Talk to Me

UK Release Date: 28 July 2023
Certification: 15
Director: Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
Cast: Chris Alosio, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji, Alexandra Jensen, Miranda Otto, Zoe Terakes, Sophie Wilde

Rating: 79%

                                                                    

                                                                                                                                                  

Review:

A24's latest sadistic film, Talk to Me, is an absolutely fantastic edition of modern horror. The film plays around with the supernatural sub-genre, manipulating audience expectations to provide some of the most gruesome scares of the decade. It utilises blood as a tool to express pain rather than frighten with inconsistent jerky movements providing more of a scare-factor. Talk to Me truly has to be experienced with an audience to be fully as enjoyed as the terror of the film rings around the screen. 

From a technical standpoint, the film is an astonishing achievement for a directorial debut. Twin brothers, Danny and Michael Philippou, have been producing YouTube content for almost a decade in the form of horror skits under the name of RackaRacka. I've grown up with their videos so it is somewhat surreal to watch their first feature length film. Danny and Michael completely smash it out the park in almost every way. Dim lighting, heightened sounds and the shot selection all do an incredible job at creating top-notch horror. 

The entirety of the Australian cast are superb but the Philippou's have discovered a sensation with Sophie Wilde. She commands the screen with her breakout lead performance. Conveying a variety of genuine emotion throughout whether it be fear or the experience of isolation. Wilde delivered a layered performance as she expresses a detailed look into how someone deals with loss. Alongside, Joe Bird also deserves a mention. He draws sympathy out of the audience whilst being sidelined for a considerable portion of the runtime. 

I loved the mix of horror and comedy. I went into Talk to Me having only seen the original teaser and had absolutely no idea that the two genres would blend together at all, never mind so seemlessly. Multiple scenes had me in bits. The only aspect that holds the film back is that when it attempts to delve into a family drama the execution falls flat compared to the rest of the film. Nevertheless, Talk to Me is easily the best horror film of the year and one of the best films of the year, period.