Month: July 2023

Move over, Barbenheimer; this week’s all about horror. The latest gems coming to streaming and theaters this week star monsters, ghosts, super villains, and demons — some family-friendly, others, not so much. While you might still be riding off that Barbie high (and we don’t blame you), it isn’t a summer movie season without fresh frights to keep you up at night. So without further ado, here’s everything new coming to streaming and theaters this week. Summer horror season is officially in full swing.  Harley Quinn Season 4 

Credit: Max

Gotham’s favorite blonde bombshell returns for another season, and it’s as fabulously wacky as you’d hope for one Harleen Quinzel (voiced by Kaley Cuoco). For three seasons, Harley Quinn has followed the mischievous misadventures of its eponymous lead as she ventures on a journey of self-discovery after her breakup with the Joker (voiced by Alan Tudyk). From icy encounters with Mr. Freeze (voiced by Alfred Molina) to a blossoming relationship with Poison Ivy (voiced by Lake Bell), Harley’s seen it all, and the new season has a whole lot of new adventures and fan-favorite characters to fall in love with. What we thought: “While Season 4 doesn’t start off as strong as Season 3’s ‘Eat Bang Kill Tour,’ the later episodes hint at a return to form that could make all the difference… So, here’s hoping Ivy and Harley’s paths will collide spectacularly to finish the season strong.” — Kristy Puchko, Film Editor How to watch: All seasons of Harley Quinn are now streaming on Max. Haunted Mansion 

Credit: Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Whether you’re a fan of the ride or the 2003 film, you’re going to want to see Disney’s new Haunted Mansion. The latest adaptation inspired by the twisted tales of the grim grinning ghosts, follows Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) and Travis (Chase W. Dillon), a mother and son who gradually begin to realize that they aren’t the only people living in their new home. As the ghosts begin to creep in, Gabbie enlists the help of a ragtag group of ghostbusters (hilariously helmed by Owen Wilson, LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, and Danny DeVito) to put a stop to the Hatbox Ghost (Jared Leto) and his many friends, including a certain Madame Leota (Jamie Lee Curtis). What we thought: “I can assure you that Haunted Mansion is bloody good fun for kiddos (of all ages) who enjoy a scary story and a rollicking thrill ride.” — K.P.  How to watch: Haunted Mansion is now playing in theaters.  Talk to Me 

Credit: Matthew Thorne/ A24

Nothing beats a summer horror movie night. Talk to Me is the latest frightening flick from A24, which just so happens to be the highest-rated horror film of 2023 on Rotten Tomatoes (so far), and for good reason. The film follows a group of friends who discover an embalmed hand that can conjure spirits. Naturally, rather than avoiding the hand and leaving it alone, the group decides to mess with it and conjure spirits for funsies! That is, up until a terrifying supernatural entity is unleashed and all havoc is wrecked. While Talk to Me’s premise might not seem like anything new, the film has a couple of twists, turns, and ghastly tricks up its sleeve to keep you hooked (and scared for your life). What we thought: “Talk to Me is a terrifically scary horror offering thanks to powerful performances, creepy creature designs, a splash of blood and gore, and practical effects that’ll blow your mind and chill your spine… If you’re looking for some freaky frightening fun, be sure to reach out and touch this one.” — K.P. How to watch: Talk to Me is now playing in theaters. The Witcher Season 3, Vol. 2 

Credit: Susie Allnutt / Netflix

Based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s book series of the same name, The Witcher invites us into the Continent, a far-off land filled with medieval mayhem, thrilling adventures, and above all, monsters. For the past few seasons, the show has been following monster-hunter Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra), and Princess Ciri (Freya Allan) as they work to unravel the destiny tying them all together. While Vol. 1 of Season 3 was full of terrifying new beasts, lavish balls, and weaponry you probably should be paying closer attention to, Vol. 2 promises even more thrill and answers to that wild cliffhanger. What we thought of Vol. 1: “The Witcher Season 3 sends our heroes on the run, severely ups the gruesome monster game, delivers those complex politics, and lets Ciri kick some serious ass. Throw in a season-stealing episode entirely set at the Met Gala of the Continent and the closest parallels yet to the most popular Witcher game, and you’ve got a winning start to the third season of the series.” — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor How to watch: The Witcher Season 3, Vol. 2 is now streaming on Netflix. 

