Hey there, folks. It is Monday, October the twentieth, and a true Oscar worthy performance highlights the next movie on our horror hit list. Welcome everybody to this episode of Amy and TJ. We continue to count down our favorite horror movies that maybe you never heard of as we get closer to Halloween. Robes, I didn't overstate it at the top DDA.
No. In fact, when we were actually looking to go see this movie in the theaters like we did, we kept reading about this woman's performance, and so actually, I think I had high expectations that I felt like wouldn't be met. My goodness, Sally Hawkins is the lead in this, and my goodness, I really would not be surprised and would be willing to be a part of the campaign to get her nominated for a an Academy Award. She deserves an Oscar.
This Okay, folks, we yes, we're horror movie fans. We like Justin Long. We never thought he was gonna be nominated for an Oscar for Jeepers. Creepers, Okay, And there are some great we talked about. I mean, Justin Chastain was in another one. There are great performances this one. We're not overstating and just being Homer's in this one. This woman's performance carries the daunting nature and the creepy nature and also a grief stricken nature of this movie.
She hits so many bizarre notes. It's her. We're a campaigning now. I want this woman to be at least nominated. You know how they are about horror.
Movies, Well, this got us going into a little bit of a deep dive in researching and recognizing that only that we could find Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster. They both won Best Actor in their category for Silence of the Lambs and Silence of the Lambs one Best Picture. But that's about it when it comes to horror movies, and obvious that movie swept the Oscars that year, as
it should have. It is a unbelievable movie. I don't know that this movie rises to that level, but it's really good and certainly her performance does in my humble opinion.
And we're so excited about miss Sally Hawkins that we haven't even told you the name of a damn movie. It's Bring Her Back. It's number twelve on our list. The movie is Bring Her Back, and it is it is brand spaken new just out for a few months. Bro, we were very excited anytime we see a horror movie that's that's rated this highly by critics, like, Okay, something special is happening.
It must be really really good. So yes, we ran to the theater to see Bring Her Back, released May twenty eighth, twenty twenty five, an hour and forty four minutes rateed R, and it is absolutely earns every bit of that rateed R.
Just warning, you say warning. This is the one movie we teased in the last episode. This is the one. We've been going back and rewatching all of these movies before we do a review here on them or put them on our list. This is the one I said, babe, can we not watch this one? I don't want to see it again. Now, that is a weird thing to try to sell somebody on seeing a movie is saying I don't want to see it again. It is tough to up see.
I don't mind watching it again. I wouldn't be upset about fast forwarding through one scene. And that's the scene that you are well.
Okay, yes, go ahead, I know what you're talking about.
Yes, you are mostly concerned about rewatching.
But there is more to it than that. This is a very heavy it's very dark, it involves rituals. It is a there is nothing. This is one movie when people say, well, why do you go to horror movies? How can you have fun being scared? This is one movie that it's tough to find enjoyment.
It's a tough watch, but it's remarkable and you are transfixed. I will tell you, no matter what's going on in your life, good bad, ugly happy said, you won't even remember what's you are so engrossed in this film. It sucks you in, It pulls you into the narrative, and it's a bumpy ride. But I mean that's part of the reason why we go to these movies. We want to feel something, we want to be transported, and certainly this movie does this.
Oh my god, in horrific ways. It is classified as a horror mystery movie. The synopsis is pretty simple. A brother and sister uncover a terrifying ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother. They really underplayed arrows. That sounds so simple.
That doesn't sound at all. A terrifying ritual is just the beginning of it. The acting is so good though, across all of the folks who are in this film. The box office, it did well, nineteen million domestically, twenty million internationally, so just about forty million total, and the budget was fifteen million, so they did well. And certainly this is coming to us from these two directors, Michael and Danny Philippa, who did Talk to Me, which we
loved as well. I thought that movie was final. You thought that the lead in that one should have been nominated.
She was so good, she was spectacular. Sally Hawkins is another level in this one. But those brothers are considered now these modern masters of horror. I think they're being called, but they're storytelling and the way it are doing movies is I'll watch anything their names are attached to.
Yes, agreed, So the critics agreed. As you mentioned, Rotten Tomatoes score eighty nine percent. I actually thought it would be higher than that, and the audience scores seventy nine percent. And my only guess is why it's a little bit lower is because it is such a tough movie to watch.
