Talk to Me is a 2022 Australian supernatural horror film directed by Danny and Michael Philippou and written by Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman, based on a concept by Daley Pearson. It stars Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji, Miranda Otto, Zoe Terakes, Chris Alosio, Marcus Johnson, and Alexandria Steffensen. The film follows a group of teenagers who discover they are able to contact spirits using a mysterious embalmed hand, only for things to go too far. (Wikipedia)
S P O I L E R S
Talk to Me – like most modern horror movies – relies on jump scares and loud noises to terrify its viewers. That’s not unusual. The key question is whether it also engages its viewers with relatable characters and tense dramatic plots, that make sense, in the final analysis. The premise is simple enough – using a McGuffin viz. the embalmed hand, to push the narrative along, which basically concerns ghostly encounters.
Talk to Me is essentially the story of Mia (Wilde), a teenage girl who is recovering from the loss of her mother via suicide two years ago. Mia, feeling estranged from her father, spends most of her time with best friend, Jade and her brother Riley. At the beginning of the movie, Mia is presented to us as a lost girl, looking for answers to make sense of her circumstances.
Thus, she decides to take a risk when given the opportunity to play the macabre game with the embalmed hand. Naturally, things go sideways somewhat and Mia’s journey with the spirits she encountered begins. However, being as fragile as she is, she makes a bad judgment call with Riley, resulting in a terrible situation that she needs to find a solution for, as she feels responsible.
Things go from bad to worse for Mia, as Jade and Riley get dragged into the abyss she inadvertently opened – can Mia find a way to save her friends and herself before it’s too late? Or is Talk to Me a cautionary tale about playing with fire? A strong third act compels me to grant this movie a firm recommendation.
Watch now on Amazon.
… still there’s more …