Thrilling, bleak and introspective, ‘Talk to Me’ is a horror thriller set amongst a group of high-schoolers who come across a gateway to conjuring spirits via an allegedly embalmed medium’s hand. Following the heedless group of youths, the story canters on the fallout of the group’s careless activities as things inevitably go wrong.
With Mia (Sophie Wilde) established as the protagonist, the film follows the girl’s journey through grieving the loss of her mother. Marking the 2 year anniversary of her passing, Mia is shown as having lost connection with her father Max (Marcus Johnson) and instead has formed a familial connection with her schoolmate Jade (Alexandra Jensen), her little brother Riely (Joe Bird) and mother Sue (Miranda Otto), spending more time at their house rather than anywhere else.
What ‘Talk to Me’ explores in terms of grief, companionship and a kind of sense of belonging is what identifies the film as one of substance and worth while delving into. Rather than delivering plain scares and tired build-ups to jump-scares, the movie invites you to examine Mia’s grief, with Wilde delivering the pathos of a truly mournful and lost individual.
The utilization of the hand provides for a new way in which the characters may communicate with the spirit realm. Even though this is not a novel concept, as seeking out spirits has long been part of the cinematic world, ‘Talk to Me’ reintroduces the concept from a previously unexamined perspective. The teens are transfixed by the thought of being able to get possessed, - it looks like a joyride that allows the possessed to access never before experienced sensations and take a transcendental trip.
Using the hand, and access to the spirit realm, the film further delves into Mia’s self-medication of sorts, as the girl seeks distraction from her feelings about her mother. Further complicating the situation, a spirit tries to pull Mia in further as it tricks her into believing it is her mother. Disillusioned and lost, the film explores the vulnerability and suggestibility of grief-stricken individuals, and their inclination towards seeking solace to wherever it may come from.
With the spirit world and its inhabitants representing a malicious force of sorts, after the incident that takes over and almost causes Riely’s death, Mia stoops further down a dark path, ultimately resulting in the loss of her own life. The closing shots show Mia lost in a darkened in-between, with her friends and family having physically turned and walked away from her. The only light left in her life, as she sees someone else trying to conjure the spirits via the hand, suggest Mia has not only become a lost soul, but has the opportunity and perhaps even intention of tricking someone else into perpetual possession.
With a masterfully horrific feature debut, twins Danny and Michael Philippou deliver a visually impressive and fresh take on processing grief, looking for an escape and the consequences of unchecked recklessness. Even though the movie incorporates familiar turns to its narrative, the film provides for an exciting and unwonted experience, allowing the audience to sit around with the rest of the teens and bask in the frightful and grisly experience that the next conduit may experience.
Fantastically gross yet pensive, ‘Talk to Me’ delivers more than a fright fest, with its grip firmly on Mia’s journey, contemplating the precious nature of life and being forgotten in the sands of time.
Score: 3/4
Comments