User Reviews

Talk to Me is a stone cold classic of the horror genre. It feels fresh, thrilling, absorbing, and has a brilliant concept at its core.

The story follows a group of friends who play around with the occult, contacting the spirit world through a mysterious ceramic hand. As you might expect, things go off the rails quickly and insidious activity ensues.

The way the story is set up is superb, giving a fresh spin on a somewhat tired horror trope and bringing it into the 21st century with style.

It contains a strong collection of characters with great performances behind them all and solid writing that doesn't feel cliche or tired.

Stylistically I think the film is superb, with the direction on point. There are some neat creative flourishes and a brilliant use of sound, both of which really contribute to the overall atmosphere, which is one of constant suspense and unease.

I don't think the film is particularly scary, relying more on body horror and disturbing imagery, but it is very unnerving and tense nonetheless.

The only reason I'm not scoring this higher is that I think some of the concepts could have been taken a little further, and some of the horror dialled up a notch, but these are minor criticisms really.

Talk to Me is one of the most refreshing and engaging horror films I've seen in a while, and will be sure to be a treat for any horror fans out there.

Its an overall good movie especially considering it is the first feature film attempt by the directors. But is far from perfect. The biggest (& possibly the only) flaw of the movie is its protaganist. She does not miss a single chance to act stupid & selfish and keeps getting everyone else into trouble. This makes watching the movie a frustrating experience at times. If there was a proper sensible character to counter her and was given as much screen time, movie would have been better. But on technical level, its a well made movie with nice effects, cinematography, acting & direction. In the end, if I was to rank this movie in comparison to other horror movies. I would rank it above any conjuring or insedious sequels but below movies like 'It Follows'.

What drew my interest in this film was the high IMDb reviews, especially for the horror genre which is the most scrutinized. The plot is pretty basic.... evil and supernatural forces begin to manifest by touching an embalmed hand. I love horror films but I've always treated them like an amusement park ride. They don't need a sophisticated plot but certainly a good screenplay, creepy atmosphere, pacing, uncomfortable tension, and just plain scary. I'll get straight to the pros and cons:

Pros:

1. Good cinematography and quality of acting.

2. Because of the lower budget, the film wasn't flooded with CGI. Some of the scenes were pretty creepy. One scene had a dark atmosphere about it that reminded me of a scene from Hereditary.

Cons:

1. Way too much filler. I understand and appreciate setting things up for character attachment/development but the first 25-30 min was a snooze fest.

2. Screenplay was too disjointed and had a pacing problem. The scenes involving the hand were good but all the in-between segments with the characters were uninteresting for the most part. At times I was wondering with a particular character if this was horror or a drama.

3. Weak final act. When it's all said and done this movie is about a few entertaining and even scary scenes and a lot of messy writing all over the place. Are they trying too hard? Should they have focused on a different angle if the goal was to make this story deeper? You be the judge. Honestly I think this would have made a really good 12-13 minute short film.

Is this movie on the level of 2018's Hereditary? Heck no. Is it worth watching? Honesty yes. With great horror movies few and far between, you can get a few thrills out of it and appreciate the potential that could have been. Decent but could have been so much more...

Danny and Michael Philippou have truly made something special here and hope it gets the attention it deserves. Known by their YouTube channel "RackaRacka" They were able to pull off a great low budget horror film on the budget of $4.5 million Australian dollars that feels at least 20 million.

The cinematography and direction were all incredible with some expertly crafted scenes and a very dark and foreboding story that does have some originality to it despite being another supernatural, hell-demon, "other side" story. The scenes with the hand were legitimately scary and tense with a very unpredictable nature to it, the rest of the story was surprisingly unpredictable and unconventional, that also captures the modern Australian generation very well.

The acting in this movie was off the charts and really delivered every emotion these characters were feeling at any given time and their reaction to exactly what was happening, internally and externally. The movie does depict Australian Gen Zérs pretty well, me being one of them. They did use it to their advantage in this movie, with RackaRacka being Gen Z as well, they were able to nail their modern Australian characters to perfection.

