On Sally Hawkins in “Bring Her Back”

Sally Hawkins in Bring Her Back.

Ingvar Kenne/A24

In Blue Jasmine, Sally Hawkins plays a character that you might see in real life, same protocols, same money problems, same drama. The alien quality of that performance comes from how deep Hawkins gets beneath the skin of Ginger, so much so that I felt her almost sitting beside me or I felt transported into her world; the gravity of acting. Imagine this happening with a world as diabolical as Bring Her Back. By beginning with a ritualistically bloody PSA, we already knew the Philippou brothers were getting a bit more meditative with their horror. Hawkins as the acolyte to this video was unexpected but such a good choice especially once the grief comes spilling out.