A24 Brings “Talk To Me” to Theaters for Gen Z Thriller Seekers
A24 has another box office juggernaut on their hands with the bone chilling thriller Talk To Me, directed by Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou. In this film we follow protagonist Mia played by Sophie Wild, as she opens up a portal to a paranormal underworld with her group of friends. Each person takes turns holding the paranormal hand, allowing themselves to become possessed by the spirits trapped inside of it. Using their bodies as a vessel for the spirits to communicate on the other end.
After premiering at Sundance, the film is now grossing upwards of $30 million dollars, which is better than expected for its domestic box office release. In Talk To Me we follow a teen stoner, Mia, haunted by her mother’s recent death. As she is struggling to make peace with what happend, she tries to use this new connection to the undead as a way to see her mother again. Mia decides to use the special hand that opens a portal to the underworld. When one of the characters Riley lands himself in the hospital, she reconsiders the risks of permanently tethering herself to this underworld.
The cold opening is strong and really speaks to the general audience with a great soundtrack. There is awesome bloody gore throughout the film, and a general uneasiness in the edit that keeps you on the edge of your seat. While this film is filled with jump scares, quick cuts, and awesome performances from the actors. There was something about the story that felt a bit slow at times, but overall the stakes in the script got shaky in act two.
As a late Gen Z teen myself, I just can’t imagine voluntarily opening myself up to being possessed by demonic forces, and it certainly wouldn’t be something that I would want to get on camera. While a commentary on the dangers of spectacle can be included in this conversation about the film, I think this took away from some of the immersiveness that the world building could have had.
These filmmakers, Danny Philippou and Micheal Philippou, make excellent use of music and snappy camera movements that created a unique vibe for the story. It felt like a bonafide Blumhouse project with its tight budgets, social undertones, and old school horror antics. Which keeps audiences interested, but don’t always move the needle for the genre.
Wild has a strong and unique presence on screen that keeps you interested in the character, as opposed to casting an A-list actor. This allows us to watch the film without too many grandiose expectations that come with casting an A-list talent in a film like this.
Overall, Talk to Me was an entertaining and interesting watch. This definitely isn’t a “critical acclaim” film and don’t think it’s trying to be. Which is pretty refreshing considering that many recent horror films have tried to attract critical acclaim. Talk To Me is in theaters now.