Imagine if the newest buzzworthy party game allowed you to speak to the dead. In their film Talk to Me, directors and brothers Danny and Michael Philippou bring this idea to life, presenting a jarring, existential exploration of social pressures and trauma.

The film follows Mia, a high-schooler haunted by the recent death of her mother. Mia is introduced to a party game where players become possessed by spirits when they touch a mysterious ceramic hand. As she is possessed, she experiences temporary solace from her grief, and soon she cannot get enough. She finds herself repeatedly returning to the game, and the spirits begin taking over her life and the lives of those around her. 

Talk to Me’s selling point is its use of terror and the supernatural, but the truly horrifying element is the seeming plausibility of its plot. The teens harm themselves and each other as they pressure one another to touch the hand and put themselves in increasing danger. The viewer cannot help but draw parallels between the film and reality, since teenagers often pressure one another to do dangerous and illegal things. These similarities force the audience to examine peer pressure in teenage culture.

There are many strengths within the subtleties of Talk to Me. Communicating with the dead is a thoughtful metaphor for drug abuse and depression taking over your life. These themes become more clear as the story unravels, creating a much more satisfying and engaging viewing experience. Talk to Me tackles heavy themes, but its high-energy thrills and action-packed plot make for a more engaging than depressing watch. 

The film explores relevant and compelling themes, but not everything about Talk to Me is executed perfectly. While being a nice touch of emotion, Mia’s relationship with her father feels rushed and underdeveloped. Also, while the motives and actions of the spirits are not the film’s focus, the lack of information provided creates plotholes and confusing deviations from the main story. The ending feels predictable, which is disappointing since the rest of the film is full of surprising twists and turns. However, despite its flaws, the film successfully tackles its themes in a thought-provoking manner while remaining terrifying. 

Talk to Me is the Philippou brothers’ debut film. Known as RackaRacka on Youtube, the brothers have almost a decade of experience creating action and comedy videos. Their creative style is apparent in the film, shown in the explosive introduction and a high-energy montage. The brothers’ first-hand knowledge of growing up with the internet allows Talk to Me to successfully provide audiences with an authentic perspective on the world of social media and the use of technology among younger demographics, which few other movies or shows have pulled off. Their journey from YouTube to the world-renowned Sundance Film Festival is unique, and it will be interesting to see if more social media creators follow a similar path in the future.

After the film’s debut at Sundance, production company A24 picked up the film. However, Talk to Me differs from other A24 horror films, as it moves away from the established elevated horror style A24 is known for with films like Hereditary and The Witch. Instead, it is more similar to more recent films like Barbarian and Smile, in that the villains are on the kitschier side, which may reflect a genre shift from arthouse to something more energetic. Talk to Me also marks a change in what is expected from the horror genre. The film is similar to Get Out, in that both films’ horrifying elements stem from real issues. Perhaps as the world around us becomes more frightening, audiences will be scared less by aliens and ghouls and more by real-world issues. 

In all, Talk to Me delivers a terrifying watch. This movie will never be for everyone—its freaky effects and stomach-turning moments ensure that—but its message will have a lasting impact. The film will likely affect who is making movies and how directors explore the horror genre. Audiences may see more horror that contemplates societal norms and delves into tough topics like drug abuse. Talk to Me brings new energy to the horror genre, and it is sure to inspire other filmmakers in the future.