Move over, Barbenheimer; this week’s all about horror. The latest gems coming to streaming and theaters this week star monsters, ghosts, super villains, and demons — some family-friendly, others, not so much. 

While you might still be riding off that Barbie high (and we don’t blame you), it isn’t a summer movie season without fresh frights to keep you up at night. So without further ado, here’s everything new coming to streaming and theaters this week. Summer horror season is officially in full swing.  

Harley Quinn Season 4 

Gotham’s favorite blonde bombshell returns for another season, and it’s as fabulously wacky as you’d hope for one Harleen Quinzel (voiced by Kaley Cuoco). For three seasons, Harley Quinn has followed the mischievous misadventures of its eponymous lead as she ventures on a journey of self-discovery after her breakup with the Joker (voiced by Alan Tudyk). From icy encounters with Mr. Freeze (voiced by Alfred Molina) to a blossoming relationship with Poison Ivy (voiced by Lake Bell), Harley’s seen it all, and the new season has a whole lot of new adventures and fan-favorite characters to fall in love with. 

What we thought: “While Season 4 doesn’t start off as strong as Season 3’s ‘Eat Bang Kill Tour,’ the later episodes hint at a return to form that could make all the difference… So, here’s hoping Ivy and Harley’s paths will collide spectacularly to finish the season strong.” — Kristy Puchko, Film Editor 

How to watch: All seasons of Harley Quinn are now streaming on Max. 

Haunted Mansion 

Whether you’re a fan of the ride or the 2003 film, you’re going to want to see Disney’s new Haunted Mansion. The latest adaptation inspired by the twisted tales of the grim grinning ghosts, follows Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) and Travis (Chase W. Dillon), a mother and son who gradually begin to realize that they aren’t the only people living in their new home. As the ghosts begin to creep in, Gabbie enlists the help of a ragtag group of ghostbusters (hilariously helmed by Owen Wilson, LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, and Danny DeVito) to put a stop to the Hatbox Ghost (Jared Leto) and his many friends, including a certain Madame Leota (Jamie Lee Curtis). 

What we thought: “I can assure you that Haunted Mansion is bloody good fun for kiddos (of all ages) who enjoy a scary story and a rollicking thrill ride.” — K.P.  

How to watch: Haunted Mansion is now playing in theaters.  

Talk to Me 

Nothing beats a summer horror movie night. Talk to Me is the latest frightening flick from A24, which just so happens to be the highest-rated horror film of 2023 on Rotten Tomatoes (so far), and for good reason. The film follows a group of friends who discover an embalmed hand that can conjure spirits. Naturally, rather than avoiding the hand and leaving it alone, the group decides to mess with it and conjure spirits for funsies! That is, up until a terrifying supernatural entity is unleashed and all havoc is wrecked. While Talk to Me‘s premise might not seem like anything new, the film has a couple of twists, turns, and ghastly tricks up its sleeve to keep you hooked (and scared for your life). 

What we thought: “Talk to Me is a terrifically scary horror offering thanks to powerful performances, creepy creature designs, a splash of blood and gore, and practical effects that’ll blow your mind and chill your spine… If you’re looking for some freaky frightening fun, be sure to reach out and touch this one.” — K.P. 

How to watch: Talk to Me is now playing in theaters. 

The Witcher Season 3, Vol. 2 

Based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s book series of the same name, The Witcher invites us into the Continent, a far-off land filled with medieval mayhem, thrilling adventures, and above all, monsters. For the past few seasons, the show has been following monster-hunter Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra), and Princess Ciri (Freya Allan) as they work to unravel the destiny tying them all together. While Vol. 1 of Season 3 was full of terrifying new beasts, lavish balls, and weaponry you probably should be paying closer attention to, Vol. 2 promises even more thrill and answers to that wild cliffhanger. 

