Film review for Talk to Me. Australian brothers Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou’s first feature film, Talk To Me, is a film that focuses mostly on the feeling of longing. The occasional screaming horror sequences and psychological details also manage to make the movie interesting.
The film actually owes its power to Mia, who lost her mother two years ago, experienced an intense emotional void, left her father and started living with her close friend Jade and her family. While Mia prefers to stay away from people with her physical stance and emotional side, she is also trying to find a new family for herself with Jade and her family!
While the film is inspired by the chatter of The Evil Dead, it also presents a pairing as if it were the younger version of Ringu. Creating the feeling that a door is opening, the film tests us with the wounds in the world of souls leaking through the passage of emotional openness and confronts us with its counterpart in the real world.
The idea for the film’s flow begins with a fun house party created by a mummified hand frozen in a handshake position. The rules are to hold the hand and say talk to me. If you present your body to the ghost that appears in front of you, it starts to show its skills. Their fun, aggressive, and sometimes lustful movements in the vortex of the world of spirits are sometimes recorded by the young people watching, and sometimes create funny moments. No matter how pleasant the film reflects these moments, it does not neglect to lightly ignite the signals that something will happen at any moment.
The traces of the bond between Mia and Jade’s brother Riley continue to increase throughout the film. An incident on the way back from school makes all the gates open and prepares them for the next scenes. Mia, who left an injured kangaroo to a painful death, waits in the corner, preparing us for the next scenes with Riley’s reproaches that we can’t leave him here like this.
The idea is not new, nor is it fully formed; Especially what happens as a result of the time being exceeded and the soul being released, causes the film to lose some of its initial focus and leaves Mia confused in every way. The story goes like this: Mia loves holding hands with spirits to get out of the real world and forget about the present.
When little sister Riley wants to shake hands with the spirit world, she lets Riley into that world, despite her older sister Jade’s objections. Thinking that it is her mother’s voice communicating with Riley, she prolongs the process and releases a power that will harm them all. Riley remains trapped in the spirit world, suffering, besieged by a spirit that wants her body. Mia blames herself. The new family image he was trying to establish with Riley and his family has also begun to crumble. After that, the movie rolls in a spiral of confusion.
What is interesting about the film and what makes it valuable is that a craze fed by social media also embraces spirituality, and this becomes possible by grasping a severed hand. On the other hand, it makes me think that this hand is a great tool for sequels. Although we cannot decide how it probably happens, it seems likely that it will continue with sharper and scarier stories.
What we watch here is about seeing and watching the damage that sadness overflows from one’s own mind and body and creates for others. Of course, trying to find a solution. It is obvious that the film, whose second half revolves around the trauma of loss, is voluminous. The kind that will bring a new breath and sequel to horror cinema. Sophie Wilde is by far the best of the movie.
Talk to Me (2023)
Directed by: Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
Starring: Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji, Miranda Otto, Zoe Terakes, Chris Alosio, Marcus Johnson, Alexandria Steffensen, Marcus Johnson, Ari McCarthy, Sunny Johnson
Screenplay by: Danny Philippou, Bill Hinzman
Production Design by: Bethany Ryan
Cinematography by: Aaron McLisky
Film Editing by: Geoff Lamb
Costume Design by: Anna Cahill
Set Decoration by: Jennifer Drake
Art Direction by: Gareth Wilkes
Music by: Cornel Wilczek
MPAA Rating: R for strong/bloody violent content, some sexual material and language throughout.
Distributed by: A24 Films
Release Date: October 30, 2022 (Adelaide), July 27, 2023 (Australia), July 28, 2023 (United States)
Visits: 44
