Where I watched It: iTunes
English Audio Description Provided By: Deluxe
Narrated By: William Michael Redman
Like most horror films, Talk To Me has an element you just have to accept. If you can’t accept the element, the film will never work for you. There is a hand, people grab onto it, and let a spirit inside them. The rule is that it can only be for a short period, like a quick high, but sadly this Aussie horror film is really bad at explaining how people know things. So, you just have to accept that this is the world. If not, then don’t watch this.
It is creative, for sure. A group of young adults gathering at parties and letting the spirit of a dead person inside them like the worlds weirdest party game, feels like the kind of horror film that should have been made by now. Oddly, not yet.
I had a hard time latching onto any of the characters, Which is one of the few weaknesses of the film. It felt like an interchangeable group, and there wasn’t that one person who felt more sympathetic than the rest. I wanted it to have that, it just doesn’t. In many ways, it lacks an obvious lead, opting instead for arguably dual leads, with supporting roles getting a lot of screen time.
The directors of this film have made some interesting YouTube shorts, so for a feature debut that has been received this well, it’s amazing. They understand jump scares, and absolutely have a final act of this film that finishes it strong, instead of very little.
Redman is on point, always letting you know what these funky ghosts look like. His voice is great on horror films, and his specific brand is perfect here. Plus, for us Americans, it’s easy to distinguish his American narration from the Aussie cast.
I think this was overhyped, like it reinvented the genre, but I think it’s just a smart horror debut from some filmmakers who likely are going to surprise us with bigger and better things down the line. If they stick with A24, they’ll have a cult following for life.
Final Grade: B+
