Review of Talk to Me (2023) by Moviemitch96 — 29 Jul 2023

Holy hell! In this Aussie horror flick, a group of teens get in over their heads when they decide to push their luck with an embalmed hand that allows them to be possessed by deceased spirits from beyond.

They soon find themselves being haunted by the spirits that they've let in, unable to outrun them or close the door to the other side. Although they can be a little hit or miss with me, when it comes to horror, A24 knows how to make some pretty bold and innovative films within the genre ('Hereditary', 'Midsommar', etc.

) and I'm more than pleased to say that this film is certainly no exception! Directed with unrelenting and hellish fury by Danny and Michael Philippou (better known as YouTube duo Rackaracka), this one had me on the edge of my seat and genuinely recoiling in both fear and disgust in equal measure! Several sequences throughout had me in both great suspense and enormous shock.

I honestly can't remember the last time a film had this effect on me. As far as performances go, while everyone here does a solid job of feigning possession, lead actress Sophie Wilde was the film's true standout for me.

Showcasing equal parts fear, possession, and genuine emotion, she really knocked it out of the park here! While there are a couple of predictable/frustrating moments, they're heavily overshadowed by the rest of the genuine tension and suspense I was feeling for almost practically the entire film.

Overall, it's tense, it's unsettling, it's nerve-shredding, it's absolutely brutal, and it's truly one of the best and most impactful horror films I've seen in recent memory.