29/07/23
Cineworld, Edinburgh
So which other film is prepared to stick its head above the parapet in week two of Barbenheimer? Come on, who thinks they’re hard enough?
Talk To Me, the debut feature of former YouTubers Danny and Michael Philipouhails, hails from Australia, where presumably they’re so fearless they don’t give a damn about the opposition. It starts like most generic teen-terror flicks, but promptly ventures to some unexpected places, pushing its 15 certificate about as far as it can in the process.
The film starts with a short sharp shock: something bad happens at a party. We’re not really given much explanation for it, but that comes later. First, we’re introduced to Mia (Sophie Wilde), who after her mother’s suicide, is feeling disconnected from her father, Max (Marcus Johnson). She’s consequently spending a lot of her time with her best mate, Jade (Alexandra Jensen), and her younger brother, Riley (Joe Bird), watched over by Jade’s mother, Sue (Miranda Otto). The two girls keep seeing some weird footage online posted by a couple of mutual friends, scenes of people seemingly ‘possessed’ at parties and going berserk. Being teenagers, they can’t resist giving it a whirl themselves and, when Riley asks if he can go along, they reluctantly agree.
Soon enough, the three of them are at the party, where Jess (Chris Alosio) and Hayley (Zoe Terakes) bring out a stone hand they’ve ‘acquired.’ One of the guests is invited to take a firm grip of it and say three words (the clue’s in the title), whereupon something rather creepy is sure to ensue.
And of course, Mia volunteers to go first….
That’s all I have to say about the plot, except that it feels like a parable about drugs: how people might be tempted to try them out of curiosity and then decide that they want just one more hit – and how that compulsion might lead them to some very dark places. Those of a squeamish nature should be warned that, as well as enduring psychological damage, some of the characters are subjected to wince-making physical injuries, so this is definitely not for the faint-hearted. The sense of mounting dread is there from the beginning and steadily cranks up as the film progresses, but the weird happenings are never allowed to get too silly, or too unbelievable.
Talk To Me keeps me hooked right to the end and sends me out thinking about what I’ve just witnessed. Co-written by Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman, the story is based on a concept by er… ten other people, which means, I think, that it was created collaboratively.
It’s a wonder it’s turned out as smoothly as it has but, if you enjoy a decent fright film, this offering should fit the bill nicely.
4.1 stars
Philip Caveney