Title: Talk to Me
MPA Rating: R
Directors: Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
Starring: Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins

What It Is: Mia (Wilde) is a grieving young woman. She hasn’t been the same since the death of her mother. It’s something that’s even strained her already rocky relationship with her father. When she’s introduced to this hand that allows the user (under certain conditions) to commune with the dead this proves irresistible to Mia. When she placates and allows her best friends little brother Riley (Bird) to use the hand it almost goes deadly. This leaves a rift in Mia and she seeks solace in the hand…hoping, praying to hear from her mother.

What We Think: Man. This film had so much going for it. Sophie Wilde is incredible and she’s doing her very best but the Philippou Brothers are obvious first time directors. They ruin and let the tension of the film simply die on the vine. They fall into too many similar and familiar horror film tropes. Likewise it doesn’t have the budget even if it has the gusto to try to get things done. When this film sticks it’s foot on the floor it’s a really excellent horror film. Sadly it is in the third act where it tends to fall to bits and let both the performances and audiences down.

Our Grade: B+, They had it. Right there they freaking had it. They let off the gas pedal. A film with the right kind of scares and enough of a thrill that inexplicably decides to let its audience down by letting them off the hook. It is probably still, even with the flaws, the best horror film of 2o23. In the hands of a more capable group of screenwriters and directors this really could’ve joined the upper echelon of what A24 puts out.