San Diego Comic-Con 2023 played host to Danny and Michael Philippou, Australian brothers whose latest horror film from A24, Talk to Me, screened early to a select group of con attendees. The brothers, who have been known for YouTube shorts racking up billions of views, make their directorial debut here, but you would never know that this is their first film, as Talk to Me has all the makings of a seasoned horror veteran delighting in shocking, terrifying and even enthralling the audience.
When a group of friends stumble upon a ceramic hand that may or may not have belonged to a medium, they use it to contact the dead for the sake of their social media followers. After all, what’s the worst that could happen? Turns out, lots of bad things could happen and the tight knit group of friends, led by Sophie Wilde’s Mia, find themselves in a waking nightmare as the spirits they contacted wreak havoc on their sanity.
What’s most impressive about the Philippou brothers and the way that they handle this film is that they get why horror is appealing and understand what it needs to work. Horror isn’t scary just because of the gore, disturbing images and psychological elements; it’s scary when all of those things happen to people you care about.
The cast of young Australian actors here are not only compelling characters, but their relationships are quickly and effectively established so that when things go to hell and the bonds begin to fray, it’s gripping rather than cringeworthy. These characters must make tough decisions and go through brutal obstacles and you’re with them from minute one. You walk out of the movie feeling like you went through a rollercoaster with them, especially since the horror has an emotional core.
And yes, this movie will freak you out. The tone is set right from the excellent opening scene, which without giving it away, immediately lets you know what kind of movie this is. The horrific set pieces presented here will have your audience cringing and screaming with an omnipresent sense of dread and uneasiness lacing the proceedings. The sound design here deserves special mention, amplifying every little thing around the environments to keep you always unnerved.
Talk to Me is a bonafide horror hit in the making expertly executed by two directors who clearly know what they’re doing and love freaking people out. It checks every box of what makes a great scary movie and will have you talking- no pun intended- for a long time.
Talk to Me releases in theaters on July 28.
