Talk to Me – Australia – 2022 – Horror, Supernatural
Directed by: Danny Philippou; Michael Philippou
Written by: Danny Philippou; Bill Hinzman
Main Players: Sophie Wilde; Joe Bird; Alexandra Jensen; Miranda Otto; Zoe Terakes
After a wild and gnarly opener at a house party, it is clear something is up, but it would be hard to guess exactly what from this outset. As teenager Mia (Wilde) continues to cope poorly with the first anniversary of her mother’s passing, she turns to friends, partying and any distraction possible.
One gathering however presents something new and seemingly insane. As a group of 20 or so kids in a large house basement whip out their cell phones to record, a strange energy is in the air, and Mia and her friend Jade (Jensen) are unsure what is going on. Jade’s younger brother Riley (Bird) is also tagging along with the elder teens.
So, what is this party game that is giving everyone such a buzz? The nervous shuffle done by half the room is mirrored by an excited expectation in the other kids. As Hayley (Terakes) busts out what looks to be some kind of papier-mâché human “hand” and wrist, Mia and Jade are confused. Hayley and a few other buzzing kids explain to the newcomers what is about to happen: this is an embalmed real hand, and it leads to another type of feeling. If one sits down and takes the hand in theirs, as if to greet it, says a few “magic trigger” sayings, they will go on a helluva trip.
Talk To Me is a fairly hard-hitting horror show both in conceptual execution as well as blood and tense violence. If you can handle some grisly bodily destruction, this is a film to check out as the terror is pretty good and the idea presented is well realized. There is a lot to think about with the core idea, and even though they explore plenty of it, a lot of it is left as a mysterious spirit watching you from the great beyond. Maybe that’s because there’s a sequel on the way…
There is plenty of creep to be found here also as tensions hit high levels during the plot progression. Pacing is strong as it is never boring and the actors all do a fantastic job with their characters, especially the main few focal points. With a decent setup and an interesting idea driving the plot, Talk to Me is a fierce and grisly spooky time.
See This If You Liked:
Bring Her Back; Hereditary; The Dark and the Wicked; Smile; Smile 2; Midsommar; Hokum; Weapons; Sinister (2012); Oculus; Insidious; Evil Dead; Evil Dead Rise; When Evil Lurks (Cuando acecha la maldad)
Score:
8.0