When a group of friends discover 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.
I never thought I’d see the day where I’d combine the words RackaRacka and ‘good horror film’ together in a single sentence. But “Talk To Me” gives me ample cause to finally say it.
Danny and Michael Philippious’ penchant for simple yet effective hyperactivity and giddy live-wire energy makes their confident direction all the more surprising. Their transition from YouTube to the silver screen shows massive restraint in their ability to showcase the entrancing gravitational pull of gore, action and emotions through vivid simplicity.
What the presentation boasts to further support the direction is easily accessible and is further buoyed by the chaos that occurs rather than crumble under its weight. It holds a good pace while properly building suspense, the violence actually punctuates the events of the story without resorting to shock value (most of the time) thanks to wonderfully gooey practical effects, Cornel Wilczek’s musical score and Emma Bortignon’s creepy sound design compliment each other brilliantly, and the cinematography effectively captures an eerie desolate beauty to the swift rowdiness that occurs thanks to its compact nimble framing and the sturdy editing it packs alongside it. Hell, for once, I didn’t even mind the jumpscares.
Let’s not forget the wonderful array of talented performers, radiating authenticity, range and vulnerability with each scene delivered; Sophie Wilde, however, does most of the heavy lifting in her film debut.
As far as possession horror goes, the way this story presents and tells it is fascinating: while it doesn’t stray from the visuals one would expect to see in that kind of story and the concept of teens being attacked from within is shrewd, the nuts-and-bolts narrative actually stands out because it has more to say here. Not only does it offer a nihilistic perspective on the afterlife and whether we can trust the dead, it ties into not just the inevitability behind our disconnect from reality but also how quickly it ascertains the messiness of adolescence and cyclicality of grief. Yes, the teens make SO MANY decisions that, if they were handled by lesser directors, might‘ve pissed me off. However, the characters and style really allow you to buy into the events because there are clear physical and emotional stakes and while the characters aren’t the greatest, you know where they stand and the cast are so entrancing in their roles.
Metaphorically, the film explores and speaks on the addiction that grief itself can cause you when left unchecked and Mia’s anguish repeatedly forcing her back to the hand is a decision that’s frowned upon but we can understand. Yes, we’ve seen enough horror films explore the concept of grief and loss half a million times by this point but it’s a popular formula for a reason and everyone has their own experiences in how they cope with loss; Hereditary did it from an adults perspective and this film does it from an adolescents, more specifically by using tech as a vector for teen isolation and posturing. As thematically thin as its portrayed, those elements are actually handled in a mature, deft manner while taking advantage of a tight and tidy runtime without truly overstaying their welcome to where I didn’t mind the cliches all that much.
Ironically, the brothers enthusiasm for mayhem itself is just as big of a detriment as it is a benefit to this project. For all the kineticism it boasts and proudly wears on its sleeves, it can occasionally wain going into and out the second act to where it does run entirely on shock value sometimes. Now, A24 horror films normally do have a method to the madness in regards to the use of their shock value and this one follows that same tangled webbed weave but at the same time here…..it does takes away some tension from the proceedings.
Not to mention, I don’t know how I feel about the ending. On its own and as a potential starting point for a new franchise, it’s ambitious, surprising and does subvert the trope of kids being picked off by the spirit one by one; also, as depressing as it was, it serves as the best ending to Mia’s story given everything leading up to it. The execution, however, felt DODGY to me.
But as both a horror movie and a proof-of-concept, I can say this makes the best use of both; although, I wouldn’t go so far as to call a GREAT film more than it is a refreshing one considering how these possession films normally play out.
