TL;DR – A completely fraught film that captivates and terrifies you in equal measures.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid for the Netflix service that viewed this film.

Warning – Contains scenes that may cause distress.

Talk To Me Review –

As I do this final wrap-up of 2023, there is one film that I tried to see multiple times, but life or odd showing times always got in the way. I knew I could not do my end-of-year lists without seeing it, so I was happy to see it had slipped onto Netflix while I had my back turned.

So to set the scene, there is a part roaring in a suburban house, but cutting a swath through the gathering is Cole (Ari McCarthy) looking for his brother Duckett (Sunny Johnson). Cole is concerned but is shocked when he finds Duckett under the influence of something. Trying to get him to safety, he confronts all the partygoers filming the pair out of amusement when Duckett pulls a knife from the counter and stabs Cole in front of the gathering. Later, Mia (Sophie Wilde) is still reeling on the anniversary of their mother’s death when she takes her friend Jade (Alexandra Jensen) and Jade’s Brother Riley (Joe Bird) to a party where the kids are playing a new game, Talk To Me. It is a porcelain hand covered in words that, if you say the right words, you can see a visage of the other side and let them into your body. Just don’t let them stay more than 90 seconds.

The first thing I want to say is how it makes an entrance. In those first moments, you are entirely convinced about how Australian it is, as it perfectly nails a house party. The chaos, the energy, the one parent that thinks they had it under control when they don’t, and the kids filming someone who had too much to mock them publicly. This is all before everything jumps from 0 to 100 in the space of a knife stab. They say first impressions don’t matter, but in cinema, they can, and Talk To Me makes the most of it.

The next strength is how plausible this scenario is. If we take it for granted that this is all real, you can 100% imagine that kids would turn it into a party game and film it. Throw in alcohol and other illicit substances, and you have a recipe for disaster coming a mile away, even before we add Mia and her damage into the mix. From the moment you heard the rules get thrown out, you knew exactly what it would take for them to be broken and Talk to Me does not disappoint.  

I have total respect for all the young cast members that are central to this film. They have to go to some deep and dark places to pull off these roles. This is highlighted by the times when they are possessed and have to play different spirits. It is uncomfortable and unsettling at times, and I am very much glad that I watched this during the day and not in the dark of night. This is extenuated with the costume choices they used for the different spirits that feel like they are in a constant state of drowning.

In the end, do we recommend Talk To Me? Well, it is a difficult film to watch, and it covers subject matter that is not going to be for everyone. But when you look at the movie in the merits it wants to present, you have to say that it knocked it out of the park. If you liked Talk To Me, we would recommend to you The Invisible Man.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

Have you watched Talk To Me?, let us know what you thought in the comments below, feel free to share this review on any of the social medias and you can follow us Here. Check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day. 


Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Talk To Me
Directed by – Danny Philippou & Michael Philippou
Written by – Danny Philippou & Bill Hinzman
Based on – a concept by Daley Pearson
Music by – Cornel Wilczek
Cinematography by – Aaron McLisky
Edited by – Geoff Lamb
Production/Distribution Companies – Screen Australia, South Australia Film Corperation, Head Gear Films, Metrol Technology, Bankside Films, Causeway Films, A24 & Umbrella Entertainment
Starring – Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji, Miranda Otto, Zoe Terakes, Chris Alosio, Marcus Johnson, Alexandria Steffensen, Sunny Johnson & Ari McCarthy
Rating – Australia: MA15+; Canada: 14A; Germany: 16; New Zealand: R; United Kingdom: 15; United States: R