By: Jolie Featherstone

Talk to Me, by brothers Danny and Michael Philippou (a.k.a. RackaRacka of YouTube fame), is a modern folk tale charged with the rush and hook of viral trends, and the desperate compulsion of grief.

Mia (Sophie Wilde in an astounding feature debut) is a kind-hearted, sensitive young person who has become enmeshed in the family of her best friend, Jade (Alexandra Jensen).  Indeed, Mia is like a bonus-older-sister to Jade’s younger brother, Riley (Joe Bird).  She stays close to her chosen family, while distancing herself from her Dad who tries to connect with her. 

It is a significant day for Mia: it’s been two years since her Mom passed away suddenly.  Mia clings close to Jade, who seems more interested in chatting with her new boyfriend than comforting Mia on this emotional day.  When Jade brings Mia and Riley along to a party, they witness a captivating new “party game.”  A mysterious totem is brought forth: a ceramic hand, apparently the embalmed actual hand of a medium.  A brave volunteer is tied to a chair (for their safety and others as warned) and a candle is lit.  When the volunteer grasps the hand and says “Talk to me” they may invite a spirit to enter their body and communicate.  BUT only for 90 seconds – a strict limit is enforced.  Mia volunteers and despite the initial terror, she soon finds herself fascinated by the experience.  Until, that is, when a round of the game goes completely and utterly wrong. 

The film is a paranormal and psychological trip which follows one young person’s dizzying spiral compelled by grief and acceptance.  The concept of Talk to Me seems all too possible in this world of virality, #HorrorTok, and conspiracy theories (e.g., the video of the woman on a plane who screamed that someone at the back “wasn’t real” spawned an entire legion of theories on TikTok, and grainy videos of supposed proof of a “zombie virus” crop up regularly).  The thrill, the high, the hook – take a hit, pass it along, replay, zoom in – the beat of the film feels grounded in our reality.  The film doesn’t rely largely on jump scares.  Much of the tension comes from the threat of potential danger many teens feel: a party trick gone wrong, losing control while impaired (by a substance or a spirit in this case), abandonment by family, ostracization from friends.  Throw demonic possession into the mix and you’ve got yourself one hell of a horror cocktail.  Think Euphoria meets Daniel Isn’t Real (Adam Egypt Mortimer, 2019).

Tonally, the film wavers in the third act.  The darkness threatening our young friends is left vague as focus pulls in on the danger present in the physical world.  Delving into the dangerous elements threatening our young protagonists and the lore of this world would have helped stabilize and round the film out.

Sophie Wilde delivers a tour de force of a performance.  We can feel her body sweating and wracking with fear and determination as she’s pulled further into the dark.  Her expressive doe eyes and sensitive aura make her journey all the more captivating and unsettling.  Joe Bird also delivers an authentic and heart-wrenching performance.  Together, they truly feel like an honourary big sister and little brother duo.  Their chemistry is so natural and tender.  They bring a beating heart to the film.

The function of how the young people engage with the spirits is exceptionally clever and sumptuously rendered on screen.  Sometimes we see the deceased spirit they see, other times we only see their reactions.  The possession sequences are no walk in the park;  they are intensely physical and emotional.  The young cast are beyond talented in their command of these scenes.  There is no self-consciousness in these performances.  The raw hunger of the spirits is delivered exquisitely.

If you’re hoping for a happy ending, this is not the movie for you.  If you are, however, interested in a possession tale within the context of our time, Talk to Me should be on your watch-list.  It’s extra astonishing that the film is a feature directorial debut as well as the feature debut of its powerful, endlessly watchable young star.

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Jolie Featherstone: @TOFilmFiles