Okay, did you read through these reviews? I have not met.
You said that I shouldn't see I.
Wanted, and you will agree, I think. But it's some of these make me think we actually are qualified to be professional critics, because it is. It does. It's validation when you see people have the same thoughts, so point out the same things and they're the professionals.
Now.
The critic consensus on this one a domestic nightmare that draws its most profound scares from Sally Hawkins deranged performance, Bring Her Back as an exemplary chiller that reaffirms directors Danny and Michael Philippo as modern masters of horror. Wow, there it is. Yeah, now, that is a hell of a review.
Deranged performance, and of course that would send me if I hadn't seen it, straight to watching it immediately.
And again you old Sally. She was in the Paddington movies and she Shape of Water. She was nominated. Oh yeah, she's an Oscar nominee. She's an Oscar nominy.
That makes a lot of sense.
Okay, yes, No. The audience consensus on this one is Bring Her Back is a harrowing motion picture that may gut the bravest of horror buffs, reiterating that the Philippole brothers are here to slay.
Oh I love that here to slay. That's that's funny. I like that. I applaud that more please. This is the kind of movie that is just gripping in every way it. We talk about how some of the movies on our list were like this is just fun, this is a wild ride, this is entertaining this, and then
there are those that are elevated. This is the probably among the highest of the elevated horror flicks, and that just there's incredible storytelling, incredible acting, twist and turns you cannot see coming, and the type of horror look you start. When you watch enough like we do. You see some of the same deaths, you see some of the same gore, you see some of the same tricks. And I don't
mind that because when they work, they work. But when you see things as innovative as we saw in this movie, it's really impressive.
All right. Sample critic review. There are a lot of very good ones. So Bringer Back isn't just scary. It's the most disturbing movie of the year. Gripped me with relentless anxiety around life, death, family, grief, and the extremes people go to to suppress pain.
Wow.
Sally Hawkins does that. I love movies when we talk about Barbarian and there was another one recently where the monster, if you will, or the main evil person you relate to something that all comes from grief, Like I'm doing this bad thing because I am actually dealing with loss in my own life. I like that.
That reminds me of Babaduk too, that's same. There are some there are some horror movies where and sometimes it doesn't. I don't like the ending. I'm like, please, don't make me feel sorry for the monster. But I actually get it when they do have that ending, if they do it in the right way, it just creates this moment. We've had many conversations in life about good versus evil. It's not that simple. Almost never are you all bad or all good, And a lot of times people can
start off good and turn bad and vice versa. But that I do appreciate it when told right that arching, that overarching theme, that hey, it's not as obvious or as easy to point out good and bad.
I'm a fan of this type of storytelling. Another says this is a nightmare inducing movie thanks to a wicked Sally Hawkins and a story balanced by heartache and horror. That's a good way to put it.
That is so good.
Another one saying these brothers their brand of filmmaking is brutal and honest. Their movie creates unbearable tension from start to finish. It feels like a festering wound.
And then people will be like, why do I want to go see this movie? That I get exactly what the writer or the critic wrote in that, and that was meant to actually be a compliment for people who don't like horror movies. You would say, again, case in point, here's why you are freaks for liking this stuff, and I'm normal for not liking it.
This is the movie you would always warn somebody about, Hey, you should see it, but you would never just say, yeah, go check it out.
I would never tell my parents and my mom and dad are they really don't like horror movies. They love the blackening, as we pointed out, like they'll take that, but they really aren't big horror movie buffs. They don't know where my brother and I came from because we both love horror movies so much. But this would be a movie I would tell them to never watch. Ever.
Oh wow, Okay, here is the funniest one. And this is the one that probably I could have written, I have no desire to watch Bring Her Back ever again. And I mean this as the highest possible compliment it is. It's scared. It creeps me out so much. I don't ever And.
These are all from official critics. Correct, this is not audience.
This is not audience yet someone else say it's a film that opens in one direction but erradically changes lanes to chase another movie's success rather than truly stand on its own. Get what they're saying.
Oh, they're saying that. Are there? Are they saying that it's chasing what success?
