A common mistake made by movie fans is to blame filmmakers for an aggressive advertising campaign. I know how annoying they can be, but the marketing department often goes to extremes that probably embarrass the actual cast and crew. It can be difficult, but we should try to forget the hype and judge a work on its own merits.
A24 has successfully made themselves a brand of quality movies. Every release hasn't been a complete winner, but their track record is surprisingly strong. I speculated that A24 went over the crest and began a downhill spiral after the execrable Opus, but here they are with Bring Her Back.
I admit the ads for Bring Her Back are off-putting. Having vapid influencers tout its brilliance and originality brought on a virulent backlash among young horror fans. There's been a lot of criticism and I don't agree at all with most of it.
I'd be the king of the hypocrites for denying anyone's right to their own opinion. I certainly have strong ones of my own and they are often unpopular.
What strikes me about the complaints is how similar so much of it is. I see the same quotes floating around all over the place.
It's like the way I saw young people I worked with complaining about the workplace. Exact quotes I've seen all over social media.
Or the way people think they won a debate by triumphantly crying "OK BOOOMER!" or call a young person a snowflake, or accuse someone of mansplaining, wokesplaining, or whateversplaining. No thoughts, ideas or intelligent points. So many people seem like walking, talking, programmed memes. It's all very cringe.
Too much time sucking on the electronic pacifier forestalls original thought.
Here are some of the main critiques of Bring Her Back I've seen.
1: Arty crap! I've heard the same tone when someones says a book is literary, with a look on their face like Divine's at the conclusion of Pink Flamingos.
Yes, Bring Her Back is what some call an art film. Art films were never for the bovine masses. They are intended for and enjoyed by those who reject the mundane and embrace the extraordinary. If these people tried to watch a Godard or a Fassbinder movie they'd probably run screaming back to the Marvel Universe.
2: It's slow/boring af! People who embrace tiktok reels and Instas-stories want constant stimuli. Complex plots, character development, cryptic hints, and enigmatic camera shots are too tedious. At least they are saving a lot of time by not having to spell out as fuck.
3: Plot holes! There's a lack of focus in Bring Her Back! I like how the footage of the cult is mysterious and only hints at what's going on. What we don't see or know is often scarier than over-explaining a story. I love having to put pieces of the puzzle together and to keep wondering after the movie ends.
4: It's NOT original! Yes, the plot device of trying to resurrect a dead child has been used a lot, but the approach in Bring Her Back is bold and, to my mind, very original. It's an unconventional structure that defies current expectations. If you want to see a visual comic book, watch Sinners again.
5: Cat violence! Don't watch it if you love cats! Well, I love cats more than is healthy for me. I just lost one of the best I've ever known and I went into the biggest grief of my life. I'm still suffering. Bring Her Back didn't bother me in the least. It's a movie. Hey, applaud when a human child chews on the blade end of a butcher knife, but don't allow a cat or dog to be hurt.
Ok, I get it. We all have thresholds we don't like to see crossed. I don't particularly like to see the depiction of rape scenes in movies. I really don't think the cat stuff in Bring Her Back is all that bad. Still if you can't take that sort of thing, it's a good idea to take a pass on this movie.
6: People who like it haven't seen many horror movies! Ahem. Some of these individuals seem like the type who think 2001's Thirteen Ghosts is great classic horror. Have they even seen Session 9, Inside, or Frontier(s) from the same era? Some, certainly, but not a lot. I like to think I've seen more horror and art movies than most people.
7: Bring Her Back ISN'T horror! Like there's a mathematical equation that irrefutably defines horror? People love labels and putting things in tight little boxes. Is Twilight horror? It's about vampires. How about Salo or Requiem for a Dream? We all our own notions about what constitutes horror. I still remember the debates about whether The Silence of the Lambs is or isn't horror. It's like critics felt calling the movie horror cheapened it. Sometimes people ask me if a book or movie is considered to be horror. My answer is usually, "Its horror if you want it to be horror".
I loved Bring Her Back. It's such a refreshing break from corporate horror from American studios. I found it shocking, riveting, and utterly terrifying. I liked Talk To Me, but I think Bring Her Back is much, much better.
I don't care to get into public debates with the online mob. That's why I don't put my opinions out on social media, nor do I promote myself there. I stay here at my place. This way my thoughts don't end up splashed up in peoples' feeds. If someone wants to hear my take on books and movies, they can visit my website or buy my books.
