Talk to Me (2023) Review
I was finally able to see A24’s new horror movie, Talk to Me. This movie wasn’t on my radar until I heard the early buzz for the film being very very positive, so earlier today I was able to check it out. How was it? Was it any good? Let’s get started!
The Good:
And for me the absolute best thing about this movie is that it’s a very disturbing and horrifying horror film that gets under your skin and makes for this unsettling viewing experience. The directors of the film, Danny and Michael Philippou are Australian filmmakers who were YouTubers for many years and they just directed the heck out of these horror sequences. They’re horrific what happens to the characters, the tension that is built all of it is very disturbing. And I’m not somebody that is grossed out by horror movies, this movie pushed my limits a bit. I had to look away from the screen at points in time. The scene with the eyeball around 30%-40% of the way through the film is horrific, it’s a scene that sticks with you with the imagery that is used. And what helps out the horror elements is none of it is CGI, it’s all practical effects with all of this stuff actually happening. The budget was only about $4.5 million so they couldn’t use any CGI they had to make it practical and that adds something to the film. When CGI is mixed with a horror film, that doesn’t work the same. But when it’s practical with a small budget, it’s easier to get under the skin with the sequences.
Another thing that really works about the film, it feels very unique amongst other horror films. I’m not a big horror movie fan, I’ve only recently been getting into horror movies but with the horror films that I have seen, this is one that stood out to me more. Like I said earlier, it’s a movie that was made for $4.5 million so it feels like an indie Horror film and not like a slick production that the Halloween or Scream movies are. When it’s made by Australian filmmakers they can bring some new energy to the film where it doesn’t feel like another slick American production. It feels like a different film crew making a horror film and that’s a positive. It seems like nowadays, very few directors get full creative control to tell their story. I think Christopher Nolan and Gretta Gerwig are exceptions, but they really let the directors do their thing and bring an Australian flavor to the film. I thought that added an extra layer to the film, it stands out amongst other horror and 2023 films in general.
The film also has a great set of characters that care about them and the journey they’re on. The lead actress, I haven’t seen her in anything up to this point in time. I hope after how successful this movie has been she gets a lot more roles. In the movie she has to play lots of different roles and emotions. At the beginning of the movie she has to play this teenager that is sweet and kind to her friends, but as the movie goes along you see he descend into madness and terror and she can pull all of it off really really well. The other one to talk about here is Joe Bird as Riley, another actor that I hadn’t seen in anything before but he was great. I hadn’t really seen a trailer for the movie, so I don’t know what was and wasn’t revealed in the trailers. But he has to do a lot as an actor, the most disturbing scenes of the film involve his character. And for being a child actor, he’s great and again I hope he gets more roles. But everybody in the movie does a solid job, all of them have something about them that is interesting and makes them stand out.
And the movie is only 91 minutes long which is really nice, it’s always super nice and refreshing when a movie isn’t super long. So many movies these days seem to have these run times of 2 ½ to 3 hours. So I appreciated that the length fit the story, all of the scenes are the right length. And the movie never feels like it’s going on for longer than it should have been.
Finally, the movie introduces some interesting mythology into the mix that can set up sequels, prequels, and spin-offs. We do know that a sequel is being made and from what I’ve heard it’s going to focus on the character in the cold open of the film. Now having seen the film, I think that makes sense. I think that with what’s said, revealed, and teased about this movie there’s room to make a trilogy or a franchise of movies.
The Bad:
For me this is a movie that got better and better as it went along. The first act wasn’t bad, but it does feel like it takes a bit too long to get going. The second and third act of the film were both pretty good, the third would be the best act for me. You get some great twists and turns in there mixed with some horrific ideas and sequences. And the movie really didn’t get going for me until one of the characters ended up in the hospital. From that point on, I was full onboard with the film. And again, it’s not like the first act was bad that was all of the set-up for the film. I think why I say this as a weakness is because the second and third acts were so good, that it makes the flaws of the first act stand out a bit more to me.
Also there’s a few things about the movie that were unresolved by the end of the film. The film does close out the main story and conflict of the film, while also hinting at a potential sequel. And we know a second one is coming but that seems to be a prequel to this movie, so I’m not sure if we’re following up on the end of this movie. But there’s somethings regarding the characters that weren’t satisfying in the end. Maybe that was the point and it was made to have discussions afterwards about the ending, but as is I think that was a flaw of the film.
Final Thoughts: I really wasn’t sure what to expect going into the film, I hadn’t seen a trailer for the film. So I went in only knowing the basic premise of the film and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a great horror movie with some truly horrific imagery inside of it. The imagery sticks in your head afterwards and that all comes down to the direction which was great and creepy. So this is a movie that if you want a great scary horror film you should check out.
The Score: 8.7/10 (B+)
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