Talk to Me

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.

Talk to Me is one of those horror films that proves you don't always need a groundbreaking concept to be effective, but you still wish it tried a bit harder to stand out. The film leans heavily on familiar tropes-a group of teenagers dabbling with the supernatural, unaware of the dire consequences that await them. It's a premise we've seen countless times, yet there's something about Talk to Me that manages to grip you, even if it doesn't completely surprise you.

What really elevates this film is the performances. The cast brings a raw, authentic energy that grounds the supernatural elements in something that feels disturbingly real. The atmosphere is another highlight. The film creates a sense of dread that builds slowly but surely, aided by its moody cinematography and unsettling sound design.

However, as much as I appreciated the film's strengths, it's not without its flaws. The pacing is somewhat uneven, with the story dragging in parts, particularly in the middle. There are stretches where the tension dissipates, leaving you waiting for the next big scare or plot development. The characters, while well-acted, can also be irritating at times, making decisions that feel more like horror movie tropes than genuine character choices.

Additionally, the narrative itself doesn't break much new ground. The themes of grief, guilt, and the dangers of dabbling in the unknown are well-worn territory in the horror genre, and while Talk to Me handles them competently, it doesn't offer many surprises. If you've seen your fair share of horror films, you might find yourself predicting the story's twists and turns well before they happen.

In the end, Talk to Me is a solid entry in the horror genre, elevated by performances and a well-crafted atmosphere. However, its familiar narrative and occasional pacing issues hold it back from being truly exceptional. It's an enjoyable watch, especially if you're in the mood for something creepy, but it's unlikely to leave a lasting impression.

I remember watching Lights Out, the short film, and thinking it was one of the best horror shorts I'd ever seen. Then they decided to turn it into a full-length film, but there was nothing substantial to fill the extra runtime. It ended up being a complete letdown.

Talk To Me feels very similar. I had set eyes on this film after seeing its trailer and ratings. It seemed my friday night would be chilling. However, if you extract a small segment from this film, you'd have a solid horror short. However, stretching it to 95 minutes becomes a struggle, especially when you get to the climax. It's just a repetitive loop of the same events happening over and over again.

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.

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'.