Talk to Me: The Philippou Brothers Craft a Terrifying Debut Feature & A24’s Highest Grossing Horror Film
Micah Slasher
1/12/20241 min read
“Talk to Me” is an achievement in horror filmmaking—a devastating thrill ride that will have audiences gasping. It’s that rare horror film that delivers, not just jump scares and gore, but horror.
Though “Talk to Me” is emotionally crushing, it never forgets that it’s a horror movie. Where films like “Hereditary” mine the depths of grief and despair, leaving audiences exhausted and depressed, strong character development in “Talk to Me” succeeds in ensuring that when shit hits the fan, it hits that much harder, but without leaving audiences emotionally fatigued. Scenes which deepen our emotional connections to our leads are cleverly interspersed with scenes of sheer terror.
Inspired choices in casting, sound design, visual effects, music, and editing land the Philippou brothers firmly in the stable of filmmakers to watch. The unsettling sound design and jarring images make “Talk to Me” worth shelling out the extra dough to catch it while it’s in theaters.
Without a dull moment in its tight, one hour and thirty-four minute runtime, you’ll definitely want to drain your bladder before the movie starts; “Talk to Me” opens with a bang then sticks the landing with an ending that will leave audiences swooning over this impressive debut. Fucking brilliant! 9/10