What we thought of Vol. 1: “The Witcher Season 3 sends our heroes on the run, severely ups the gruesome monster game, delivers those complex politics, and lets Ciri kick some serious ass. Throw in a season-stealing episode entirely set at the Met Gala of the Continent and the closest parallels yet to the most popular Witcher game, and you’ve got a winning start to the third season of the series.” — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor 

How to watch: The Witcher Season 3, Vol. 2 is now streaming on Netflix. 

Read More 

With the release of Haunted Mansion, director Justin Simien, who forged his reputation with the indie comedy Dear White People and its subsequent spinoff series, makes the leap to splashy studio-made summer movie. While some might scoff about the artistic virtue of transforming a popular Disneyland ride into a could-be movie franchise (after the failed launch of 2003’s The Haunted Mansion, starring Eddie Murphy), Simien saw this as an opportunity to make the kind of movie he treasured as a kid. “Someone called [Haunted Mansion] like ‘baby’s first horror movie’ or something,” Simien said in an interview with Mashable. “And I love that — though it’s more genre than horror. I mean, there are certainly horror flourishes, but it’s a comedy ensemble that’s in a very fantasy/horror kind of world. And that was just my jam growing up.”
SEE ALSO:

Justin Simien defends his controversial ‘Haunted Mansion’ red carpet appearance

Justin Simien found inspiration for Haunted Mansion in Tim Burton and classic horror films. 

Justin Simien directing Owen Wilson in “Haunted Mansion.”
Credit: Disney Enterprise

Among the movies Simien listed as influential — both on him as a kid and in the making of Haunted Mansion — were early Tim Burton movies like Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, and Edward Scissorhands, as well as Frank Oz’s horror-comedy musical Little Shop of Horrors, Ivan Reitman’s comedy classic Ghostbusters, Jonathan Lynn’s beloved cult caper Clue, and Wolfgang Petersen’s traumatizing child-centered adventure The Neverending Story. But a pivotal inspiration is a throwback to classic horror. “For me, a big touchstone was Robert Weiss’s The Haunting (1963), which is so obviously a an influence of the [Haunted Mansion] ride itself.” Simien said, “No one said that anywhere, but you can just watch that movie and feel the influence in the ride.” Simien explained, “[Those movies] spoke to me. To see weird people in weird situations, living something that felt like life but also took me away from my everyday life? That was the stuff that kind of buoyed me as a kid — and certainly [made me] want to be a director.” Beyond these fascinating worlds full of ghosts, fantastical creatures, murder, and comical mayhem, Simien was also drawn to these films because of their practical effects. “I love the practicality of them,” he said. “I love how — even today — when you watch some of the sequences, even though you’re being taken to heaven and hell and all these fantasy worlds, it’s being done with lighting and production design and puppets. And so even though you know it’s not real, there’s a tactile practicality to the world that makes you believe in it anyway. That was like a big touchstone. And those were the movies I cited when I talked [to the production team] about what I wanted Haunted Mansion to feel.” Justin Simien reveals what it means to be Black, gay, and working for Disney right now. 

Rosario Dawson, Tiffany Haddish, LaKeith Stanfield, and Owen Wilson in “Haunted Mansion.”
Credit: Disney Enterprise

Amid the revelry for Haunted Mansion’s release, Simien is forced to contend with several issues while promoting the movie. Disney, the film’s studio and distributor, is engaged in a fight with anti-LGBTQ+ politician Ron DeSantis, which is part of a culture war that rages across the nation, threatening the rights and safety of queer people. On top of that, Haunted Mansion is opening during the SAG/AFTRA and WGA strike, which has caused some of the public to question Simien’s continuing on the film’s promotional tour. Simien has addressed the controversy over walking Haunted Mansion’s red carpet. Asked what it means for him, as a gay, Black filmmaker, to have a family-friendly movie getting a nationwide release from Disney right now, he admitted, “It’s a really weird time to not only make something but to also stand in front of a release of any kind right now. But it also feels really, really important.” 
SEE ALSO:

