About 20 minutes into 2025’s “Bring Her Back“ I was worried it was one of these modern movies where nothing is ever explained, and the mystery just kind of festers until the end. And I wasn’t really in the mood for such a movie on that particular evening.

I’m glad I kept going, because it turned out to be a very good film that does a great job answering all the questions.

We start out meeting two siblings, not related by blood. There’s Andy, somewhere in his late teens, and his younger sister, Piper, who is mostly blind. When their father dies, they are temporarily adopted into the home of a strange woman named Laura who lives out in the boonies.

The viewer quickly starts to suspect Laura is up to something. She has another adopted child, mute Oliver, who is very weird and creepy. We also learn she had a natural-born daughter who died in a swimming accident. (Water carries a heavy symbolism in this movie.)

Eventually, we catch sight of disturbing footage on Laura’s VCR of what looks like a bizarre ceremony. Satanic cults? Zombie infections? Who knows?

Things escalate from creepy to full-on bonkers, but most of the mysteries are explained.

All the actors, especially the kids, are terrific. I definitely found myself sympathetic to the sibling pair who drive the film. And there were good reasons to fear for them.

The film is Australian-made, cementing my belief that they have a real knack for horror down under. (Other standout films would be “The Loved Ones” and The Babadook.” There’s also the excellent horror comedy “Housebound” from New Zealand.)

I’d call this one of the best horror films of the past five years.