One Of 2025's Darkest Horror Movies Is Finally Finding An Audience On HBO Max

Everyone loves a fun horror thriller like "Weapons" or a spooky vampire romp like "Sinners," but what about the horror movies that make you feel sick to your core? That's where "Bring Her Back" comes in handy. Released in American theaters in May 2025, this Australian horror film follows two newly orphaned step-siblings who move in with the world's worst foster mother. In his review for the movie, /Film's own Chris Evangelista called it "the feel-bad horror movie of 2025," and five months later, it still owns that title; "Bring Her Back" is great, but it's not for the faint of heart. 

That's why it's a fun surprise to see that "Bring Her Back" is rising the charts over on HBO Max. The movie was added to the platform at the start of October, and as the spooky season wraps up, it's now on the site's top 10 list of most-streamed movies of the day. The movie will likely never reach major mainstream success due to how gory and bleak it is, but for October at least, it seems like HBO Max subscribers are in a brave mood. 

If you enjoyed "Bring Her Back," there's a good chance you'll appreciate "Talk to Me," another Australian-based horror movie made by the same director duo. "Talk to Me" likewise received rave reviews, although critics once again noted that its gnarlier moments might not be for everyone. The Philippou brothers have now made two movies in a row that have shocked and thrilled audiences, so what will they do for their third film? 

So far, there've been reports of a potential sequel to "Talk to Me," appropriately titled "Talk 2 Me," although the film is still in pre-production. The Philippou brothers have otherwise stayed tight-lipped about their future, but they've made one clear: for their third movie, they'll be staying in Australia. 

"I always want to bring everything back here," Danny Philippou said in a May 2025 interview. Michael added, "It's where we grew up, it's what we know, so the stories to tell are Australian." 

They noted that after the success of "Talk to Me," they'd received offers to direct larger-scale franchise films, but they've chosen to stay out of Hollywood and keep things small. It seems they'll be sticking to the tried-and-true formula of making low-budget horror that allows them to turn a profit without needing to be a massive mainstream hit. Some movies would be considered a failure if they only made $39 million worldwide, but "Bring Her Back," with its $15 million budget, is considered a straightforward success.