I know I’m a little late to the party (3 years late to be exact), but wow was I blown away by ‘Talk to Me’ (2022).
The Philippou brothers’ film debut was nothing short of sensational. From their horror/comedy Youtube channel RackaRacka to collaborating with A24 on the big screen, the twins have come a long way. Despite the metaphorical distance they’ve traveled, they have stuck true to their roots and what made them so popular in the first place.
This has truly been the decade for skit comedians to break into the horror genre. Much like Jordan Peele and Zach Cregger, the Philippou brothers bring a special element to horror that us horror fans didn’t know we were missing.
In a genre where anyone could die at any moment, horror fans like myself struggle to connect to the characters because of what we know to come. It seems like most horror directors are aware of this, and have since put much less effort into building, developing, and maintaining connections between characters and audience. Everything from lazy dialogue to ‘shock’ deaths, that cheapen the stakes and release horror’s most crucial weapon: tension.
The Philippou brothers refused to fall into this same trap. Skit comedy is so reliant on authenticity and character interaction, and they spend the majority of this film revealing character depth through meaningful character interactions and dialogue. Only once we are shown that they are real people to matter to EACH OTHER, can we feel that they truly matter to us. This is what makes this film so perfect.
The characters feel so authentic, mounting the stakes to almost unreachable heights in the rising action of the film. They also fully utilized their budget, adding a visual layer to this already emotional nightmare. It’s been days, and I still can’t purge the images of Riley’s possession and Riley’s nearly eternal torture scenes from my mind. These moments were truly sickening in the best way imaginable.
The film also serves as a clear allegory for drug abuse. Take ‘Beautiful Boy’, add some demons, and throw them all in a circle together and we have ‘Talk to Me’. Mia’s eagerness for escape, the group sharing in terrifying ecstasy, mounting to the too-young Riley breaking the rules to fit in, only to result in what would have been his infinite end. Simply put, it’s gut wrenching.
Haunting visuals, masterclass acting from unfamiliar faces, genuine back and forth between characters, tangible character arcs, and a bitter, lingering ending. What more could you want from a horror film. This film is yet another example of how horror is back in a way it never has been before, and I cannot wait to see what more we have in store.