Why LaKeith Stanfield’s chesthair in ‘Haunted Mansion’ matters

“I don’t know that it’s happened before exactly, that a gay, Black director has made a movie like this, specifically for this audience,” Simien said. “But at the same time, I know that these are the kinds of movies I grew up on. They fed my Black, gay spirit as a kid. And I’m really proud that that’s something I could accomplish — and not only just accomplish it, but put so many Black people in the movie, and lean into some of the really subversive, fun stuff about Disney that doesn’t always get emphasized in these movies. That was definitely really important to me; it felt like I had to do it. It felt like a mandate, almost.” Justin Simien praised his ensemble cast of heroes and ghosts.The Haunted Mansion stars LaKeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, Tiffany Haddish, and Chase Dillon, as well as Jamie Lee Curtis, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Jared Leto, and Beetlejuice’s Winona Ryder. Simien has sung the praise of the ensemble, who rejected cynicism to throw their earnestness and enthusiasm into a tale of wild ghosts and comically haunted mortals. Asked how the cast came together, Simien revealed that Black representation was a part of his pitch from the start. “There were some things that I was really adamant about when we got in there,” Simien said of the pitch meeting. “One of them was, we had to have a Black lead. Part of my pitch was I wanted to really ground the Haunted Mansion in New Orleans, which is where it is supposedly at [per park lore]. And New Orleans is an 85% Black [city].” “And I was like, ‘We got to have a Black lead,’ And it’s got to be somebody that can pull us into a character in a story that would be difficult if it was somebody else,” he explained. That lead ended up being Stanfield, who brings a rattling pathos, sharp comedic timing, and chest-hair swagger to the role of Ben Matthias. The rest of the casting Simien said “was a lot more of a collaboration once we locked in our lead.” He was in awe of the ensemble that was pulled together, not so much because of their star power (“I started my Hollywood career in publicity; stars don’t really [phase me].”) but because of how they came together in making the movie. “I come from a theatre background,” Simien noted. “That’s where I learned directing. And I love working with actors, like it’s my favorite part of it, finding performance and creating a creative space and figuring out people’s dynamics with each other. Like, that’s the stuff that turns me on.”And even though these were really big stars,” Simien said, “they were so game and so passionate. And it’s so easy to be cynical about things like this because it’s big IP. You’re rushed. It’s really a crucible to make a movie.” Yet Simien said the cast came together to make “the best movie” possible. “And it was really, that was my heart. The cast was my whole heart. And so it was so great getting to work with each of them, and all such geniuses in very specific ways. It was really beautiful.”Haunted Mansion is now in theaters.

With the release of Haunted Mansion, director Justin Simien, who forged his reputation with the indie comedy Dear White People and its subsequent spinoff series, makes the leap to splashy studio-made summer movie. 

While some might scoff about the artistic virtue of transforming a popular Disneyland ride into a could-be movie franchise (after the failed launch of 2003’s The Haunted Mansion, starring Eddie Murphy), Simien saw this as an opportunity to make the kind of movie he treasured as a kid. 

“Someone called [Haunted Mansion] like ‘baby’s first horror movie’ or something,” Simien said in an interview with Mashable. “And I love that — though it’s more genre than horror. I mean, there are certainly horror flourishes, but it’s a comedy ensemble that’s in a very fantasy/horror kind of world. And that was just my jam growing up.”

Justin Simien found inspiration for Haunted Mansion in Tim Burton and classic horror films. 

Among the movies Simien listed as influential — both on him as a kid and in the making of Haunted Mansion — were early Tim Burton movies like Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, and Edward Scissorhands, as well as Frank Oz’s horror-comedy musical Little Shop of Horrors, Ivan Reitman’s comedy classic Ghostbusters, Jonathan Lynn’s beloved cult caper Clue, and Wolfgang Petersen’s traumatizing child-centered adventure The Neverending Story. But a pivotal inspiration is a throwback to classic horror.

“For me, a big touchstone was Robert Weiss’s The Haunting (1963), which is so obviously a an influence of the [Haunted Mansion] ride itself.” Simien said, “No one said that anywhere, but you can just watch that movie and feel the influence in the ride.” 

Simien explained, “[Those movies] spoke to me. To see weird people in weird situations, living something that felt like life but also took me away from my everyday life? That was the stuff that kind of buoyed me as a kid — and certainly [made me] want to be a director.” 

