Worth: $18.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji, Miranda Otto, Zoe Terakes
Intro:
… bloody superb …
Great Australian horror movies don’t come along every day. We’re talking about films that worm their way into the collective unconscious and stick there forever more. Stuff like Wake in Fright (1971), Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), Wolf Creek (2005) and The Babadook (2014), films that make an indelible impact thanks to unforgettable performances, unique direction and, of course, scares. It’s impossible to judge new films by this lofty metric, after all, part of the criteria is long term appreciation, but every now and then an Aussie horror flick will come along that makes even the most jaded, desensitised film critic sit back in their seat and mutter, “Holy shit, this goes alright.”
Talk to Me is such a horror film.
Talk to Me is, in essence, a Gen-Z genre film that follows the plight of young Mia (Sophie Wilde). Mia is still grieving the loss of her mother which is putting distance between her and dad, Max (Marcus Johnson), and making her cling a little too hard to her bestie, Jade (Alexandra Jensen). Mia is your typical phone-addicted young person, and has become obsessed with a series of viral videos taken in her neighbourhood where local kids appear to temporarily allow themselves to be possessed via the medium of a creepy-looking hand. So, she and Jade investigate the whole caper and the results are… less than ideal for all involved.
The thing about Talk to Me’s premise is that it could easily have been turned into the bottom-of-the-barrel Blumhouse dreck like Truth or Dare (2018). What separates it from such limp foliage is the execution from first time directors Danny and Michael Philippou.
Talk to Me feels authentic in its dealings with young people, showing them as bored, listless and desperate to glom onto anything that will spice up their suburban mundanity. Sure, any rational adult would take one look at that creepy plaster hand and chuckle, “yeah, nah mate.” But the teens of Talk to Me? They’re all about it.
There’s also a clever subtext of drug allegory going on, with these disconnected youths finding a moment of belonging with one another, as they dare themselves to take that one small step further into the darkness, giggling all the way. Of course, all the set up in the world wouldn’t make up for a general lack of spookiness and happily, Talk to Me’s horror is stunningly effective. We’ll tread lightly in terms of spoilers, suffice to say this film goes there with some truly jaw-dropping moments, genuine creepiness and a couple of set pieces (assisted with amazing practical effects from Aussie make-up maestros MEG) that really do need to be seen to be believed.
Performances are uniformly great, with Sophie Wilde doing excellent work as the deeply troubled Mia and Joe Bird delivering something really special as the hapless innocent, Riley. Plus, kudos to Miranda Otto who embodies a role that shows the true agony of an adult attempting to communicate with anyone under the age of 24. More than this, however, the tone of the piece is so confident, so assured, that it grounds the action in a completely believable, very familiar reality. Which causes the deeply disturbing second half to hit extra hard. This is a movie that shows Gen-Z as just as lost and yearning for meaning as any other, but in the world of Talk to Me, they’re turning towards the supernatural instead of nangs and car park wristies.
Should have stuck with the nangs, kids.
Here’s the thing: Talk to Me is bloody superb. Will it join the ranks of timeless classics like those mentioned in the first paragraph? Don’t know. But it’s certainly in the same ballpark as recent horror triumphs like Relic (2020), Bloody Hell (2020) and Sissy (2023). Dripping with atmosphere and clever detail, bolstered by excellent acting and featuring a near-perfect, uncompromising, dark little tale, Talk to Me is an absolute cracker of a horror film and a sensational introduction to two new bloody talented Aussie doers. If you’re even vaguely into horror films, Talk to Me is an absolute must-see.
