says Danny. “With Piper, to really get close up on the hand and convey touch.”
Wong is a person with low vision, which Barratt says played a role in how the two formed their onscreen sibling bond as Piper and Andy.
“There were days where she’d wear, like, a mask so it blocked her vision completely, and we’d link arms and I’d sort of practice telling her what our surroundings were,” Barratt says.
Bring Her Back is Wong’s first acting credit.
“At the start, I think I couldn’t disassociate myself with Piper, and that’s, like, not great because you can get lost in the character,” says Wong. “Towards the end it was like I could become me, and then I could turn into Piper.”
Bring Her Back follows Danny and Michael’s 2022 film, Talk to Me, and both feature important scenes set at a house party. Danny tells ABC Audio it’s important to show characters having fun, even under horrific circumstances.
“I like that both films have a montage that in one lens you can look at it and go, ‘Oh, that’s really fun.’ And then you look at it through another lens, you’re like, ‘Actually that’s a little bit messed up,’” he says.
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