Daring to Explore
The teenagers in Talk to Me were enjoying themselves, celebrating at the house of one of their friends whose parents were either away or open-minded enough to allow them to have a good time. They had gathered to experiment with something novel, taking turns experiencing the excitement and brushing against danger, all while finding relief and satisfaction because they were willing to take the risk. They surmounted social obstacles and gained greater acceptance within the circle of popular kids. The new activity they were engaging in involved a hand statue that, when held and shaken like a handshake, could enable anyone to perceive spirits, whether ghosts or demons. Even with the teenagers’ consent, the spirit could enter their bodies. There was a strict time limit of ninety seconds; surpassing it meant that the ritual had to be halted unless they wanted the possessor of the body to remain possessed indefinitely. In such a case, their bodies would become the property of the spirit. The film explicitly drew a parallel between this horror game and drug use.
In one montage sequence, we observe the teenage characters behaving as if they were under the influence, taking turns trying the hand statue repeatedly. They were having a good time, and it appeared they were genuinely intoxicated. This perilous game played a crucial role in the social lives of the teenage characters in the movie. Some considered it a prerequisite for acceptance, others saw it as a means to gain popularity, and others used it as an outlet to escape their problems.
Mia, our central character, saw the game embodying all three aspects. Mia lost her mother two years ago to suicide, and she still carried a profound sense of grief. Behind her cheerful demeanor and what seemed to be a close relationship with her siblings, Jade and Riley, Mia had not come to terms with the tragedy. She still could not accept her mother’s tragic choice and, deep down, continued searching for answers. However, like a vulnerable and fragile teenager trying to project strength, Mia sought answers elsewhere. Instead of discussing it maturely with her father, Mia sought solace in substances like drugs or the talking hand horror game mentioned earlier. Among her friends, Mia was the most enthusiastic about playing this game. When Riley, the youngest among them, tried the hand statue, Mia believed that her mother’s spirit had possessed Riley. It led Riley to exceed the time limit, jeopardizing her life. Mia had to take responsibility and rescue Riley, which required her to confront the underlying cause of her mother’s suicide.
Overlooking the Plethora
Talk to Me commences with a scene featuring a gathering of party attendees reacting to a violent altercation by raising their phones to record the incident. The phones only cease recording when a knife is brandished, prompting the onlookers to disperse. This movie does not revolve around the culture of passive recording or social media. However, it subtly comments on the unsettling desire to achieve viral status through foolish and sensational content, encompassing challenges like Tide pods or sunburn tattoos.
In this context, a clique of teenagers is partaking in a party game involving an object resembling a ceramic cast of a deceased medium’s hand. They grasp the hand and utter, “Talk to me,” resulting in players perceiving ghosts within the room. If they add, “I let you in,” one of the deceased spirits will possess them, causing their eyes to darken, altering their physical form, and enhancing their appearance until their friends sever ties with them. As long as the recorded footage does not surpass 90 seconds, it serves as an audacious substitute for the typical teenage party activities involving sex, drugs, and alcohol, making TikTok videos seem extraordinary.
The fact that they exhibit no fear, whether of the afterlife or possession, is genuinely surprising. In retrospect, just a few years ago, they might have been indulging in consuming detergent as a form of entertainment.
Australian twin siblings Danny and Michael Philippous possess substantial expertise in achieving viral status through eccentric videos. Following their rise to fame via their humorous and often disruptive YouTube channel, RackaRacka, the Philippous siblings make a remarkable foray into feature filmmaking with Talk to Me. They embrace a concept, crafted by Daley Pearson, that appears relatively straightforward, reminiscent of numerous Blumhouse productions, and demonstrates that even clichés, no matter how worn-out, can still be effective. Amidst the plethora of Insidious franchises that replicate a commercially proven formula without attempting innovation, there exists a rare gem like Talk to Me. It does not appear to defy conventions, yet it exudes freshness and vitality, as though established norms do not bind it. Many attempts to mimic a profitable formula overlook the fundamentals, such as narrating a compelling story with a stylish approach. By intensifying the stakes and presenting characters that resonate authentically with the audience, rather than resorting to tired clichés, the director introduces an alluring scenario brimming with surprises that horror enthusiasts will not easily forget.
