Talk to Me

In their feature film directorial debut, Danny and Michael Philippou offer up a fresh supernatural horror film which manages to hit all the right points which make for a great horror film. Not content with just rehashing old ideas, these keen new directors give us a fresh look at the classic horror trope of conjuring spirits by really showing what a blast it would be. This makes for a horror film where the plot alone is genuinely intriguing and offers a perspective we have not seen before; this alone would make it worth the price of admission, but this film further excels in every element. The stellar performances really sell this film, as any horror with possession as a key theme lives or dies according to how convincing these portrayals are. A poor possession performance can just take the audience out of a film, and leave a scene that was meant to be scary just feeling laughable. This film avoids this key pitfall and delivers horrifyingly immersive scenes which are genuinely creepy and scary. Add to this the great practical effects which manages to make this supernatural horror still feel grounded, and you have everything you need for an immersive horror which is well worth the watch.

The plotline follows a group of friends Mia (Sophie Wilde), Jade (Alexandra Jensen), and Riley (Joe Bird) as they sneak out to a party hosted by friends Hayley (Zoe Terakes) and Joss (Chris Alosio). The key part of this party is an embalmed severed hand which allows them to summon spirits. What follows is a film which really makes the audience wonder how fun summoning spirits could be, then shows why it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to do it anyway.

James Patt