Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Talk to Me 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 13, 2023

Before we get into niggling things like plot, characters and technical merits, let's address something that's really important: slipcovers. Of course I joke, but there are any number of extremely devoted collectors who love this little extra piece of packaging, and I am almost loathe to tell people who are in that particular demographic that for whatever reason Lionsgate has decided to release several different versions of this film, all with completely different slipcovers. I'm reviewing this Amazon exclusive edition since it contains an extra (1080) disc of bonus content, but otherwise (and aside from the slipcover differences), this offers the same on disc content as their wide release (and vis a vis nothing other than personal preference, I actually think the slipcover for the wide release is a bit cooler looking than the one on this release, despite this release offering the ever popular lenticular cover).

With that important informational bulletin out of the way, Talk to Me is often a rather disturbing entry into "possession horror", if that can properly deemed an "official" subgenre, and it has the added attraction (?) of rather slyly exploiting its Australian location. The film's heroine is a youngish girl named Mia (Sophie Wilde), who probably unwisely attends a party where for reasons which are never really sufficiently explained (one assumes the already announced prequel will have more details) the partygoers have a "game" that is rather gruesome: they have a disembodied embalmed hand that, when touched, allows the "toucher" to experience the spirit world. A simple pronouncement by the toucher of "I let you in" then allows the spirit to completely possess the living being. The connection is supposed to be broken before ninety seconds have elapsed to keep the spirits from permanently possessing a human, and suffice it to say, Mia overstays her "welcome" (?), with chaos ensuing.

Unfortunately, Mia is not the only one handing over part of her soul to apparently malevolent spirits, and a lot of the emotional impact of the film derives from another bad decision Mia makes, letting Riley (Joe Bird), the little brother of her best friend Jade (Alexandra Jensen) "interact" with the hand, leading to absolutely devastating results which almost instantly puts Riley at death's door. Meanwhile, Mia finds her grip on reality slipping, as she becomes convinced that the main spirit contacting her is in fact her deceased mother Rhea (Alexandria Steffensen), who suggests to Mia that her (i.e., Rhea's) death didn't happen exactly the way Mia thinks it did. This family dysfunction spills at least somewhat into Mia's relationship with her father, Max (Marcus Johnson), who it is ultimately revealed is dealing with his own trauma in a probably ineffective way. Rather interestingly, this aspect is almost a direct analog to some of the plot mechanics of the recently reviewed The Boogeyman.

What repeatedly hampers Talk to Me is a definite lack of clarity with regard to some of the plot details. The includes an opening vignette that has two characters who never appear again (for probably predictable reasons which won't be spoiled here), and which gets the film off to a typically supercharged start, but which is never organically woven into the rest of the story (again, perhaps the announced prequel will take care of some of this). Kind of interestingly, co-director brothers Danny and Michael Philippou disclose in an interview included as a supplement that the genesis of the film, and probably particularly this opening scene, came courtesy of the Philippous attending a party where a kid was having a really bad drug trip, and instead of trying to help him, everyone just pulled out their phones to record the mayhem. That little tidbit may be as "horrifying" in its own way as anything in the film, but even this contextualizing information imparted by the Philippous isn't really included in the film itself.

Despite some narrative stumbles, Talk to Me is undeniably spooky, even if some of its biggest shocks are more than predictable (how do you think a scene with Mia hallucinating she's being attacked will end when she's reaching for scissors to fend off her attacker while her father desperately tries to break down her bedrom door to get in the room?). Talk to Me also has some passingly bizarre "Australia- centric" material, including what to my mind is the first use of a kangaroo as part of a horror film. For many viewers, Miranda Otto will probably be the best known name, here as the understandably distraught mother of Jade and Riley.

My colleague Brian Orndorf was considerably less impressed with Talk to Me than I was, and for those who might enjoy an alternate viewpoint, Brian's review can be found here.

Talk to Me 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc included in this package.

Talk to Me is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Lionsgate Films and A24 with an HVEC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 2.39:1. Captured with Arri Alexas and finished at 4K, this is a rather impressive looking presentation for what was evidently a micro-budgeted affair. The Philippou brothers are rather well versed in cinematic techniques for two such relatively young people, and the stylistic flourishes offered throughout the film, while sometimes a bit on the trite side, give the presentation a rather unique flair which palpably contributes to the overall feeling of unease permeating the film. The 4K presentation takes an already generally excellent 1080 presentation and at least marginally improves fine detail, especially in some of the darker scenes, where both shadow definition and general detail levels in the shadowy sections of the frame can offer more to actually see. Some of the textures on admittedly "minor" items like costumes are also more palpable looking in this version. Dolby Vision and/or HDR add some really interesting highlights to both some of the almost sepia toned material, but perhaps especially the rather icily cool blue grading that accompanies the hospital scenes in particular. The banding that I noted in our 1080 review is at least ameliorated here. Kind of interestingly, this is another 4K UHD presentation where digital grain is somewhat less "subliminal" than in the 1080 version.

Talk to Me 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Talk to Me features a nicely spooky Atmos track that offers clear engagement of the Atmos speaks in any number of weird swirling and whooshing sound effects as various "game players" decide to reach out and touch the severed hand. There is also good use of the traditional surround channels to establish directionality in some kind of noisy sequences, including the opening party vignette and some of the later material with all the kids gathered to experience "the hand". Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are available.

Talk to Me 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K UHD Disc and 1080 Disc One

• Audio Commentary with Writers / Directors Danny and Michael Philippou might suffer a bit from the brothers' confession right off the bat that they're extremely jet lagged and out of it, but they're full of anecdotes about the production.


• In the Grip of Terror (HD; 13:28) is a standard issue EPK with decent interviews and some fun behind the scenes footage.


• Deleted Scenes (HD; 6:54)


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 2:03)

1080 Disc Two (bonus disc which is part of the Amazon exclusive release)

• Talk to Me Q & A with filmmakers Danny & Michael Philippou (HD; 23:11) is culled from a sold out advance screening held In Santa Monica in July 2023. The boys seem genuinely excited to be sharing their creation with the public.

Additionally a digital copy is included and lest it not already be obvious, packaging features a slipcover.

Talk to Me 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's quite a bit left unexplained in Talk to Me, some of which probably definitely undercuts the narrative momentum. Still, this is frequently a very stylish and disturbing horror film, one with a kind of unusual emotional component that, as I mentioned above, almost echoes some of the content in The Boogeyman. Technical merits are first rate, and the supplements enjoyable. Recommended.