Just a few days after its premiere in the US, “Talk to Me” was named the scariest horror film of 2023. It was praised not only by critics and viewers, but also by outstanding filmmakers. The cinematic debut of the Philippou brothers, YouTubers from Australia, whose channel was followed by seven million users at the time of the premiere, was also liked in Poland.
“One of the most important independent horror films” now on Amazon Prime Video
Empire Magazine’s reviewer advised “making sure you’re holding someone’s hand while you watch it,” Digital Spy warned that “it will scare you deeply and haunt you long after the credits have rolled.” The Sunday Times wrote that, although the ending may be a bit of a letdown, Talk to Me could be as important a horror film for this generation as The Blair Witch Project was for the previous generation in the 1990s. Still another predicted that the film “will be remembered as one of the most important in the world of independent horror.”
Many filmmakers also liked it. British director, screenwriter and actor Edgar Wright (Baby Driver) admitted that Talk to Me is his favorite horror film this year. The Philippou brothers were supposed to receive congratulations from Stephen King, Ari Aster, Steven Spielberg and Sam Raimi, among others. Talk to Me won this year’s Saturn statuette for best horror film of the year. It also won eight Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts awards. With a modest budget of four and a half million dollars, it earned as much as $16 million from theatrical distribution. Now it has been released on streaming, and the Philippou brothers have already managed to film the second part.
What is the horror movie “Talk to Me” about?
A group of friends organize parties during which they connect with the afterlife using an embalmed hand. Anyone who takes it in their hand and says the words: “Speak to me”, gives their body to the demon’s possession. There is only one iron rule: contact cannot exceed 90 seconds. When one of the participants of the party breaks the rules, the life of each of them will turn into a nightmare.
It’s definitely not a typical horror film. Reviewers note, among other things, that it’s a film that thoughtfully addresses the themes of loss and regret. It has a terrifying ending, unusual for most horror films,” writes Korey Coleman from Rotten Tomatoes. “A terrifying allegory of the bad decisions we all make in our youth,” writes journalist Kevin Carr about the production. Many point out that the film is extremely violent, so it’s definitely not for everyone. “While slasher films from the 70s and 80s exploited young characters’ appetites for sex and effectively punished them for it, ‘Talk to Me’ is a thoughtful attempt to understand what really scares today’s teenagers,” assesses a reviewer from Deadline Hollywood Daily.
Source: Gazeta
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