Oscars 2026: Sally Hawkins' Bring Her Back performance was overlooked

When the Academy announced its nominees, Sally Hawkins was notably absent despite a memorable turn in Danny and Michael Philippou's Bring Her Back. She is cast as Laura, a caregiver whose dottiness and charm are warped into something chilling; the film follows Andy (Billy Barratt) and Piper (Sora Wong) as they enter foster care, are sent to Laura’s home and find her already looking after mute Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips) while grieving her daughter Kathy.

Hawkins’ work is layered and unsettling in a way that feels more complex than some of the nominated supporting performances in the genre. Amy Madigan’s Aunt Gladys in Weapons plays broad, gleefully evil beats with a camp edge, while Hawkins builds a character who repels and breaks the viewer at the same time.

The script by Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman lets audiences understand Laura without asking them to root for her, and Hawkins turns a potentially one-note antagonist into something accessible, tragic and still dangerous.

sally hawkins, oscars 2026, danny philippou, michael philippou, billy barratt, sora wong, jonah wren, amy madigan, weapons, foster care