SXSW 2023 Review:
"Talk to Me"
Release Date: July 28, 2023
Rating: R Running Time: 95 minutes Talk to Me is the most un-A24 horror film the boutique distributor has released in its illustrious 10 years of existence. In fact, Talk to Me plays more like the unrated Blu-Ray cut of a generic Blumhouse teen chiller, which probably explains why Universal entered into a bidding war with A24 after this Australian offering wowed audiences at this past Sundance Film Festival. But not every horror film A24 releases can or should possess the vision, the ambition, and/or the emotional weight of Hereditary, The Witch, and A Ghost Story. Sometimes all we want is a good scare. And Talk to Me offers enough good scares to justify its SXSW Midnighter slot. Representing the directorial debut of Youtubers twin brothers Danny and Michael Philippou, Talk to Me focuses on a group of teenagers who mess around with the dead and suffer the consequences. By gripping a severed embalmed hand encased in plaster, and uttering some incantations, the kids open a doorway that allows the dead to possess their body for up to 90 seconds. One second more and the possessed kid’s soul is up for grabs, as newcomer Sophie Wilde’s Mia quickly learns. A friend’s turn with the hand somehow leads to Mia receiving visitations from her recently deceased mother, who warns her that her friend is in immediate danger. Mia’s grief is so pronounced and palpable that it informs every emotionally intimate interaction she experiences and every disturbing moment in a film filled with many. The Philippous employ Mia’s fragile state of mind to nerve-racking effect, with her desperate need for understanding and closure leading to horrific cause and effect. Heading an impressive young cast, Wilde offers a powerful study in grief while displaying empathy for a confused teenager who does not fully grasp the consequences of her actions. That said, as Mia continues on her downward spiral into the final act, Talk to Me fails to fully tap into the shock of its opening scene and the energy of its setup despite some genuine scares. But the final scene of Talk to Me, which not only is a satisfying payoff but sets up a potential sequel, is worth the price of admission. Robert Sims Posted: March 24, 2023. Web sites: https://schedule.sxsw.com/2023/films/2079256 https://a24films.com/films/talk-to-me |
|