The 2025 horror film Bring Her Back has left audiences stunned with its intense story about grief, loss, and a mother’s desperate attempt to bring her daughter back from the dead. Directed by Danny and Michael Philippou, the movie follows Laura (Sally Hawkins), a grieving mother who turns to dark magic to resurrect her drowned daughter, Cathy. The ending is both heartbreaking and terrifying, with one key moment changing everything—when Piper screams “Mommy” and Laura stops the ritual. Here’s a detailed look at why that moment was so powerful.
What Happens in the Ending of Bring Her Back?
In the final act, Laura drags Piper (Sora Wong) into the pool to drown her, mirroring Cathy’s death. The occult ritual requires Piper to die the same way as Cathy so her soul can transfer into Piper’s body. As Piper struggles, she gasps out the word “Mommy,” which stops Laura in her tracks. Earlier in the film, Laura admitted she would do anything to hear Cathy call her that again. That single word breaks Laura’s obsession, making her see Piper as a real child, not just a vessel.
The ritual fails, Piper escapes, and Laura is left cradling Cathy’s half-eaten corpse in the pool as police arrive. Meanwhile, Ollie—who was actually a kidnapped boy named Connor—steps out of the ritual’s boundary and regains his true self. The film ends with Piper hearing a plane overhead, a callback to her brother Andy’s words about souls flying away after death.
“That cry pierces her obsession like a blade, breaking the ritual’s rhythm. It is love, guilt, and recognition colliding in a single instant, halting her plan and sealing her fate.”
Why Did Laura Stop the Ritual When Piper Said “Mommy”?
Laura’s entire plan was driven by grief. She was willing to kill, kidnap, and manipulate to hear her daughter’s voice again. When Piper calls her “Mommy,” it triggers Laura’s buried maternal instincts. For a brief moment, she sees Piper as a scared child, not just a means to bring Cathy back.
The directors explained that Laura wasn’t purely evil—she was a broken woman consumed by loss.
“It’s that thing… you know, Piper wants to be able to navigate the world, and she has to know that there’s good and bad in the world. Andy’s only allowing her to see the good in life, until he shows her that no, it’s not just good. There’s good and bad.”
The word “Mommy” was Laura’s weakness because it reminded her of what she truly lost—not just her daughter, but the love between them.
Who Was Ollie and Why Was He Important?
Ollie was not Laura’s nephew—he was Connor Bird, a missing boy she kidnapped. He served as the “conduit” for the ritual, forced to eat parts of Cathy’s corpse to hold her soul before transferring it to Piper. His strange behavior—biting objects, attacking Laura—was due to the demonic possession required for the ritual.
When the ritual fails, Connor steps outside the white-painted boundary that kept the demon trapped inside him. He vomits black fluid (Cathy’s soul) and regains his identity. His survival is one of the few hopeful moments in the film.
Did the Ritual Ever Really Work?
The movie leaves it ambiguous. Some fans believe the demon was manipulating Laura, using her grief to feed on suffering. Others think the ritual was real but required perfect conditions—which Laura failed to meet when she hesitated.
The directors confirmed that the ritual’s failure was due to Laura’s emotional breakdown.
“The power of that one word overwhelms the dark magic she has summoned.”
What Does the Ending Say About Grief?
Bring Her Back is ultimately about how far someone will go when consumed by loss. Laura’s inability to let go destroys everything around her. The final shot of her floating in the pool with Cathy’s remains symbolizes how grief can trap people in the past.
The film’s message is clear: unchecked grief is more dangerous than any demon.
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Credits: Talking Terror, IGN
