Per Matt
Ghost stories and Ouija boards, man: Those are two supernatural items I simply don’t mess around with. While I’ve got great interest in real life for these topics, it just doesn’t make sense to get involved with something you don’t fully understand, when the consequences could be very deadly. I’ve absolutely got better things to do in my life than to mess around with the spirit world for shits and giggles.
Apparently, not all teenagers agree with my thought process.
In the latest great A24 Film, Talk to Me, a group of kids literally get their hands on an embalmed hand. It’s rumored to come from a psychic or a Satanist, but the origin story of this McGuffin is unclear. It does seemingly have a connection to the afterlife, though, and it’s really powerful, so naturally these bored teens decide to play with it at a party. Reactions vary within the group, and as the evening progresses, alcohol, hormones and peer pressure eventually get the best of them, when an underage sibling is allowed to give it a shot.
And every time something goes wrong in a horror movie, it goes terribly, horribly wrong.
Not only does Riley (played by Joe Bird) exceed the self-imposed 90-second time limit within this journey, but during the process, he seems to have been fully possessed by a very angry spirit, which is hellbent on killing the kid. Will our paranormal provocateurs decode the unwritten rules of this spooky story before it’s too late?
Mia (Sophie Wilde) is the protagonist of this tale, who is dealing with the recent death of her mother. Attempting to deal with this tragic event, she wants some closure more than anything else, and maybe even an opportunity to say goodbye. Initially, her motives are noble, but ultimately, they’re dangerous for everyone around her. Story-wise, that’s great, as she falls deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole, but her fate seems linked to a master manipulator, who may be more than meets the eye.
First of all, as a fan of the paranormal who watches way too many reality shows involving ghost hunters, I totally enjoyed this film. I also wanted to bang my head against the wall (much like Riley) while watching these teens make stupid mistakes with these spirits.
It’s a feature film, I get it, but many of these characters’ flippant actions with the deceased never truly received any harsh repercussions, and that’s uncommon in horror movies. They did act like they were appearing on many of today’s reality shows, seeking validation (and page clicks) over everything else, never quite becoming sympathetic characters.
That’s one complaint, but my biggest bone to pick lies with our antagonist, whose backstory never truly gets fleshed out, so to speak (pun intended).
A name is never given, and neither are their motives, although a face is clearly shown on the screen. I just wanted to learn a little more about this character, who sadly doesn’t receive much screen time. Did someone say, “Sequel?”
Once these characters enter the spirit world, the makeup special effects are killer — they truly look and feel otherworldly. Props are definitely deserved to everyone within the Makeup Department, but especially go out to the writer-director team of Danny and Michael Philippou. These twin filmmakers made a name for themselves with their RackaRacka Youtube channel, later molding their work on the set of The Babadook.
Their big-screen story draws you in and creeps you out without resorting to any jump scares, which is a novel concept in this day and age. It’s moody, scary and somewhat unsettling, everything I enjoy when watching horror movies. I’ll definitely be interested in watching the Philippou Brothers’ next big release.
It feels like it’ll be a supernatural weekend, as Disney’s Haunted Mansion and Talk to Me attempt to simultaneously lure crowds out of the blistering summertime heat and into cool movie theaters. One thing is for sure, my lifetime membership as an A24 Films fanboy has paid off nicely. No Ouija board necessary.