Review: 'Talk to Me' is an authentically terrifying horror movie, with young Australian leads who will be going places

Mythology is everything in a horror movie, because if you get the mythology behind the scares right, everything else falls into place — and the Australian horror thriller “Talk to Me” has a powerful mythology that drives the story in unsettling ways.

A group of high school kids are playing with forces they, of course, shouldn’t be messing with. One of them has acquired an embalmed hand, encased in ceramic and covered with graffiti, that can be used to commune with the spirits of the dead. Or, at least, that’s how we’re told the mythology goes. 

One sits in a chair, gets strapped in with a belt just in case, and someone else lights a candle. The person shakes hands with the embalmed hand and says “talk to me.” If that isn’t enough, the person then says “I let you in,” and then stuff really starts happening. After 90 seconds, the person’s friends try to break the person out of the spell by blowing out the candle.

When Mia (Sophie Wilde), whose mother died recently under odd circumstances, tries the game with the hand, things get weird. Her best friend, Jade (Alexandra Jensen), doesn’t like what she’s seeing — and likes it even less when her 14-year-old brother, Riley (Joe Bird), tries it, with brutal consequences. To save Riley, and herself, Mia becomes convinced she has to cross over again and find her mother’s spirit.

The cast is mostly unknown in America — the exception is Miranda Otto, from “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, as Jade and Riley’s mum — but that situation will be rectified soon enough. The young cast, particularly Wilde and Jensen, bring a relatable seriousness to the creepy events.

Brothers Danny and Michael Phillipou directed the film, while Danny Phillipou co-wrote with Bill Hinzman (based on a concept by Daley Pearson) — and the brothers have a keen grasp on how to deliver solid chills. There are a few scenes best (or at least most likely) viewed through one’s fingers, but little feels gratuitous or unnecessary. The terror of “Talk to Me” is well-earned.

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‘Talk to Me’

★★★1/2

Opening Friday, July 28, in theaters. Rated R for strong/bloody violent content, some sexual material and language throughout. Running time: 94 minutes.

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This review originally appeared on this site on January 22, 2023, when the movie premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.