Talk to Me – A Rock-Solid Horror Debut

Talk to Me premiered at this years Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews and indications of a new horror classic drawing favourable comparisons to Hereditary and It Follows. After a tough bidding war, A24 secured the distribution rights and released the film in a worldwide theatrical release this weekend where it looks to already be exceeding its box office predictions proving that horror is still the hottest and most reliable genre at the moment. It follows a group of friends who discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes to far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces that come after them. Talk to Me is the directorial debut of famous Australian YouTubers Danny and Michel Philippou (also know as RackaRacka) and it’s easily one of the most well-made, unsettling, and chilling horror debuts of the past several years as well as quite possibly the best horror film 2023 so far.

The premise may seem a tad familiar when it comes to teens discovering a new form of entertainment or doing something they think is all fun and games until something terrifying or horrific happens, but the Philippou brothers put such an interesting spin on that premise/formula and make it feel wholly unique and very ambitious compared to other similar horror films. It starts out pretty much as one would expect (in a good way) but then it goes in some truly unexpected and demented places that are sure to make most audiences wince and squirm in their seats while chilling them to their very core. It thankfully remains very simple to follow throughout and the slow build up in the first act that focuses mostly on the characters struggles and relationships, makes the scares and brutal imagery that follows all the more effective because of it.

This is being billed as one of the scariest movies of the past decade, and while it may not reach those massive heights, it’s still very creepy, unnerving, and very suspenseful. The directors create a very chilling atmosphere from the get-go and inject this looming sense of dread that you feel grow with each passing scene. The opening scene starts things off with a bang and shows right away that the audience should never feel safe or secure for the entire duration of the film’s runtime. The film also uses jump scares really well without resorting to a loud noise or a fake out and contains some of the most effective ones in a horror film in a long time. It also gets very violent and brutal to the point where one has to almost look away as some of the imagery featured throughout are likely to stick with audiences long after the credits roll.

That being said, as much as it succeeds as a horror film, it also succeeds as a drama exploring grief and loss through fleshed out characters worth caring about and who have compelling arcs. They may not always be the most likable and may do things that question their morals, but their all very well developed and make for an entertaining and likeable enough group to follow for 95-minutes. Wilde portrays Mia, a character who gets the most focus, is absolutely going to be a breakout role for her. She nails the quieter and subtler moments that her character has to show early on when it especially focuses on her grief before fully committing to the deranged and crazy side that consumes her later on without giving to much away. All of the acting from the cast is solid especially since most of them are pretty young but aside from Wilde, the standouts were definitely Jensen and Joe Bird as siblings Jade and Riley. Meanwhile, Otto shines as their mother Sue, adding warmth and comedic relief to an otherwise pretty bleak film.

As great as Talk to Me is, it’s not quite the homerun some have made it out to be. Its biggest issue lies with its third act which isn’t bad but pales in comparison to the first two. After moving by at a nice pace and constantly subverting expectations, it feels like it slowly runs out of ideas and doesn’t entirely know where to go before it enters its climax. It also doesn’t totally nail the climax either but thankfully it ends on a strong note.

For those who are fans of horror or need a break from the Barbenheimer phenomenon, then they should be rushing out to see Talk to Me as soon as possible. It’s bone chilling, tense, and full of moments that will likely stick with audiences for the rest of their lives. In what’s been a bit of a pretty underwhelming year for horror, it’s like a shot in the arm and might just be the best horror film of the year thus far. It is absolutely worth seeing and the rare movie in theatres that’s only 95-minutes long.

still courtesy of VVS Films

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook.

Connor Carey

www.connorsmoviereviews.com/