The movie really did have an impactful effect on me, with me starting to feel a little ill by the end of the movie and me processing what all had just happened that I won't spoil in this review. Overall, the tone didn't just feel like shallow horror, but a legitimate one that actually has a foothold in Australian society that did feel somewhat believable in certain areas. The tension was soaring and ever present, the music was great too, there weren't many jump scares in this but the scary scenes themselves were clever and hard hitting.

The movie didn't just fly by either, it did feel like it did run a bit longer than just 90 minutes and I did appreciate how it held my attention the way it did. I did feel genuine dread from it, that I haven't felt from a horror movie like this in a VERY long time. If not ever. The only problem I had with it is that I wished the story was a bit more revelatory and not so secretive in a lot of areas.

Go see it if you're a fan of Horror and Modern Australian Cinema. I hope this brings nothing but success for The Philippou Brothers and the film has already gotten recognition by several popular horror directors including Jordan Peele.

This stands out from your jump scare or just plain poor plot horror movies. I watch as much horror as I can and this was an original idea and very well written. After the movie, you will piece together more and more of how it all ties together.

Scary, yet enough twists to keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. The acting was very good and really ties in with the themes in the film.

This is more of the stick with you, creepy, dread, existential type horror, but also had many scary scenes.

Also love to see a movie like this create a star actor and get picked up for distribution at Sundance. We need many more horror films like this and less of these cookie cutter, one page plot horror movies.

I've spoken in the past about being a big fan of Australian horror movies. Some of my all time favourites have come from this country. So it's a little disappointing that the last two Australian horror movies I've watched ('Run Rabbit Run' and 'Talk to Me') have been a bit of a let down. The latter was nowhere near as big of a let down as the former to be fair. There were parts of this film I liked, but overall it didn't quite hit the right spots.

I'm finding possession films less and less scary with every year that goes by. I find that as soon as you see the ghosts/demons it's just too hard to believe (even though the make-up work in 'Talk to Me' was very well done). The only time it really works for me any more is in films like 'Paranormal Activity' where you rarely actually see anything. Seeing less will always be more in this circumstance.

So I didn't find the film overly scary, and then all I really have to fall back on is the characters. Sadly we've reached a point where the only way to write realistic teenage characters any more is to make them extremely unpleasant. If they were all overly nice it wouldn't feel like they were properly written, yet if they are particularly unpleasant then it isn't much fun to watch them. It's a real predicament that the horror genre has and I don't know the way around it.

I will say that the ghosts/demons were done in such a way that if that is the kind of thing that scares you I could see this movie being very effective and creepy. Otherwise though, you might be fresh out of luck with this one. 6/10.

I'm so impressed. I haven't been stricken with genuine horror and a deep feeling of dread watching a movie in so long. I am at that point in my life where I thought horror just wasn't going to do it any more, but this movie proved me wrong. Literally reignited my childhood paranormal phobia and made a cat in someones window jump scare me on the walk home. Totally fresh and unique concept with lore that has you hooked and wanting to know more. It's simplicity with no desire to wrap things up nicely or follow a simple horror formula really worked in its favour. Sound design was amazing and so sharp, in the cinema you're gonna flinch. The soundtrack was just so cool too. Just watch this in the cinema if you can please, you're in for a treat.

I am so eager to see where the promise of this director goes.

I personally like watching horror movies and I must say I enjoyed watching this one even though it's not scary at all. The story has the right premises but I personally didn't like how the story develops, especially the ending. I find the actors pretty good and their depiction of a group of teenagers works pretty well. All that said the movie is unfortunately not scary at all, it has its jumps scares which are done pretty well but the story just isn't scary. The "detective" horror genre it's now a trend and this one perfectly suits the type, with a curse that needs to be solved. A perfect example of this type of horror movie is "Smile".