I mostly urge everyone to see Bring Her Back, and bring an open mind with you. Most of us bemoan all the retreads, remakes, and regurgitations being foisted upon. This is the real thing.
Written by Mark Sieber
A24 has successfully made themselves a brand of quality movies. Every release hasn't been a complete winner, but their track record is surprisingly strong. I speculated that A24 went over the crest and began a downhill spiral after the execrable Opus, but here they are with Bring Her Back.
I admit the ads for Bring Her Back are off-putting. Having vapid influencers tout its brilliance and originality brought on a virulent backlash among young horror fans. There's been a lot of criticism and I don't agree at all with most of it.
I'd be the king of the hypocrites for denying anyone's right to their own opinion. I certainly have strong ones of my own and they are often unpopular. What strikes me about the complaints is how similar so much of it is. I see the same quotes floating around all over the place.
It's like the way I saw young people I worked with complaining about the workplace. Exact quotes I've seen all over social media.
Or the way people think they won a debate by triumphantly crying "OK BOOOMER!" or call a young person a snowflake, or accuse someone of mansplaining, wokesplaining, or whateversplaining. No thoughts, ideas or intelligent points. So many people seem like walking, talking, programmed memes. It's all very cringe.
Too much time sucking on the electronic pacifier forestalls original thought.
Here are some of the main critiques of Bring Her Back I've seen.
1: Arty crap! I've heard the same tone when someones says a book is literary, with a look on their face like Divine's at the conclusion of Pink Flamingos.
Yes, Bring Her Back is what some call an art film. Art films were never for the bovine masses. They are intended for and enjoyed by those who reject the mundane and embrace the extraordinary. If these people tried to watch a Godard or a Fassbinder movie they'd probably run screaming back to the Marvel Universe.
2: It's slow/boring af! People who embrace tiktok reels and Instas-stories want constant stimuli. Complex plots, character development, cryptic hints, and enigmatic camera shots are too tedious. At least they are saving a lot of time by not having to spell out as fuck.
3: Plot holes! There's a lack of focus in Bring Her Back! I like how the footage of the cult is mysterious and only hints at what's going on. What we don't see or know is often scarier than over-explaining a story. I love having to put pieces of the puzzle together and to keep wondering after the movie ends.
4: It's NOT original! Yes, the plot device of trying to resurrect a dead child has been used a lot, but the approach in Bring Her Back is bold and, to my mind, very original. It's an unconventional structure that defies current expectations. If you want to see a visual comic book, watch Sinners again.
5: Cat violence! Don't watch it if you love cats! Well, I love cats more than is healthy for me. I just lost one of the best I've ever known and I went into the biggest grief of my life. I'm still suffering. Bring Her Back didn't bother me in the least. It's a movie. Hey, applaud when a human child chews on the blade end of a butcher knife, but don't allow a cat or dog to be hurt.
Ok, I get it. We all have thresholds we don't like to see crossed. I don't particularly like to see the depiction of rape scenes in movies. I really don't think the cat stuff in Bring Her Back is all that bad. Still if you can't take that sort of thing, it's a good idea to take a pass on this movie.
6: People who like it haven't seen many horror movies! Ahem. Some of these individuals seem like the type who think 2001's Thirteen Ghosts is great classic horror. Have they even seen Session 9, Inside, or Frontier(s) from the same era? Some, certainly, but not a lot. I like to think I've seen more horror and art movies than most people.
7: Bring Her Back ISN'T horror! Like there's a mathematical equation that irrefutably defines horror? People love labels and putting things in tight little boxes. Is Twilight horror? It's about vampires. How about Salo or Requiem for a Dream? We all our own notions about what constitutes horror. I still remember the debates about whether The Silence of the Lambs is or isn't horror. It's like critics felt calling the movie horror cheapened it. Sometimes people ask me if a book or movie is considered to be horror. My answer is usually, "Its horror if you want it to be horror".
I loved Bring Her Back. It's such a refreshing break from corporate horror from American studios. I found it shocking, riveting, and utterly terrifying. I liked Talk To Me, but I think Bring Her Back is much, much better.
I don't care to get into public debates with the online mob. That's why I don't put my opinions out on social media, nor do I promote myself there. I stay here at my place. This way my thoughts don't end up splashed up in peoples' feeds. If someone wants to hear my take on books and movies, they can visit my website or buy my books.
I mostly urge everyone to see Bring Her Back, and bring an open mind with you. Most of us bemoan all the retreads, remakes, and regurgitations being foisted upon. This is the real thing.
Written by Mark Sieber
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