Movie Breakdown: Talk To Me

Pre-Screening Stance:

Talk To Me looks like it’s going to be awesome. Granted, this feeling of mine is largely driven by the really positive comments that have come out of its festival plays, but still, it does have a great trailer.

Post-Screening Ramble:

You’re going to love Talk To Me. The horror film is centered around Mia (Sophie Wilde), a young lady who’s really struggling to get over the accidental death of her mother, Rhea (Alexandria Steffensen). In search of something, anything that might serve as a distraction for herself, she decides to take a turn with the latest local party trick – an embalmed hand that supposedly allows the user to commune with the dead. As it turns out, what appears to be a hoax is actually true, and Mia finds herself anxious to retake the thrill ride it provides. This leads to nothing good for all involved.

I’m still a bit blown away that Talk To Me is the debut film from co-directors (and twins) Danny and Michael Philippou – they took what could have been just another entry into the possession genre and gave it a very fresh and exciting edge. The scares are genuinely good (and oft-goopy), which I’m sure is what will drive most people’s enthusiasm for the movie, but it should also get points for the way it mixes in a lot of funny and heartfelt moments. Sophie Wilde is deserving of praise, too, as she does a pretty stellar job of playing the thoroughly lost Mia. Usually, it’s fairly easy in these types of movies to be baffled by the protagonist’s decisions, but Wilde is so relatable as Mia that you want to side with her, even when she’s eager to play with a creepy hand. While we’re at it here, let’s also celebrate said creepy hand, which is one of the better horror devices in recent memory and something I would never touch. Or would I?

In my opinion, Talk To Me is the best horror film of 2023 (so far). You should give it a go when it hits theaters this Friday, July 28.

One Last Thought:

I’ve got nothing. Just go see the movie!