Gore Galore
Regarding the horror genre, this film does not hold back. Our two directors fully know that this is their opportunity to establish themselves as significant figures in this field, and their passion is undeniably evident. Talk to Me features moments of intense horror. The possession scenes blend chaos and entertainment. Their approach draws inspiration from classic horror films like Evil Dead, incorporating exaggerated performances and levels of gore that are bound to make us squirm. Riley’s scene, where she repeatedly strikes her face against the table, would present a considerable challenge if included in a “do not look away challenge” video. Moreover, the film delves beyond physical horror; it adeptly constructs suspense for a more emotionally unsettling brand of horror that tricks our psyche.
The spirits that inhabit the bodies of these teenagers compel them to utter or perform actions rooted in their fears or life experiences. It often leads to excruciatingly awkward situations when the spirits unveil the “secrets” of their hosts. It becomes even more amusing when they manipulate a religious host into doing something that would amuse a demon, for instance. Additionally, the film transcends into psychological horror due to numerous scenes where Mia’s emotions are shrouded in ambiguity. Is she genuinely perceiving demons, or is her behavior simply erratic? Did she genuinely indulge in using cannabis just once? Is the spirit communicating with her truly her mother’s spirit, or is it another malevolent entity attempting to deceive her? Or perhaps, is it all a result of her troubled mind? Mia should have been a captivating character laden with personal conflicts stemming from her tragic past. Her inability to confront her grief steers her towards an unhealthy escapism path. However, the screenplay must fully utilize the ambiguity and enigma surrounding her to develop her character.
If we examine the narrative buildup in the film’s first half, Mia’s journey appears to be centered around coming to terms with her mother’s demise. Mia ought to have learned to accept that her mother is at peace, that her suicide was driven by the burdens everyone faces, and that occasionally, death is perceived as a release. This rationale is behind a scene where Mia “encounters” a dying kangaroo in the middle of the road. Riley, her companion at the time, comprehends the need to alleviate the kangaroo’s suffering, effectively asking Mia to end its life. However, Mia cannot muster the resolve to do so. Beyond this, Mia fails to grasp the sanctity of death. She certainly would not be as enthusiastic about summoning ghosts if she knew it. Instead, Mia distances herself from the kangaroo, once again revealing her preference for escaping her problems. From this “error,” Mia’s lesson should have revolved around acknowledging that reality must be confronted, even if it entails accepting that her mother took her own life as a means of liberation.
Talk to Me serves as a “mantra” uttered when the youngsters are prepared to encounter spirits with the aid of the hand statue. Within the story’s context, these words also convey a message to us that certain issues necessitate open discussion. One of the challenging aspects of a teenager’s life is dealing with death, as losing a loved one can steer young individuals down a troubling path. The film illustrates that the true specter is not death itself, as death holds different meanings for different individuals. Some even perceive it as a form of escape. The genuine specter lies in how people cope when they have not reconciled with the concept of death.
Beyond Clichés
Talk to Me proves that, when in capable hands, the theme of grief can propel the storyline without feeling overly conventional. From the start, we discover that Mia’s mother tragically took her life two years ago. Since then, a rift has grown between Mia and her father, Max, leading to questions about her mother’s motivations and Max’s honesty regarding the circumstances. While this narrative might seem commonplace on the surface, Wilde skillfully portrays the nuances of Mia’s grief, and Philippous’ script avoids resorting to clichéd drama or excessive sentimentality in its dialogue. Mia’s relentless quest for answers keeps her engaged beyond what is typically recommended.
Moreover, why limit the experience to just 90 seconds? Hayley’s disconcerting response is that, after that duration, “They want to stay.” Nevertheless, Mia’s unresolved issues with her mother take a back seat after a harrowing incident leaves one of the central characters with no escape.
Despite the exuberant and daring montage where the main group willingly succumbs to the sinister allure of the hand’s pleasures, the filmmakers set aside the frenetic energy of their viral videos—bearing names like Ronald McDonald Playground Slaughter!. Furthermore, Talk to Me deliberately avoids being categorized within the “elevated horror” subgenre, a path other filmmakers might have chosen. The Philippous brothers achieve a delicate equilibrium between expressing genuine emotions and delivering spine-tingling scares. Their meticulous attention to sensory details infiltrates our minds and bodies. The throbbing sound design by Emma Bortignon immerses the audience in every setting, capturing reverberations from fissures or abrupt jolts in the soundtrack, akin to the deafening ambient sounds of an eerie, vacant house crawling beneath one’s skin. Cornel Wilczek’s weighty and contemporary musical score propels the narrative’s momentum, while the visual effects team conjures numerous creeping plants seemingly inspired by the reanimated corpses of The Shining.
