[REVIEW] Talk to Me (2023) is an Original Grotesque Urban Legend and a Head-Banging Good Time
Thanks to A24 and their agreement to honor the demands of the SAG and WGA contracts, Hear Us Scream is proud to present a review of their latest release: Talk to Me (2023).
Talk to Me is the debut feature of directing team RackaRacka founders, Danny and Michael Philippou with a script by Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman, all based on a concept by Daley Pearson.
The film centers around a mysterious plaster hand, covered in graffiti, that gives anyone the ability to be possessed by the dead if they hold onto the hand and say the words “talk to me.” At first the phenomenon makes its round on social media with videos of teens becoming possessed, experiencing a kind of high from the experience. Our teen protagonist, Mia (Sophie Wilde), becomes interested in finding out about the possession for herself after the death of her mother. After one hit of possession, she becomes addicted, as do the group of teens who join in to watch. One possession goes too far and Mia must figure out a way to exorcize the spirit before things become irreversible.
Talk to Me is an exceptionally original feature that makes use of its own urban legend, and makes the connection between folktales and coping mechanisms. It expertly weaves together themes of the power of social media, the dangers of peer pressure, grief, and the belief in something that can take away the pain. Mia is attracted to the ritual of the hand because of its possibility to reconnect her with her mother. However, through her experience, she discovers more about her need to distract herself and find comfort in a temporary high rather than allowing herself to heal.
The themes of addiction related to grief apply to so much more than the film’s specific ritual— and that’s made very apparent through the use of social media. Though the film could have entirely focused on social media and its negative impact on the situation, instead it pivots and uses the spread of the urban legend through a modern platform. The video is passed from person to person via phone—but word of mouth has always been the method of passing down legends and folktales. The film does not take the straightforward route of condemning the use of social media, which is now an overused trope, it just lets the audience know that this is how the mob mentality of this world’s cultural sensations are being passed around.
What makes Talk to Me such a unique film is its use of an original urban legend. The concept of the hand that possesses its holder is the brainchild of Pearson and it is brought to life by the Philippous’ and Hinzman. The film opens with an unfortunate outcome for a user of the hand, but this is all the backstory we get before experiencing the ritual first-hand (pun intended). Though it has now been reported that the team did film a prequel, Talk to Me works exceptionally well because the audience knows little to nothing about the ceramic hand and its origins. We know as much as the characters do, which allows us to go on the full journey of discovery with them. We have no idea what will happen when the fatal words are spoken, but neither do the characters. This is how legends work in real life as well! We take part in rituals and take risks to have new experiences based on our belief and faith in how those experiences can benefit us. All we know about the outcome is what we are told by others, and our information is coming from Mia’s teen peers, as it should be.
In addition to its brilliant use of secretive lore, Talk to Me is gross as hell and a wild, zany time. Though advertised as being one of the scariest films in years, I would actually argue that the film is not trying to accomplish this, and instead makes use of body horror and creative gore to create its haunting experience. The focus of Talk to Me is the visceral experience, and that it is. There is no need for the film to rely on big scares, because the way that it is constructed made me want to crawl out of my skin. That’s a huge win in my book.