Beyond these fascinating worlds full of ghosts, fantastical creatures, murder, and comical mayhem, Simien was also drawn to these films because of their practical effects. “I love the practicality of them,” he said. “I love how — even today — when you watch some of the sequences, even though you’re being taken to heaven and hell and all these fantasy worlds, it’s being done with lighting and production design and puppets. And so even though you know it’s not real, there’s a tactile practicality to the world that makes you believe in it anyway. That was like a big touchstone. And those were the movies I cited when I talked [to the production team] about what I wanted Haunted Mansion to feel.” 

Justin Simien reveals what it means to be Black, gay, and working for Disney right now. 

Amid the revelry for Haunted Mansion‘s release, Simien is forced to contend with several issues while promoting the movie. Disney, the film’s studio and distributor, is engaged in a fight with anti-LGBTQ+ politician Ron DeSantis, which is part of a culture war that rages across the nation, threatening the rights and safety of queer people. On top of that, Haunted Mansion is opening during the SAG/AFTRA and WGA strike, which has caused some of the public to question Simien’s continuing on the film’s promotional tour. 

Simien has addressed the controversy over walking Haunted Mansion‘s red carpet. Asked what it means for him, as a gay, Black filmmaker, to have a family-friendly movie getting a nationwide release from Disney right now, he admitted, “It’s a really weird time to not only make something but to also stand in front of a release of any kind right now. But it also feels really, really important.” 

“I don’t know that it’s happened before exactly, that a gay, Black director has made a movie like this, specifically for this audience,” Simien said. “But at the same time, I know that these are the kinds of movies I grew up on. They fed my Black, gay spirit as a kid. And I’m really proud that that’s something I could accomplish — and not only just accomplish it, but put so many Black people in the movie, and lean into some of the really subversive, fun stuff about Disney that doesn’t always get emphasized in these movies. That was definitely really important to me; it felt like I had to do it. It felt like a mandate, almost.” 

Justin Simien praised his ensemble cast of heroes and ghosts.

The Haunted Mansion stars LaKeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, Tiffany Haddish, and Chase Dillon, as well as Jamie Lee Curtis, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Jared Leto, and Beetlejuice‘s Winona Ryder. Simien has sung the praise of the ensemble, who rejected cynicism to throw their earnestness and enthusiasm into a tale of wild ghosts and comically haunted mortals. Asked how the cast came together, Simien revealed that Black representation was a part of his pitch from the start. 

“There were some things that I was really adamant about when we got in there,” Simien said of the pitch meeting. “One of them was, we had to have a Black lead. Part of my pitch was I wanted to really ground the Haunted Mansion in New Orleans, which is where it is supposedly at [per park lore]. And New Orleans is an 85% Black [city].” 

“And I was like, ‘We got to have a Black lead,’ And it’s got to be somebody that can pull us into a character in a story that would be difficult if it was somebody else,” he explained. That lead ended up being Stanfield, who brings a rattling pathos, sharp comedic timing, and chest-hair swagger to the role of Ben Matthias.

The rest of the casting Simien said “was a lot more of a collaboration once we locked in our lead.” He was in awe of the ensemble that was pulled together, not so much because of their star power (“I started my Hollywood career in publicity; stars don’t really [phase me].”) but because of how they came together in making the movie. 

“I come from a theatre background,” Simien noted. “That’s where I learned directing. And I love working with actors, like it’s my favorite part of it, finding performance and creating a creative space and figuring out people’s dynamics with each other. Like, that’s the stuff that turns me on.

“And even though these were really big stars,” Simien said, “they were so game and so passionate. And it’s so easy to be cynical about things like this because it’s big IP. You’re rushed. It’s really a crucible to make a movie.” 

Yet Simien said the cast came together to make “the best movie” possible. “And it was really, that was my heart. The cast was my whole heart. And so it was so great getting to work with each of them, and all such geniuses in very specific ways. It was really beautiful.”

Haunted Mansion is now in theaters.