All that said I wouldn't hype too much for this movie but if you are looking for an easy horror movie to watch this one could be the one for you.

This movie really delivered. It has a certain Hereditary Vibe and at the same time came across with some fresh ideas and, for me, the most important aspect: a coherent atmosphere. Dang this movie triggered so many emotions and had great acting, great characters and so many good ideas. And I dont know how high the budget was, but it felt very big and i am sure it wasnt. There are so many creative ideas to raise the feeling of seeing a big budget movie but there was no time thinking about that while watching it. Can not wait to see how it does when it goes public. Thank you for this great experience!

I feel like I am the only person that thought this movie was very average and lackluster. Being an A24 film, it's stylish, with great cinematography and overall good acting. But I thought most of the characters were unlikable and the story felt hollow. It felt like it was taking bits and pieces from other horror movies that it thought would work to formulate another good horror movie. The practical effects are excellent and I always appreciate the use of less CGI which helps ground any film in more realism. The movie also tries to have a deeper message and metaphors, but these also fall apart with the story telling. By the end it felt forgettable. I wanted to like it but sadly it's a dud for me.

This movie is not awful but also not the most amazing horror movie ever like some are making it out to be. The characters are insufferable and so dislike-able that it makes it hard to care. The ending was also pretty bleak and left me and my group feeling very unsatisfied because it just felt sloppy. The moments of horror are great but are few and far in-between. The movie is more unsettling than scary and is also very dark. The hype around the movie did it a bid disservice because it is nothing like was promised in all the ads and mass reviews. Overall, the movie is okay, but isnt something I would care to see again.

A group of youngsters discover that by taking part in a small ritual involving an embalmed, ceramic hand, that they're able to contact spirits from the other side.

One of the better horror films I've seen for some time, when I compare to the other horrors I've seen in 2023, this rates as the best so far.

Talk to me has a degree of originality, it's loaded with jump scares, and has some genuinely memorable moments. The writing was rather good, everything pieced together nicely, including that pretty shocking opening sequence.

Quite graphic at times, it wasn't afraid to show a bit of gore, eyeball, that's all I'm saying, I had to look away. I loved that deliciously dark closing scene, it was such a strong, cohesive end to the film, it really worked.

There were a couple of clichés, and there were a couple of moments where you're left scratching your head, puzzling whether people would actually do the things that happened here, but those are minor faults, the only major gripe I had, was the rebirth of The Crazy Frog music (I thought our ears had been spared that years ago.)

They trailered Cobweb and Nun 2, will either of them surpass this one? Will have to wait and see.

A big thumbs up.

8/10.

A creative new take on an ouija board with so much more to say !

I loved the concept of the hand it was so new and original , yet the movie still holds that idea of what can happen when u don't close "the door" .

I would highly recommend this movie to friends to see , it's majorly creepy but still entertaining and a gripping story . Everyone gives a pretty good performance but Sophie Wilde is really impressive in her role , it's role that would've required for you to have a lot of confidence and talent all of which she portrays on screen with such bold brilliance.

I believe she will be cast in a lot of movies in the future.

I also want to give credit to the directors.

Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou .

This was brilliant please make more movies !

Talk to me is an original horror with a concept so perfectly set for the current climate that it makes it very believable. As a child of North Adelaide I can definitely feel the characters as genuine people I'd meet at High School, Absolute props to the Hayley and Joss characters who in a horror/ thriller film still have some one-liners that'll make you laugh with just the perfect delivery.

The storyline is well thought-out, and you very quickly feel for all characters involved. I loved the way we flip back and fourth in the beginning seeing the possession process from both sides when Daniel has a turn and he sees the spirits for the first time. The lighter scenes give you a chance to get comfy with the possession idea and how it's all fun and games ... until it's not.

