Talk to Me, the debut film by Youtube stars Danny & Michael Philippou, takes a simple premise and manages to make quite a terrifying film out of it. I was not familiar with the 2 Aussie brothers prior to viewing, but the movie about a trendy game that involves summoning spirits is scarier than I had expected (much to my delight).
Talk to Me is a film of supernatural horror that is truly effective. It provides a new perspective on the many teen horror films that explore the concepts of grief and the awkward transition to adulthood.
The film follows Mia, (Sophie Wilde). Mia is a seventeen-year-old girl dealing with the loss of her mother. She dislikes her father’s negative presence in their house and escapes to her best friend Jade’s house, a home away from home. But, when a video of a spiritual possession game goes viral at school, Mia sees it as the perfect distraction from her current situation. She convinces Jade, and Jade’s current (and Mia’s ex) boyfriend Daniel to join her to explore the game, along with several other friends.
They soon realize that they can become temporarily possessed by using an embalmed hand that was supposedly made from the severed arm of a psychic. However, they must cast out the spirit within a minute and a half, or else it will try to stay. Mia has a turn, using the phrase “talk to me,” (hence the title) and is instantly taken over by a spirit that temporarily takes control of her body. Excited by the results, the group keeps performing more and more seances until one of them inevitably goes too far. Predictable, yet super effective.
The writing team deserves some praise as well. The script avoids seeming deliberately cheesy. Horror, especially teen horror, can often get lost in cringy explanatory dialogue, but this script makes the most of the premise without explaining things too deeply .
Before heading into the dark aspects of the film, the teen party atmosphere is fun and realistic. And that may be the film’s biggest success: the casting of teenage characters that feel authentic. All of the leads do a fantastic job. However, I would have liked to seen more from Miranda Otto, possibly the film’s biggest name.
Aaron McLisky’s cinematography is a true visual treat. The filmmakers have done a great job of creating a sense of tension and unease throughout the film, and the scares are effective without being too gory. The film’s ending is especially haunting. “Elevated Horror” movie studio A24 has acquired rights to Talk to Me . And based on A24’s history, this is a perfect match.
Exploring adolescent angst may be an overused trope of the horror genre. However, Talk to Me proves that, if done right, there’s no reason one can’t use a trope successfully. I sense a possible franchise here.
Score
Exploring adolescent angst may be an overused trope of the horror genre. However, Talk to Me proves that, if done right, there’s no reason one can’t use a trope successfully.
