Written by: Ryan Dailey
Talk to Me is the debut from Youtubers-turned-filmmakers Danny and MIcheal Phillipou. The film is a tour de force in the transmissible curse genre of horror, joining the ranks of It Follows, The Ring and Smile.
The film is about a game where participants take a hold of an embalmed hand, mutter the correct incantation and surrender their body to spectral guests. This film takes an interesting approach to this ritual in that the individual does not have a choice in what spirit inhabits their body. The participants need to cast the spirit back before 90 seconds pass, or the paranormal guest may not leave.
Thrilled by the experience, the lead character, Mia, (Sophie Wilde), decides to take a page from the Scanners playbook and revists the ritual multiple times, pushing the time limit more and more each “game.”
Talk to Me is basically a film about Generation Z Deadites. The concept is more terrifying than any visitor from a parallel dimension could be. The fact that the “game” of willing possession is filmed for social media could be a very real thing speaks volumes about the world we live in.
A24 has delivered another solid entry into the horror nation with Talk to Me. The film is well done across the board, especially Sophia Wide’s performance. The film is hit and miss on dialog and plot throughout, but those instances are few and far between. The film sets itself up beautifully to continue the story in future installments. The Philippou brothers have successfully transitioned from YouTube to feature films, hopefully they can keep up with the ingenuity Talk to Me exhibits.
The world certainly does not need another M. Night Shyamalan.
Talk to Me is currently playing in theaters.