Read More 

Forget the Ouija board. With Talk to Me, a creepy new conduit for channeling the dead has come into play. It all begins with a ceramic hand that is eerily lifelike. The stories of its origins are varied, but all disturbing in the way of juicy urban legend. The game attached to this cryptic limb is simple: Hold its cold fingers in yours. Light a candle. Address the spirit world by saying, “Talk to me.” Surrender your body by saying, “I let you in.” You have opened a door to the dead. You will be possessed. Blow that candle out before 90 seconds passes or else. All hell can break loose in the “or else.” In their feature debut, twin YouTubers turned co-directors Danny and Michael Philippou (aka RackaRacka) suck audiences into their distinctive hellscape with a tightly knit tale of teen outcasts — and some stupendously sick practical effects. 
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What’s Talk to Me about? 

Zoe Terakes poses before the haunted hand in “Talk to Me.”
Credit: A24/ Andre Castellucci

Written by Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman, this Australian horror offering centers on Mia (Sophie Wilde), a grieving teen hungry for connection in the wake of her mother’s death. A wall of silence has grown between her and her father. Her best friend, Jade (Alexandra Jensen), while loyal, has been distracted by a new boyfriend (Otis Dhanji). So, when possession parties pop up promising the thrall of escape, Mia’s perhaps overeager to bound into the unknown. At first, it’s all fun and twisted games. But when the game goes on too long, Jade’s sweet little brother Riley (Joe Bird) pays a gruesome price. While his fearsome mother (Miranda Otto) searches for easy answers, Mia and her friend must look into the abyss of limbo to pull Riley back from it. Within this setup, the Philippous have ample space to spasm in grief, teen angst, and sexual panic. The spirits who overtake the teen’s bodies are often of the ferociously horny or outrageous variety, giddy to spout worrisome threats or perform a kinky act with a licking dog or some naked toes. These bouts of unnerving action are exhilarating. Part of this success belongs to the performers — both the teen actors playing possessed and the gooey ghouls revealed by the hand. But the directing duo deserves praise for keeping their central conceit not only creepy, but also dripping with ick. 
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Talk to Me’s practical effects will make you scream…and gag. 

Joe Bird gets possessed in “Talk to Me.”
Credit: A24 / Matthew Thorne

The ceramic hand is a suitably spooky handshake to introduce Talk to Me’s world of sinister spirits. From there, the performers chuck their bodies back violently in the chair, as if the rush of the spirit into their form has a violent physical push. The camera whips up with them, plunging audiences into the thrill of the rush by chasing the thrown-back head and scared expression. Large dark contacts make the pupils of the possessed’s eyes feel alien. Their faces drain of color, turning a puckering pale blue, as the blood flees from their childish cheeks. But this is just the look of tourists in the torturous realm of limbo. The spirits themselves come in various genders, ages, and appearances, but generally, they all share a certain gloppiness. They are bedecked with bruises, blue skin, oozing dark bile. Some have fingernails broken as if they’d been clawing at a closed coffin lid. Others are bloated as if they’d drowned and been lost in the tide. All possess a slick, shiny sheen of — god only knows — snot? Ectoplasm? Drool? These vicious ghosts race across rooms or skitter out of dark corners, and you might well get lost in their deranged details, even as you shudder at their scare tactics. Sharp cuts add oomph to the intrusions, making the ghosts appear and vanish in a blink of an eye. Of course, once Mia sees them, we know they’re always near — visible or not — and always craving the touch of a warm hand and the call of the candlelight. In this way, suspense stews even when there are no ghouls to be seen. An ominous score sends shivers as the spirits break the boundaries of the game, intruding into Mia’s life day and night. As the movie is focused on her experience, the directors bind us to her way of seeing the world. Every dark corner, every strange noise might be a lost soul screeching for attention. But having broken the rules of the game, Mia is, along with us, at a loss as to what could happen now. The Philippous revel in pitching us all into panicked battles — physical, psychological, and potentially fateful. It’s all twisted fun.
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Talk to Me stands among teen horror by keeping it real. 

