A One Mann’s Movies review of “Talk to Me” (2023).
I saw “Talk To Me” as a Cineworld Secret Cinema preview earlier in the week and it was preceded by an exhuberent and very loud “THANK YOU FOR COMING TO SEE OUR FILM!!!!” intro by the two youthful directors, Danny and Michael Philippou. (“Oh God, I thought”!). The realisation that this was a horror film caused a mass exodus of about 40 people from my screening (good luck on finding an alternative screen in Barbenheimer week!).
And they were not the last to leave, as this was a horror that managed to introduce a few disturbing scenes to spook some of the rest!
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
You’d have thought that Mia (Sophie Wilde), who has lost her mother a few years before, would be the last to dabble in occult matters. But when a group of her friends present her with a disembodied hand, that allegedly allows her to contact the dead, she volunteers. The one rule is that you mustn’t hold it for more than 90 seconds, but….
Certification:
UK: 15; US: R. (From the BBFC web site: “Strong bloody violence, injury detail, horror, very strong language”.)
Talent:
Starring: Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Sarah Brokensha, Marcus Johnson.
Directed by: Danny Philippou & Michael Philippou.
Written by: Danny Philippou, Bill Hinzman & Daley Pearson.
Twitter Handle: #talktomemovie.
Meeting Simon Cowell was a lifetime ambition for young Ria. (Source: A24).
“Talk To Me” Review:
Positives:
- Sophie Wilde is a teriffic little actress and does a wonderful job here. In the same way that the (similar in tone) “Get Out” catapulted Daniel Kaluuya into the major acting league, hopefully this will give Ms Wilde a similar lift. Looking forward to seeing what she does next.
- Although the quality and pacing is a bit patchy, this film really came into its own with the ‘seance’ type scenes, which had some great jolts and which I found genuinely spooky. Elsewhere, a possession plot gives young Joe Bird a chance to retread the excellent performance of Peter DeSouza-Feighoney in “The Pope’s Exorcist“: and he does very well indeed. And hats off to the scriptwriters for the ending, which I found both unexpected and deliciously satisfying.
- Some of the scenes, notably one with Riley in a hospital shower room, are disturbingly graphic and on the top end of the mainstream horror scale. (This led another couple of older folks to exit the screening!). As my Flickering Dreams co-host commented it’s “pure nightmare fuel”! Since most people go to a horror film to be a bit scared, the film delivers on that promise.
Negatives:
- As above, the film has a few dodgy moments. The start in particular didn’t engage me at all. There’s a “F**k” in every other line of dialogue (which I personally find offputting) and the abstract opener is only later (vaguely) linked into the plot. It also takes a long time to introduce the protagonists, and even then I wasn’t 100% sure what the relationship was between Mia and Jade/Riley. (I started to think that perhaps I should be walking out with the masses as well! But no, I never have and never will, just in case the movie improves. And indeed, this was a case in point).
- As mentioned in the “Positives” section, this is a film on the fringes (and I would personally say, over) the line of an “18” certificate for the violence meted. It didn’t disturb me, but if you are of a delicate disposition this might not be a film for you.
Summary Thoughts on “Talk to Me”
Just like Emma, one of my colleagues on our Flickering Dreams podcast, I am a bit conflicted about my views on this film. Distributed by A24, it has a lot of positives (not least of which the stunning debut performance by Sophie Wilde). But it also has some rough edges. Which is fair enough, given that this is the Philippou brothers debut feature. (These guys are apparently famous for their Youtube channel). But in a world of movie blandness, this one stuck out as a nicely innovative horror (with resonances, for me, of “Get Out“). The Philippou Brothers will be guys to watch for the future.
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Trailer for “Talk to Me”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLAKJu9aJys .
‘Sundance’ video
There is a very entertaining video, made by the Philippou brothers, about them taking the movie to the Sundance film festival and getting signed by A24. Yes, the two brothers are a bit shrieky and annoying…. but it is fun seeing the team’s UTTER DELIGHT as their little film goes stratospheric!
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