Watched July 27th, 2023
“Talk to Me” may be the creepiest movie that I have seen all year! A24 bought this small indie horror film out of Sundance, and it was definitely a great pickup! This is exactly what I think of when I think of A24 horror movies. Throughout the entirety of the movie, I was constantly on the edge of my seat, curious and anxious for what was going to happen next. I have seen many horror movies throughout the years, but there are few that combine the horror genre with stylized filmmaking and an interesting commentary like this one managed to do. To make it more impressive, this is the directorial debut of YouTuber twin brothers, Michael and Danny Philippou. This small indie film is not just your average college student party gone wrong, but a twisted psychological horror film that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
The premise of the movie is not terribly complex, but the horror, both body and psychological horror, is what carries this movie. A group of friends discovers how to conjure spirits through an embalmed hand, and they all become hooked on doing it over and over again. But eventually some of them go too far and unleash some terrible, horrifying supernatural forces. These college kids are using this hand to trend on social media, peer pressure friends, and more, sort of like a drug. They eventually go too far, and they are put in a situation where there is no way to go back once they unleash the spirits. On top of all of that, Mia (Sophie Wilde) is dealing with a tragic situation that ties directly into the main story at hand. Mia is grieving and struggling with her mental health, and she finds the hand as an escape from all that she is dealing with. Sophie Wilde really gives a haunting performance that will stick with you long after the credits roll. I think this movie perfectly combines the genre of horror with a compelling story about grief and loss.
I have seen some reviews online about the commentary on grieving and mental health not working for some people, but I would say that it is handled the best it can be. Not only that, but I think all the different situations that Mia is going through are things that can happen in modern-day society. Much to my surprise, the characters were more emotionally complex than I anticipated. You really get to the heart of this friend group. There are tight-knit relationships, and the events that happen in this film both fracture and bring these characters closer together. I can see the argument, however that the commentary can be surface-level at times. But I personally believe that they approached it in an interesting way, but I won’t go into much detail in this review. I know I have talked a lot about the commentary, but the horror in this movie is top-tier. This film is not reliant on the typical jump-scares that you get in a lot of horror movies. But rather, the tension buildup and creepy atmosphere that surround the film. There are even some really creepy shots with blood and gore in this movie that add to this frightening experience. The way it is presented, in a nasty horrific way makes these scenes even more uncomfortable. Even my friends, who are horror and movie fans as well, were squirming in their seats in anxious anticipation for what was going to happen next. The ending of the movie is actually very clever, in my opinion, but I could also see people calling it anticlimactic, which I believe would also be a valid argument.
As I said in the beginning, this is a very stylized movie for a small indie horror film. The technical aspects that stand out to me are the cinematography, sound design, and makeup work, which are very well done. The combination of cinematography and sound design is crucial to crafting a good horror movie in order to make creepy, thrill-inducing shots and the team here nailed it. There is also some gruesome makeup work in this movie that is genuinely very creepy and is used very effectively throughout the film. It’s spectacular for the Philippou brothers' directorial debut to combine all of these different pieces. To merge horror with technical aspects and an interesting commentary in a directorial debut is beyond impressive. While the Philippou brothers' may have the technical aspect of the movie covered, the screenplay struggles at some points. There are many different paths the characters go on that just do not come to fruition at the end of the movie. Some of the characters don't properly get a satifying arch and some fall into very typical horror tropes.
“Talk to Me” is really impressive for a small indie studio like A24 and really adds to the horror genre as we know it. It combines everything that I enjoy about horror, especially psychological horror. The Philippou brothers make an impressive debut with stylized filmmaking and an interesting commentary. This film may not be for everyone, but I do believe that most horror fans, especially psychological and possession horror fans, will enjoy this movie. The combination of good performances, technical aspects, and horror is well executed for a directorial debut, and this film adds to the collection of very good A24 films.
Review: 4/5 Stars
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