Grief is a frequent feature of horror movies; horror used as a way to explore those emotions so much like a physical pain, as awful as any masked killer.

New Australian horror film Talk to me centers on Mia (Sophie Wilde), still mourning the loss of her mother to an accidental overdose the year before. Now she lives with her best friend Jade (Alexandra Jensen) and her family, including sweet nerdy younger brother Riley (Joe Bird) and savvy mum Sue, Miranda Otto. There’s tension between these teen girls both in how they care for Riley and because Mias ex-boyfriend Daniel (Otis Dhanji), is now Jades current squeeze.
Into this maelstrom of teen angst comes a new game – hosted by Joss (Chris Alosio) and Hayley (a malicious turn by Zoe Terakes) groups of youngsters gather to hold the preserved hand of a long-dead medium and invite spirits to talk to them before allowing them to take possession of their bodies for a minute. Videos of these escapades are uploaded for laughs and shared amongst friends. It’s all ‘fun and games’ until, after a powerful experience with the hand, Mia becomes addicted to its power and possibilities, and this leads to dangerous repercussions for all involved.
By turns funny, weird and unnerving, the interactions with the hand never become repetitive, and in fact it’s easy to understand the fascination as different responses occur.

I was about a third of a way through this movie when I suddenly imagined what it would look like if it had been made in America. I doubt they would go down the ‘this game is addictive’ route and would likely play this as a one-and-done incident, with the rest of the film being about the after effects and the slow unravelling of the protagonist; the younger brother would be a child rather than a 14 year old, to garner more sympathy; the teen friends would be a gorgeous selection of white-teethed specimens of youthful perfection, and I question if it would be as multicultural as it is here.

Thank goodness it was made in Australia as this is a quintessential Aussie horror – real, honest, and unafraid to ensure the audience knows that no one is safe.

Written and directed by brothers Danny and Michael Philippou (who I was thrilled to learn had gone to the same film school as I had – MAPS in Adelaide, South Australia) it’s clear these guys know and love horror, their restraint allowing for more reaction shots than graphic shots, their patience in allowing the story to unfold without too much exposition, their wisdom in knowing that character development is vital in a good and lasting horror, is commendable.

This is scary in your guts, and original in a way the genre has been crying out for. The acting is great across the board with Wilde giving her all to her first starring role, Terakes has charisma for days, and Jensen shows unexpected strength and growth as the meek Jade. Miranda Otto grounds the film in earth-mother believability, panicking as she watches her family fall apart.

Just lately I’ve seen some great trailers that either gave away everything or were the only good parts when you came to see the movie, Talk to Me gives us a recent rarity – a great trailer that still manages to be a great movie.
The best horror of the year.
8/10