Talk to Me
Directed by Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou
Written by Bill Hinzman, Daley Pearson and Danny Philippou
Starring Sophie Wilde, Joe Bird, Alexandra Jensen and Otis Dhanji
Runtime 1 hour and 34 minutes
MPAA Rating R for Strong, Bloody Violent Content, Some Sexual Material, Language Throughout
In theaters July 28

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport and Editor in Chief

“Say. Talk to Me.”

Opening with an old-fashioned murder/suicide, Talk to Me does not waste any time throwing the viewer into the deep end. This scene sets the pace for what’s to come and that is a succinct, terrifying affair. Even after the credits roll, this is a picture that will stick with you, much like the haunting presences the characters encounter in this tale.

One should not mess with the afterlife. Mia (Sophie Wilde) and her gaggle of teen friends learn this the hard way. Through the use of an embalmed hand, they summon spirits of the great beyond by informing the specter of four simple words: “I let you in.” In hearing these words, the ghostie now has permission to enter the speaker’s body. What initially starts as a way to chase some thrills ‘n chills quickly turns deadly.

During one of the séance gatherings, Riley (Joe Bird), the younger brother of Mia’s best friend Jade (Alexandra Jensen), decides he would like to partake in the paranormal ritual. Despite her protests, Jade finally agrees to allow him to participate for up to 50 seconds. However, things get dicey when Mia’s deceased mom shows up. Mia ignores the agreement made with Jade for the chance to once again speak to her mom, which inevitably ends with a trip to the hospital for Riley.

Kids today are fearless. During my youthful days, there were few gatherings that I attended, but when I did it was to get down with an intense game of Monopoly and if the group was feeling particularly wild, we would bust out Sweet Valley High. In watching Talk to Me, I could not help but think about the times when a slumber party would suddenly take a supernatural turn and the Ouija board made an appearance. Naturally this would end with someone crying and an evening filled with night terrors. To this day the cardboard board and planchette still mange to intrigue me, yet are cause for shivers down my spine. Despite the viewer not being part of the spiritual acts themselves, Talk to Me manages to illicit feelings of dread due to the effective storytelling, stellar cast, and impressive effects. It truly made me question whether I actually ever want to partake in necromancy. If I learned anything from Talk to Me, it is one never knows who they are actually speaking to.

It is astounding to think that this a feature film debut from brothers, Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou given that the picture seems to be made by filmmakers that have been around the block a few times. I am pleased as punch they received my memo regarding thrillers (in particular debuts) having a swift runtime. Nothing shown here is in excess and essentially allows the audience to become seduced by the story itself. However, it is clear that the picture does owe quite a bit to its great performances, particularly that of Sophie Wilde. This is Sophie’s debut in terms of feature films and it is without doubt that many will soon know her name.