The gore and the make up - Holy hell this is done well - for the amount of close ups, and in-camera action you can tell the teams behind this put in a hell of an effort to make sure everything looked as good as it possibly could. The scenes in the bathroom at the hospital defiantly got my stomach turning. And the blood rigs paired with the sound effects and quick pace action make you want to hide behind your blanket.

This film is 100% one to watch and is so far above the current horrors coming out today, its original, it's clever and its down-right scary without relying on jump-scares or gimmicks . I cannot wait to see what the boys do next !

Some teenagers/young adults are partying and bring out a supernatural hand to play with. The hand puts them in touch with something supernatural, possible evil. As long as they don't stay too long with it everything is fine and it's a teenage thrill. They enjoy the daring and wild ride. However then things go too far.

This is the best horror I have seen this year. Compared to. Evil Dead Rise and The Boogeyman this is much better. Sure they have jump scares and nasty things happen but you're not a invested in as much as you are in Talk To Me. It revolves around Sophie Wilde and she keeps your attention all the way through. You really want to know what happens, is anyone going to die? And can they get rid of the evil?

The loud music as times also helps. I did think it was a bit slow getting going but it is worth the wait. I was tempted to give it an 8 but shied away from that. I would give it a 7.5 if I could.

This is one of the most unique horror films I've seen in years. The plot is relatively simple: teens get their hands on a mysterious embalmed hand that allows them to see and chat with the dead. Predictably, they do not use this ability responsibly, and they end up breaking the 'rules'. Hijinks ensue. There are a couple of gruesome scenes that aren't for the faint of heart, but they are thankfully brief. I wouldn't say the level of scares is very high, but it does a good job of delivering a few jump scares, being atmospheric, and leaning into its concept. Excellent, highly recommend to any aficionado of the genre.

Well, I actually had high expectations for this. Read a lot of positive stuff, damn my English teacher. Anyway what we have here is a good idea, ruined by a bunch of characters I hated. A bunch of whiny, self centered teens, with smarts somewhere between a Mars bar and a US President. Mustn't forget some of the stoopidist suspension of logic flaws I've seen in a horror movie for some time. After the Police arrived, and left, the whole plot collapsed. For a horror movie to really work, it has to draw you in with realistic, everyday likelihoods. The cops would have shut the house down, taken all the phone footage and confiscated the hand. They did none of the above.. Now a hand that allows you to contact the dead I'm prepared to give a pass. A bunch of Aussies finest, walking away from a blood splattered crime scene without a hint of concern.. Well your taking the p**s aren't you mate! The Cinematography however was excellent. Kudos to them.

Many American movies have tried very hard to show teens and children are being dumb, mean and dangerous, but none hold a candle to this Aussie flick.

The main character is the most disgusting creature I've seen in a while: one of those people who consider themselves good and even righteous, cool and positive, while destroying everything around them. People like these are one of the most terrifying things in the world and that is why Talk to Me was extremely disturbing. And it's not just Mia. Almost all of the teen characters in the film show a level of selfishness and lack of awareness that is more scary than any ghost.

Speaking of the ghosts... it's not very clear what they wanted. You get the standard dead corpse evil demon possession, but like so many other movies, they don't explain why they would be like that or what drives them. As mere McGuffins, therefore, they are uninteresting.

Bottom line: after watching this film, talking to dead people was the thing least on my mind. Instead I was quickly cataloguing everybody I know, including myself, for signs of Mia-ness. This film was scary for all the wrong reasons.

I saw this film twice at the Adelaide Her Majesty's Theatre screening and the following day at the Palace Nova.

Danny and Michael are some of the most talented and driven filmmakers on the planet. What they managed to achieve with Covid restraints and smaller end budget was incredible.

The young Australian cast gave incredible performances and DOP Aaron Mclisky created an incredible visual experience.

The YouTubers turned filmmakers have made a huge impact online and have proven they can take that talent to the big screen. The twins have a huge future ahead and will take the film world by storm.

10/10.