Talk to me so that they find some connection. They're trying to go some direction that movie went. So disagree and get that either. But hey, everybody has the thing somebody else. Bring Her Back joins the growing roster of grief horror films that feel more derivative than innovative. You get that.
I just think they're trying to say something bad about a movie that there's very little to say bad about other than it's disturbing and gruesome. But that's a good thing for horror movie fans.
And to your point, the first audience review is the best one. Quote what a horrifying and sad story. Recommend it. It is awful. It is a tough one. Oh my god.
That's so.
There is one scene, folks.
Yeah, I know. And when you talk about the one scene, I actually feel the part of my body that it impacts hurt, like I actually feel phantom pain because it stays with you and you're you're making you're doing exactly what I want to do. It's so rough, it makes it hard to talk. Makes no sense unless you know and you've seen the movie. All right, here's another one from the audience. Excellent film and a fresh look on grief horror. Story is unsettling and there are definitely some
gory parts. One of the best horror films of the year. Exclamation point. Look, I didn't realize. We talked about these subgenres of horror and comedy horror, and we found m calm horror. There's a thriller horror, but I never even considered or there's body horror, but grief horror. I hadn't thought about that. But yes, there are a couple movies like that.
There is you know what they include. I'm trying my thinking of you know, what. I don't want to mention that movie because it might sound like a criticism, so I'll tell you about it when we get.
All right, all right, now, everyone's gonna want to know what you're saying. A couple other audience reviews. My soul and entire being hurts after watching this. You could have written that too.
Now, this last one is a really good one.
I love it, and this sums it up. Absolute masterpiece. Great directing and writing, and first horror movie I've seen in a while where you can empathize for the antagonist. Disturbing and scary at times, but this movie had me in tears. Definitely draws emotion out of you and is not what you typically expect from a possession horror such as this. Can't wait to show this movie to other people and watch their reactions.
I think that's an honest assessment. You do go on more of an emotional ride. You're invested because you have foster kids involved. One of the little girl is blind as a you can't add to visual disability, yes, and needs a brother to help. But even that sweet little dynamic.
And there is grief on both parts. Because I'm from the kids and from the antagonist, as we shall call her. But yes, everyone was dealing with major loss and trying to go forward, and wow, it unravels very quickly.
Okay, is there anyone listening is going to go out and watch this movie tonight?
It made like horror movies, Yes.
Maybe we've sold them in such a way that you got to just be curious, like, what in the world is this movie? Yeah, it's special. It is special in all the best ways when it comes to a horror movie. We'll tell you why. After all, we just said about how uncomfortable this movie made us, we'll tell you why it actually made our list. Who it's for, who it's not for? And Robes always has a wonderful food drink pairing to go with the movies. I actually haven't heard this one yet myself, kind of curious.
Stay here, continuing our conversation now on our number twelve movie, Bring Her Back. It is one of the scariest and most disturbing movies on our list, and of course that's why it made our list. It is just so compelling to watch, from the acting and the performances to the storyline with the twists and the turns. But man, you got to bring your your I guess your big girl panties. You got to bring them with you because I'm telling you this is some scary stuff.
Is that a thing?
I would not take girl pannies. I would not want to watch this by myself. I would want to watch this with somebody who I could cuddle up next to, just because there are times when I needed to hide my eyes and I wanted to hide my eyes next to somebody I love.
You want to snuggle on this one? I? Yes, yeah, you need like a physical protector of some kind. You know, you just feel batter having somebody. Yeah, no, I mean me, everybody like no, not just it with that kind of I cannot believe they're doing this. You just can't know how you feel throughout this movie. And jump scares in this one.
Yes, there are jump scares. I mean it's just it's the whole thing is terrifying. But yes, they had just the right amount of everything, and so why it made our list. Masterful movie making period. This is just brilliantly done.
Yeah, and Sally Hawkins, if nothing else, turn your eyes for every creepy part, but watch her. She is worth a watch in this movie. She is just incredible. So yeah, this is as far as horror movies go, this is certainly on the list. This is probably number one of all performances. Yes, and horror movies.
