A brother and sister uncover a terrifying ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother. Following up their breakout horror hit, Talk To Me, Danny and Michael Phillipou are back with Bring Her Back. Leading up to the films release on May 29, Nick L’Barrow spoke with the directing duo about the technical changes they made for their second feature, and the body horror moments in cinema that have made them squirm the most.
Nick: I would love to start with a nerdy, technical question. Talk To Me was shot in 2.79, and Bring Her Back has been blown up to the 1.85 aspect ratio. I’m curious to know what led to the decision to shoot this film in a different aspect ratio?
Danny Phillipou: I know that we wanted to open up the aspect ratio in certain scene, and I didn’t want it to be noticeable. I didn’t want you to see it, but I wanted you to feel it. So, there’s moments of the film where it opens up and hopefully the experience is something that feels more full, and it feels like you’re completely engrossed. And there’s a moment where it feels like Laura is in this euphoric state, and she’s turning back time. That’s definitely one of the reasons.
Nick: It looks incredible, and there’s a shot in particular where two characters are looking at each other through a window, and their faces reflect off of each other so viscerally. Are those visual moments in there in the script, or do they evolve as you both come up with the visual language of the film together?
Danny Phillipou: Yeah, it’s one of those things where you have a vague idea when you’re writing it. But once you get the whole team together, and collaborating with Aaron McLisky [cinematographer]– reflections were so much a part of this film, and rain was so much a part of this film, so I love the process of finding the visual language for each of the characters.
Like with Piper, these close ups of her hand to really convey touch and give that sensory experience. Or like the zoom lenses to portray Oliver’s out of body experiences from behind his head. I love that we’re not following one character’s point of view in the film. We’re jumping between four and having different things that tie to each character is fun to do.
Michael Phillipou: I see it more in the performances. The first time that I read it, I see it as a movie in my head, but I’m not really focused on the shots. It’s more the performances and if the characters are bouncing off each other. Does it all make sense? Does it feel real?
And then once the script is locked, then you start talking about the visual language. That’s when all of that stuff starts coming in. This process though was so different to Talk To Me. One thing I did focus on was getting the music in earlier, because in Talk To Me, the music was decided at the end, and it was hard to find music that fit. They had just six weeks, and that felt unfair because every other department had all this runway time, pre production and production. So, I wanted to start the process of the music earlier, and give our composer, Cornel Wilczek, the script early. Then he sent like two demos of what he thought the sound was. And we used that on set as well.
Nick: Speaking of music, I’ll never hear Untouched by The Veronicas in the same way again!
Danny and Michael: [laugh]
Nick: You both mentioned the performances and characters, and the entire cast are fantastic in this. How much do those characters evolve from the page once people like Sally Hawkins and Billy Barratt come on board the film?
Danny Phillipou: It’s allowing them to really be themselves, and controlling the character to the point where they can change dialogue, or they can pick what the character is wearing, or whatever elements they can bring into these roles that makes them feel more real and lived in. So, yeah, they evolved very much so from the script.
Michael Phillipou: They changed so much in the edit as well. Way more than Talk To Me. This was a much more complicated edit. The movie is made three times – when you write it, when you shoot it, and when you edit it. And this one, in the edit, really changed things.
Danny Phillipou: Definitely handballing between the different perspectives. Finding the righ time to show what and when.
Michael Phillipou: We actually shot a bit more stuff just to have it there as we found the structure in a certain way. It was very complicated.
Nick: When you’re finding parts of that structure in the script, do you find that the narrative is formed by character decisions, or with a story that has so much lore and backstory to it, do you mold the characters into the beats you want them to follow?
Danny Phillipou: It all comes down to the collaboration that I have with my co-writer, Bill Hinzman. It’s always like a back and forth in all of these different moments, and scenes, and elements. You write conversations, or you write a set-piece, and it’s all in this sphere floating around. And eventually, they land and create a path!
It’s one of my favourite parts of the process – screenwriting. Because you can go anywhere. You can do anything. There’s no limitations on anything. So, in that part of the process, you make sure it works as a drama film. You make sure it works as a horror film. And then let’s focus on the backstory and the lore, and then build outside of that. It’s such a stimulating process.
Nick: I’ll wrap up on this – I’ll never look at knives the same way after that scene. And body horror is definitely an element of this film with these cringe-inducing, squirmish moments. I’m curious to know what movie moments have made you squirm as much as I did during the knife scene in this film?
Michael Phillipou: My one is from a film called Nymphomaniac. The coat hanger…
Danny Phillipou: I actually haven’t seen that, so I’m yet to experience it.
Michael Phillipou: Yeah, that coat hanger scene is horrific. That’s probably the only time I’ve watched something where I’ve gone, “Oh my God!” I’ve never looked at coat hangers the same way!
Nick: You’ve never hung up your clothes since…
Michael Phillipou: [laughs] Yeah, I’d rather hang them on knives now!
Danny Phillipou: I know Martyrs had some pretty extreme scenes. I really love that French New Wave. It feels really visceral. It was like, no holds barred.
Thanks to Danny and Michael for their time, and to Sony Pictures for organising the interview. Bring Her Back is in cinemas May 29.
