Bring Her Back, the sophomore horror feature from Adelaide filmmaking twin brothers Danny and Michael Philippou, continues to terrify and delight audiences and critics around the world, with the film’s South Australian VFX work drawing much praise.

Co-written by Danny and South Australian writer Bill Hinzman, produced by Samantha Jennings and Kristina Ceyton of Causeway Films and backed by A24, the film has earned rave reviews from all corners including from horror legend Stephen King, who tweeted that it was “wonderfully gruesome… thoughtful, textured and scary as hell”.

Filmed in South Australia and at the South Australian Film Corporation’s (SAFC) Adelaide Studios last year, Bring Her Back is the highly anticipated follow up to the Philippou’s 2023 smash hit Talk to Me, supported by the SAFC and the Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund, which took more than $140 million at the global box office to become A24’s highest grossing horror ever.

Again supported by the SAFC through its Screen Production Fund and SA PDV Rebate, Bring Her Back harnessed a world-class South Australian crew working behind the scenes across both production and post-production.

After delivering the post-production and VFX for Talk To Me, leading South Australian post-production studio KOJO once again teamed up with the Philippous to lead post for Bring Her Back. Supported by the South Australian Film Corporation’s 10% SA PDV Rebate, KOJO was responsible for the full picture post and a significant portion of the visual effects – 70 VFX shots – alongside emerging South Australian VFX studio This Is Not A Cult.

KOJO was founded in Adelaide in 1995 as a boutique post-production studio and has grown into one of Australia’s leading creative studios working across long-form, episodic, and commercial content. Today KOJO employs over 30 people across their Adelaide HQ and recently expanded Melbourne studio.

KOJO Executive Director of Post & VFX Marty Pepper led the team for Bring Her Back across VFX, editorial support, online, colour and final delivery. The worldwide release and tight turnaround needed for A24’s distribution deadline added an additional layer of intensity to post, requiring rapid coordination across picture post, VFX, and delivery teams to meet international technical specifications and release formats.

“Working to such a compressed timeline demanded precision, agility, and constant communication, and it’s a testament to the strength and experience of the KOJO team that everything was delivered on time and to the highest standard.”

KOJO Executive Director of Post & VFX Marty Pepper

“We’re especially proud of a climactic sequence in the third act that combined performance, visual effects, and colour in a deeply affecting way. It involved multiple VFX combined with colour transitions across several shots that required precision and emotional clarity. Seeing all those elements come together with the final sound mix was a highlight for our team,” Marty says.

Marty also says it was a “great privilege” to work with Danny, Michael and Causeway Films again, with the creative rapport built on Talk To Me allowing for a shared shorthand on Bring Her Back – enabling more fluid communication, faster decision making and deeper creative alignment.

“The effects were crafted to heighten the psychological intensity of the story, often in subtle ways that support mood and tone without drawing attention to themselves.”

KOJO Executive Director of Post & VFX Marty Pepper

South Australia offers flexible screen production facilities, accessible and unique locations and highly skilled, world-class crews, all combined with a supportive, highly connected creative industry that all contribute to ease of production.

“Clients often comment on how easy and efficient it is to work here,” Marty says. “The lifestyle, proximity of services, and the overall quality of collaboration make it a unique and highly appealing location for both domestic and international productions.”

Additionally, Marty says the size and connectedness of South Australia’s PDV sector is an asset to the work being produced, with an award-winning and collaborative range of businesses – such as KOJO, Rising Sun Pictures, Resin, Artisan Post Group and more – offering a competitive edge over larger markets.

“South Australia’s PDV sector is tight-knit, world-class, and creatively driven. While we may not have the sheer volume of larger markets, our agility, talent pool, and collaborative spirit give us a competitive edge,” he says.

“The local ecosystem fosters strong relationships between post houses, production, and creatives, which leads to better outcomes on screen.”

KOJO Executive Director of Post & VFX Marty Pepper

Introduced in 2018, the SA PDV Rebate has played a key role in ensuring South Australia remains globally competitive, attracting high-quality work to the state. For KOJO it is not just an incentive for productions, it’s also a catalyst for job creation, talent retention and industry growth in the state.

As demand for content grows, Marty sees an opportunity for the SA PDV and VFX sector to scale further, bolstered by the SA PDV Rebate.

“South Australia is well positioned to remain a leading destination for post and VFX in the region.”

KOJO Executive Director of Post & VFX Marty Pepper