- Release Date: 04/08/2023
- Cast: Sophie Wilde, Joe Bird, Alexandra Jensen, Miranda Otto, Marcus Johnson
- Director: Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
The IMDb description of ‘Talk to Me’ reads, “When a group of friends discovers how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.” This is precisely the amount of information you need to have about the film to enjoy it in the way the makers, Danny Philippou, and Michael Philippou intended. I knew nothing more than the above lines as I walked into this film, and while I was not necessarily as disarmed by it as many of the critics around the world seem to have been, I enjoyed it just enough to rate it as one of the better horror films of recent times.
The film is produced by A24, a production house synonymous with offbeat, temperamental, and psychological horror films like “Hereditary” and “The Witch.” That should tell you everything you need to know about the kind of horror that this film was poised to put out. Horror, for me, has been a genre that has not seen a genuinely great film since the first “Conjuring.” I love genuine jump scares. I love expansive stories and lore behind the characters and McGuffin involved in a horror story. I love getting spooked. I love eerie settings and a feeling of something evil lurking somewhere in the shadows even when everything seems normal and pleasant in the story.
I love character development in horror films and enjoy watching the horror elements take its toll on the cast members. This only works when the performances are able to showcase these elements and attach a sense of urgency, panic, and tragedy to all that is put on screen through the performances. Some of the best examples of these are “The Exorcist,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” “The Exorcism of Emily Rose,” and “The Conjuring.” Unfortunately, these elements have been missing in most of the recent horror films, and it breaks my heart to say that the case with “Talk to Me” is not much different. I walked into this film hearing nothing but great things about it and was filled with a feeling that it would finally be that movie that would blow me away, but it wasn’t.
The first half of the film, where the McGuffin and the rules around it are set up, and the conflict is initiated, takes forever. While the initial few minutes feel engrossing, interesting, and filled with an uncanny energy and high, the proceedings quickly become monotonous. All I could think about was when the actual plot point would be set up. The characters interact with each other in the most organic manner possible, and they feel authentic, but their interactions never piqued my interest or intrigue in them or what they were saying and doing. Some background elements of the major characters are also introduced in the same portion that assumes importance in the tale as we go along. Sadly, these elements also felt forced and didn’t incite any interest in me for the characters or their background story.
The first jolt in terms of storytelling, horror, and surprise comes when one of the characters breaks a certain rule, and we see the horrible outcome it brings for that character and the rest of the cast. This is the point from which the film starts to soar to a certain extent. The horror elements and visual horror of the film become a little more pronounced, and we get to enjoy a few genuinely terrifying moments. The most horrifying of these is one sequence where we see a young adult’s soul trapped amidst a sea of demons. If that was not enough, one of the characters is continually haunted, and she finds it extremely difficult to distinguish between reality and what the haunting spirit is selling her as the actual reality. This results in some terrifying set pieces and also fills the narrative with an inescapable sense of confusion and tension regarding what is real and what is not when we are viewing the story from that character’s perspective.
Having said that, there was still not enough horror for me in the film. I have to admit that I wasn’t even nudged off my seat throughout the screening, and that is something that I just couldn’t live with. The atmosphere, while perfect for the story and its presentation, was neither sombre nor eerie. I didn’t care for any of the characters. Frankly, most of the characters were so unlikeable that I didn’t mind a few of them getting possessed and suffering a horrible fate. The protagonist, Mia, played by Sophie Wilde, is the biggest culprit in this regard. Wilde is just so irritating, annoying, and unlikeable as the character that I wanted her character to suffer. Mia is shown to be selfish and endangering others’ safety for just a few moments of her personal pleasure. This not only further demonizes her but also justifies her final fate. If the directors intended for the audiences to hate the character of Mia, they have undoubtedly succeeded, at least for me.
Miranda Otto, as a mother who finds herself at the receiving end of the life-threatening antics of her children, even after she had warned them against their misadventures, is the only character that I could connect with in the film. In fact, my heart went out to her as I watched her reeling under the unspeakable tragedy that had befallen her, even after she had done everything right to keep her children safe and happy. Otto’s rendition of the character in key moments would leave you heartbroken and would also make you wish for her child to be returned to her the way he was before, even if it was at the cost of the protagonist’s life.
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Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou’s direction is spot on, considering the story and the treatment. Sadly, I was neither on the same page with the story and the truckload of unanswered questions, nor was I okay with the treatment and the utter lack of genuine scares. There were numerous elements and sequences in the film that grossed me out more than it scared me, and that was another thing I didn’t like about the film. I had some issues with the Australian English accent and use of the language that wasn’t easy to comprehend without subtitles. I was also constantly frustrated by the utter lack of information about some of the most important things in the story.
Having said that, it was still extremely inspiring to see two YouTubers break out into the Hollywood scene with an Australian horror film that was produced and presented by A24. Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou didn’t appear like the kind of people who would end up making a temperamental, slow-paced, and abstract horror film. Interestingly, that’s exactly what “Talk to Me” is. From what I am getting from interviews and articles, there will be a lot more of these films, and now that the film has grabbed the attention of international critics and gained universal attention (its release in Guwahati justifies that), we can expect Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou to bring out those stories and elements about the idea that they have been talking about online. The one that I am most interested in is how the McGuffin in the film happened to be and how it was created. For now, I am not as impressed with this film as I would have loved to be, but it still is a decent watch that can be enjoyed for its novelty, energy, and some genuinely off-putting and shocking moments.
Rating: 3/5 (3 out of 5 Stars)
The views expressed in this article are that of the reviewer and do not reflect EastMojo’s position.
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