TALK TO ME (2023) *** Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji, Miranda Otto, Marcus Johnson, Zoe Terakes, Chris Alosio, Alexandria Steffensen, Ari McCarthy. "Don't hassle the dead boy; they have eerie powers..." - Homer Simpson to Bart. Compelling and well-acted supernatural chiller about a grieving teen (an excellent Wilde) who finds herself drawn into a parlor game with her friends involving a ceramic (and cursed) hand which draws its participant into an unearthly bond with its other-worldly hosts which lead to deadly repercussions. Written and directed by Australian sibling team Danny and Michael Philippou mixes pure dread with teen angst in a cocktail blend of THE SIXTH SENSE by way of STIR OF ECHOES with a dash of "The Twilight Zone"'s Be Careful-What-You-Wish-For ethos masked in the trappings of 'The Monkey's Paw', yet highly original and occasionally hits the right marks of shock and awe. Wilde, who suggest the love-child of Susan Sarandon and Taraji P. Henson, with her saucer-eyes, cowed disposition, and the weight-of-the-world on her shoulders body English is a revelation conveying true poignancy and utter despair in her sudden thrust into an occult-tinged nightmare and familial closure with her departed mother. Crafty practical effects and fantastic make-up designs thanks to Josh Head and Rebecca Buratto (and her team of artists) and Aaron McLisky's spooky cinematography raise the level of expectations tenfold.
Review of Talk to Me