And there we've had And we were kind of looking back and looking on our list and marveling at how much the acting was a part of our choices because there's so many movies we we keep seeing more and more by the way, Oh we could have put this one on. Oh we could have put that one on. And so we'll have a list for next year too, because there are so many good performances that you forget about. But then when you actually look at the list altogether,
there's some damn good actors in these movies. So who is this movie for? I think you've got to have a strong stomach, You got to be able to tolerate some gruesome scenes, and you have to really be in it to want to watch excellent storytelling with incredible acting if you're in that, because sometimes you're not in that mood. I know that sounds silly, but sometimes you're not into appreciating that. You don't want to watch this movie unless
you're in that mood to appreciate just stellar acting. Stellar script and some stellar scare scenes.
Yeah, you had to you just talk about mood. I can't remember what it was. Just the other day you had something on and we both said, nah, it's not the right mood right now. It was during the day. Maybe it was too dark or something was going and the movie was too dark, and we just there are times.
Like another time, another place right now.
Yeah, but don't try this one. If you want to be upbeat and having fun. This is one. This is art to sit and appreciate, to be honest with you.
Yeah, So who is this not for? I think if you haven't and you aren't a fan of horror movies typically, you probably are gonna have a tough time with this one because it is dark and twisted.
Oh.
One of the death scenes by someone who you love in this film is so tough because it's so simple and yet it's so awful at the same time. You know what I'm.
Talking about, right, I can't with this movie.
Oh my goodness. So yes, I think you really have to be a uh in order to fully appreciate this. It would be helpful if you are truly a horror movie fan, because if you are a horror movie fan, You will appreciate this the way it should be appreciated.
Yes, yes, even if you don't sit think oh wow, this is and you're not gonna have fun necessarily watching this, but you yes, any horror movie fan will appreciate this. Y.
Yes. Okay, So food drink pairing first, why don't you give our listeners what your a suggestion not to eat?
I'm serious. All there is not do not eat anything that requires the use of a sharp knife. That's it. That's all I got to And.
People are gonna think that that's about stabbing. There's another there's another you're making. I wish people could see what you are doing right now, But there is something that involves a knife that you can't imagine until you actually see it, and it won't ever leave you.
That's the problem. No, yeah, no knives.
So I would actually take it a step further and say nothing crunchy. I would just say, you know, because normally, like peanuts, popcorn, pretzels, I would avoid anything crunchy. So I was actually going to say something like ice cream would be good because ice helps with nausea, and if you're feeling a little sick or woozy watching this, movie. I would say a nice ice cream parfeit would be perfect with this film. And whatever drink you want again,
I'm going to go with the nan acidic. You just want to keep things really simple in your stomach because you're going to be on a wild ride that you don't need anything extra, So I would avoid bubbles, beer or anything like that.
These brothers, they are these directors because I please Amy TJ do not review our movie.
We're telling people nothing acidic, nothing it.
Now, make sure you have at least one person with you.
A ginger mint. No, I'm kidding, but no, something that just is simple. And I do think ice cream is nice because that's got a good texture for what you're watching. You don't want anything crunchy. You'll understand after you watch it. Oh okay, where can you watch this film? HBO Max is where it's available, and obviously you can purchase it on demand. It's pretty much everywhere in terms of streaming, but if you do have an HBO Max subscription, it will come to you at no extra costs.
I would love to hear people's reactions. Who are who would go and watch it because of what they heard here. I would love to hear their reactions to it. We gotta find it. Send them in Amy TJ Podcast, Instagram in.
The yeah, put it in the comments section. Well, we're gonna go. We haven't looked at it yet, but I would like to go through some of those social media posts and read everyone's comments, and maybe we can have a fun kind of follow It would be fun to hear what everyone thinks is their favorite movie among the group that we selected. That might be a fun one too.
Follow up put into a vote, that would be great.
We could do that at the end. We could put it to a vote and have everyone kind of way in and then we can do something and figure out just how off we were from what you all think. But our next movie, it will be number eleven on the list. This is a movie that actually blended genres in a way that got me so excited. I was very quick to ask you to come to a movie date with me.
Wow, that's your ease. Yeah, this movie of all it's number it will be a number eleven on our list. Yes, but it is the number one movie on the list that you should see with a date. Perfect.
I love it all right, And with that, thank you for listening. Everyone, I'm maybe Roebuck alongside my always movie date TJ Holmes, and we will talk to you soon.