Talk To Me
A24Talk to Me is a supernatural horror film directed by Danny and Michael Philippou, a directing duo from Australia who gained their popularity from directing short YouTube videos involving pop culture icons in various predicaments. This is bar none one of the most impressive jumps from online short films to feature length in quite some time – another impressive one being the likes of Fede Alverez. Their past experiences handling audiences for only short bursts of time would seemingly be a detriment to most filmmakers, but the Philippou brothers seem to have taken those experiences and turned them into the finest horror movie of the decade so far.
By keeping things down to a crisp 95 minutes with little to no time wasted would be a feat for most first timers, but the way this film builds towards its absolutely harrowing climax – involving the near death of a child – is something only the finest directors of our generation could dream of. This excellently scary scene is only driven home harder by the rapid, clearly intentionally so, jerks of the camera. The camera is as much of a character as anyone else in this film. The Philippou brothers use these techniques to put us in the shoes of the possessed in increasingly impressive ways.
The audiences are with the main character, played exceptionally by Sophie Wilde, for the entire runtime and it pays off in spades during the final act with some incredible world building being done with obvious ease. The mythology surrounding the hand, as well as the afterlife it builds up, are some of the best examples of not forcing a universe, but instead allowing the story to progress within said universe instead. By treating the audience as a group of individuals with attention spans and brains, and giving the characters time to breathe, the Philippou brothers have treated the moviegoing industry to quite possibly the finest horror film of the decade. Quite the feat considering gems such as Nope and Barbarian are recent horror releases which also racked up box office accolades and enormous success.
Talk To Me is, all things considered, a very straightforward film, but through the use of clever camera tricks, swelling music, and being unafraid to take the story into horrifying new directions, the Philippou brothers have crafted a new classic of the genre. This is a film that audiences have been craving in an industry filled with franchise fatigue and never ending book adaptations. Talk to Me is ultimately a must-see for anyone with even a little interest in the supernatural, or horror as a genre.