Holding Hands Has Never Been Scarier

DIRECTED BY DANNY PHILIPPOU & MICHAEL PHILIPPOU/2023

What’s it called when a gaggle of friends dabble in something they shouldn’t and reap the consequences? Overdone? Dime a dozen? Done to death? Well, the Philippou brothers have news for you; their take on this horror sub-genre offers welcome originality, plenty of heart, and terrifying scares. 

We may be used to this genre with movies like Ouija (2014), Veronica (2017), The Ring (2002), hell, even The Blair Witch Project (1999) that have introduced this now all too familiar concept:

Step 1: Do something you shouldn’t; for example: 

  • Play with a ouija board
  • Hold a seance
  • Watch a cursed videotape
  • Poke around in the forest and upset a witch

Step 2: Character(s) meet an unfortunate fate

And while Talk to Me does follow this blueprint, the methods in which we see this unfold are a refreshing take on the genre. From the cold open to the beautifully wrapped ending, we’re taken on one of the most insane journeys through hell and back leaving the audience questioning what would make us reach out to the other side, how could we come back to our grief-stricken reality, and what would we do to save ourselves and our friends?

We’re introduced to Mia (Sophie Wilde, who delivers a fantastic performance) and her group of friends (Alexandra Jensen, Otis Dhanji, Joe Bird, Marcus Johnson, and Zoe Terakes) with all the rage centering around an embalmed hand that lets you talk to someone on the other side. Light the candle, hold the hand, say ‘talk to me’, and see who is in front of you. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, throw in an ‘I let you in’ and let the ghost in front of you enter your body. By doing so, you’re allowing them access to the physical world, talking to and with all of your friends – sometimes with embarrassing or dire consequences. Per Hayley (Zoe Terakes), the hand must be pulled off of your hand and the candle must be blown out in 90-seconds… or else ‘they’ll want to stay.’ 

Therein lies the film’s foundation.

As an audience, we’re set up for what comes across as a possession movie, but as Spooky Astronauts pointed out, in a way that we’ve never really seen. There’s no spirituality, religion, or themes that we’re used to with these types of movies. And like other Australian horror movies, it goes there. Think of the creep-factor of Lake Mungo (2008) mixed with the violence of The Loved Ones (2009) and the emotion of The Babadook (2014) and Relic (2020). 

Surprise, surprise, we’re also seeing an exploration of grief. A theme that has become increasingly popular with this new-wave of horror. This is not to be said in a derogatory way because this film has so much heart in it that you actually care about the main character and the characters who are most affected by this game. I’m reminded of The Night House (2020), Midsommar (2019), and, again, The Babadook (2014) – in which we see how grief throws our reality into a whirlwind and we need to clearly define what is real and what is the consequence of how we haven’t dealt yet with our deepest sorrows. 

So… what do you get when you cross an evil game, possession, and grief? Talk to Me. Throw in a sprinkle of creepiness and gore, heavy Australian accents, and a little bit of that RackaRacka excessiveness and you’ve got a fun summer horror flick. What the Philippou brothers are able to accomplish in 95-minutes is a genuinely exciting, captivating, and devastating experience that feels like an original accomplishment with traces of past favorites. It’s been a while since the first film from a director has impressed me this much. They seem seasoned in their abilities to relay a complex story with the practiced scare-factor of a director who has years of work under their belt. Definitely check this out in theatres and remember to put your feet under the covers at night.