Talk to Me (2023)

[acroyear2]

One of the latest A24 acquisitions has piqued my interest to want to start a thread for this film.

From what I've heard discussed from those who have seen this film at festivals, this is not your typical "slow-burn" horror film that A24 typically attaches their name to. It'd be a welcome change of pace at a relatively lean 1 hour 35 minutes.

Release date set for July 28th. No trailer as of yet.

When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.

[unberechenbar]

That release date is still pretty far out. I hope it's a wider release so I can check it out.

[RandomMovieFan]

Trailer Tomorrow

[scarletlion]

Talk To Me | Official Trailer HD | A24 - YouTube

[Underworld54]

Looks absolutely....terrifying.

[MikeScott]

It looks fine from the trailer, but I'm expecting it to be great going off reviews. I'll be seeing it.

[mwynn]

TALK TO ME Official Trailer 2 (2023) - YouTube

[unberechenbar]

I saw a poster for this in my local AMC. I hope it actually plays there.

[Underworld54]

Looks like this is going to be Regal's 7/10 Monday mystery movie. I'm hearing great things from early screenings overseas

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by Underworld54

Looks like this is going to be Regal's Monday mystery movie. I'm hearing great things from early screenings overseas

It's a horror movie! Just imagine the profitability on this one!

[unberechenbar]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

It's a horror movie! Just imagine the profitability on this one!

Been a while since the last indie horror movie. I haven't seen any since Nefarious.

[t6p]

Originally Posted by Underworld54

Looks like this is going to be Regal's 7/10 Monday mystery movie. I'm hearing great things from early screenings overseas

I've never gone to a mystery movie before, but I'd definitely like to go if it is this. Is there any way to find out for sure beforehand?

[DanTheMan]

Originally Posted by t6p

I've never gone to a mystery movie before, but I'd definitely like to go if it is this. Is there any way to find out for sure beforehand?

Regal basically confirmed it with their hints.

https://twitter.com/regalmovies/stat...zAPWGZr77mNXhQ
https://twitter.com/regalmovies/stat...zAPWGZr77mNXhQ

[Underworld54]

Who is checking this out tomorrow night? I hope it doesn't get lost in the shuffle with Insidious being out.

[Underworld54]

I read a review today that said "this movie will make you afraid of dying"

Well, that's if you aren't afraid of dying in the first place.

[Zodokai]

I really enjoyed this one at Sundance this year. It’s got some familiar elements, but it’s a creepy and surprisingly gruesome updated take on the traditional spirit-communication teen horror movie. Looking forward to watching it again when it hits theaters in a few weeks.

[samlop10]

Had a chance to watch it at an advanced screening:

Grade: B

As the feature-film debut of the directors, it is quite impressive. However, and this might be a more personal case-by-case factor since I’ve seen a lot of horror films, I found it very predictable. On the positive side, the main characters, and their interpersonal relationships, are very well realized. The drama between them (which is what anchors the plot), feels very engaging and realistic, and that in turn makes the supernatural horror more visceral, creates more tension, and amps up the stakes.

The acting is really good as well. Everyone, even the supporting and more “side” actors, do a commendable job. Sophie Wilde is quite excellent as main character, being a likable, even if flawed, teenager who has not come to terms with a tragedy in her recent past. The cinematography, directing, and camera work are quite excellent as well, with the filmmakers making the most out of a smaller budget. The sound design and mix are also very note worthy. With all these working together to bring a very solid supernatural horror drama to life.

It has shades of Hereditary and The Exorcist, where the drama is what drives the horror. However, and this is more of a personal caveat which I am sure does not apply to every viewer, I found it to be first and foremost a good drama with some horror elements, as opposed to being actually scary. I felt similarly about Hereditary and The Haunting of Hill House (2018) as well, where they were fairly predictable, even if well-realized dramas, but not very scary. Unlike The Exorcist, where I was quite engaged and at the edge of my seat for most of it. I am not sure what it comes down to. Perhaps a combination of the characters’ development combined with their decisions makes it easier for me predict the outcomes and thus some of the tension is lost. Again, this will probably not apply to most but it is how I felt while watching it.

Overall, it is a very solid effort, and I do not think everyone will feel the same as I did. The directors (brothers, who also co-wrote it) are very talented, and based on the QA that accompanied my screening, they seem to be very passionate. I will keep an eye out for whatever they do next as they obviously have a lot of potential. With those caveats, I recommend it.


Side “note”:
There is a sequence that is reminiscent of Event Horizon. If you like Event Horizon, you’ll know it when you see it.

[MuffinMcFluffin]

Talk to Me

Australian supernatural horror distributed by A24, why not?

Believe it or not, there really seems to be an Australian factor in here. Not just because of accents, a kangaroo, and driving on the left side of the road, but in the writing you felt a different social/familial culture, something that wouldn't feel right if it was shot in the U.S. It may have brought me into their world a bit more and may have even let me excuse bad writing if it was present. If I were to niggle at weak writing points, it's where some characters didn't always make decisions in line with how they were initially established.

This was paced well, and not knowing what it was about beforehand made the development and revelations seemingly mysterious the entire time. When the film went into what seemed more like psychological horror, I dug it most. It was not afraid to explore its own concepts but leave you with many questions about them once it was over, and that could be frustrating for some films but I think it was satisfactory doing that here.

At times this felt very low budget on a production level, and it's certainly not a movie that tries to push you to too many scares which I think was effective. Regardless, I think A24 knows what they're doing picking this up and releasing it around Blockbuster films during the summer, even when Insidious: The Red Door is out at the same time. This was the superior of the two horror films, but I somewhat wish it had a little more to say. Maybe save it for a sequel.

[Adam_ME]

I saw this last night and really dug it. There were a few moments that I saw coming(I never watched any of the trailers, BTW) including the ending, but I was genuinely creeped out numerous times. And best of all, it doesn't rely on jump scares. It just constantly builds a ton of tension and dread because you know something terrifying is about to happen.

The acting standouts are Wilde, Otto(she's hilarious early on), and the kid who plays Riley. I see people constantly comparing this to Hereditary. For the record, I hated that flick. So for anyone who felt the same way as me, don't let that comparison scare you off from seeing Talk to Me cuz I very much enjoyed the latter.

[Blu Myers]

A24. Say what you want about the company, but they constantly favor creativity and top notch filmmaking. That goes a long way for me. Not every film they put out is a home run, but I'm loving their track record.

Talk to Me might be my favorite of their catalogue, and one of the best modern horror films in years. The characters are extremely flawed and engaging, and the devilishly seductive premise gives plenty of scares and armrest clenching.

Mia is a great focal point in that she is riddled with past trauma, and she's a perfect "host" for the danger. I'll say no more.

There's so much in the way of spoilers for this film, and the ending is insanely good.

4.5/5