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With: Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji, Miranda Otto, Zoe Terakes, Chris Alosio, Marcus Johnson, Alexandria Steffensen, Sunny Johnson
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Written by: Danny Philippou, Bill Hinzman, based on a story by Daley Pearson
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Directed by: Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
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MPAA Rating: R for strong/bloody violent content, some sexual material and language throughout
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Running Time: 95
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Date: 07/28/2023
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Getting Out of Hand
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
There have been a great many "cursed object" horror movies, but few that hit with as much impact as Talk to Me, directed by Australian twin brothers Danny and Michael Philippou. It's a pretty simple rule, but movies tend to work better when they're based on strong characters, and the characters in this one are instantly identifiable. They reminded me of the bickering siblings and single mom of Spielberg's E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.
Teen Mia (Sophie Wilde) is recovering from the death of her mother, and spends most of her time at the home of her best friend Jade (Alexandra Jensen). Jade's kid brother Riley (Joe Bird), who has a typically volatile relationship with his sister, begins to look up to Mia. The three of them attend a party, hosted by Hayley (nonbinary transmasculine performer Zoe Terakes) and Joss (Chris Alosio, an actor of Samoan descent). They play a party game involving a supposedly embalmed real human hand. Players grasp the hand, say "talk to me," and then "I let you in," causing a brief spiritual possession. Others in the room must keep the possession under 90 seconds.
Mia goes first ("Run! Run! Run! Run!"), but goes slightly over the 90-second mark as her possessing spirit seems to be targeting Riley. When Riley takes a turn, he appears to be possessed by the spirit of Mia's mother, but then something malevolent makes him repeatedly smash his face on the table, landing him in the hospital. From there things get very freaky, leading up to a startling and unforgettable ending. Talk to Me moves with confident pacing and tone, keeping the dread at a low, thrumming constant, rather than spiking the tension here and there. It's a keenly skilled movie, taking classic elements and making them shine again.
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