The Missing Insight into Mia’s Decision
However, Mia’s moments of personal growth fail to materialize. If they do, the film’s presentation of these moments reduces them to mere shock value. Without revealing too many details, Mia’s decision to kill Riley or not is sprung upon us as a surprise. However, we should have been privy to the reasons behind Mia’s ultimate choice. We should have been inside Mia’s mind rather than passive observers in a passing car at that critical juncture. It is because, in that moment, Mia is genuinely grappling with death, a subject she has been avoiding due to her fear of confronting the harsh reality surrounding her mother. For example, she had just left her father, drenched in blood, to deceive her friend to harm her sibling. However, Mia fails to follow through with her plan after all that trouble. The film’s second half appears to deviate from the initial setup, introducing too many uncertainties while excessively trying to garner sympathy for Mia’s character.
Moreover, sympathizing with her is truly challenging. Sophie Wilde’s acting is indeed commendable. However, Mia is more likable when she is possessed and toying with Riley, Jade, and the others than Mia in her forcedly hysterical, grief-stricken, and haunted state.
Mia is portrayed as a character who seeks trouble and feigns being the most wounded. For instance, she insists on allowing Riley, who is still too young, to play the hand statue game, only to later “persuade” her other friends to admit their guilt. The relationships in the film are quite intricate. Mia’s friend, Jade, has a boyfriend who previously dated Mia. Mia, now claiming they are just friends, is depicted by the script as someone who avoids addressing issues, making her appear crafty by inviting the boyfriend to stay at her house. At the same time, they are all shaken by what happened to Riley. As the situation intensifies, Mia, who should have learned to confront problems, believes in ghosts over the living. What Mia would lose if the ghost successfully claimed Riley’s body remains unclear. Even the sequence leading to what should have been a captivating and surreal conclusion feels hollow because Mia ends up as a character who likes this instead of delving into the reasons behind her transformation. Mia’s character development feels as if it were abruptly cut off, and the film proceeds as a narrative depicting the downward spiral of a character with unsympathetic attitudes and choices. Her development, the learning curve that should have endeared us to her, is also severed.
Capturing Raimi’s Spirit
Talk to Me is one of the most gratifying recent supernatural horror films. Suppose some specifics regarding Mia’s mother and the revelation of the truth behind her suicide had remained unclear in the final act. In that case, the movie might have achieved a flawless conclusion that would undeniably send chills down the viewer’s spine. The earlier references to Raimi are quite fitting because the Philippous brothers successfully capture a comparable level of character integrity and the exhilarating energy of a funhouse in their impressive work, reminiscent of Drag Me to Hell. It engenders a sensation like an audience has embarked on a rollercoaster journey filled with comedic challenges and spine-tingling frights. The exceptional cast adeptly delivers every moment, a skill that contributed to launching their careers through online videos that frequently blend horror with physical humor. Even though the branch of Raimi-style Evil Dead films from 2013 to 2023 predominantly lacked humor, thus failing to pique the director’s interest in slapstick, the Philippous brothers would be well-prepared for such a task if ever called upon.
Following its acquisition by A24, Talk to Me will resonate with both mainstream audiences and horror enthusiasts, propelling the cinematic journeys of these two highly talented directors. The latter part of the film did not necessarily need to unfold this way. The film explores the concept of death wrapped in intriguing horror ideas and themes. It is akin to stories of summoning spirits but stands apart due to the distinctive characters and situations it presents. The protagonist should have been a character with whom the audience could sympathize, drawing us into a web of dramatic irony as we observe her repeatedly making ill-fated choices. Her moment of realization towards the end should have held profound significance. However, the film reduces it to a mere unexpected twist. Unfortunately, this approach prevents it from leaving a lasting impact as the character forfeits the development that had been carefully crafted in the first half.
Bibliography
- Bentley, A. (2023). Talk to Me hands the horror genre a creepy new entry. CultureMap Austin.
- Butler, B. (2023). ‘Talk to Me’ speaks to everyone. The Washington Post.
- Feldberg, I. (2023). Rite of Passage: Danny and Michael Philippou on Talk to Me. Roger Ebert.
- Menta, A. (2023). ‘Talk to Me’ Ending Explained: Does Mia Die?. Decider.