Teenagers gather for a seance party in “Talk to Me.”
Credit: A24

These aren’t the devastatingly chic teens of 2000s studio horror, though Talk to Me manages a similarly sleek sheen to its production. These Aussie youths are plagued not only by poltergeists, but also by bad hair days, chipped nail polish, clumsy flirtations, and a painful need to fit in. Wilde channels Mia’s desperation for acceptance in a riveting performance, made up of stolen glances, wry smiles, and rib-rattling screams. The other teens match her, offering performances more grounded and gritty than the waifish and wooden or glamorously theatrical that Hollywood horror tends to turn out. But it’s the mom who truly stands out. In teen-centered horror, parents are often sidelined or effectively nonexistent to the tormented teens and whatever evil stalks them. In Talk to Me, Otto plays the kind of mom who demands absolute honesty from her kids and gives it back, clearly stating her expectations and rules before leaving them home alone. But it won’t be enough to save them from horror. Her rage over that slices through the film’s second half, creating a heart-wrenching obstacle to Mia’s plan to save Riley. Naturally, what mother would let this bad influence near her beloved and battered boy after what happened last time? While Wilde must shoulder the emotional storytelling, and does so with aplomb, Otto plays a mom so real that it makes the movie’s most outrageous bits feel authentic, bound by this line of recognizable parental intensity. Thrillingly, Talk to Me isn’t all darkness. And that’s part of its power.

Sophie Wilde gets raw in “Talk to Me.”
Credit: A24

It can be easy to distance ourselves from the plight of many a horror protagonist. We tell ourselves we’d never act the way they do. We wouldn’t play with the clearly evil toy. We wouldn’t trust the smirking tourist. We wouldn’t climb a tall, teetering pole for online clout. But Talk to Me diffuses this distancing judgment by taking the time to relish the fun before the fear. After the rules of the game are introduced, the Philippou brothers let loose on a kinetic montage, intercutting the possessions of the partying teens. Though scary, this paranormal exploration feels like a party, the kind where you might act reckless, exposing your youthful — and presumably invincible — bodies to sex, drugs, alcohol…or ghosts. Indeed, the act of being possessed is treated as if it’s doing a shot, or a drug trip — a delicious dare to prove yourself and entertain those who look on. Mia and her friends eat up the chance. And even as things get gross, it’s easy to connect to the vicarious thrill of it all. There is glory in the stupid naivety of youth. That reveling makes the turn to violence — unrelenting and inexplicable — all the more harrowing. Because moments before, weren’t we having fun? The speed at which it slips through our fingers is all too real and frightening. In the end, Talk to Me is a terrifically scary horror movie, thanks to powerful performances, creepy creature designs, a splash of blood and gore, and practical effects that’ll blow your mind and chill your spine. Like its sister in Sundance 2023’s Midnight slate, Birth/Rebirth, Talk to Me is the rare horror trip that knows just when to end — with a wallop. If you’re looking for some freaky frightening fun, be sure to reach out and touch this one. Talk to Me is now in theaters.
UPDATE: Jul. 26, 2023, 11:50 a.m. EDT Talk to Me was originally reviewed out of Sundance 2023 on January 24, 2023; this review has been republished to celebrate its theatrical release on July 28.

Forget the Ouija board. With Talk to Me, a creepy new conduit for channeling the dead has come into play. It all begins with a ceramic hand that is eerily lifelike. The stories of its origins are varied, but all disturbing in the way of juicy urban legend. The game attached to this cryptic limb is simple: Hold its cold fingers in yours. Light a candle. Address the spirit world by saying, “Talk to me.” Surrender your body by saying, “I let you in.” You have opened a door to the dead. You will be possessed. Blow that candle out before 90 seconds passes or else. 

All hell can break loose in the “or else.” In their feature debut, twin YouTubers turned co-directors Danny and Michael Philippou (aka RackaRacka) suck audiences into their distinctive hellscape with a tightly knit tale of teen outcasts — and some stupendously sick practical effects. 

What’s Talk to Me about? 

Written by Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman, this Australian horror offering centers on Mia (Sophie Wilde), a grieving teen hungry for connection in the wake of her mother’s death. A wall of silence has grown between her and her father. Her best friend, Jade (Alexandra Jensen), while loyal, has been distracted by a new boyfriend (Otis Dhanji). So, when possession parties pop up promising the thrall of escape, Mia’s perhaps overeager to bound into the unknown. At first, it’s all fun and twisted games. But when the game goes on too long, Jade’s sweet little brother Riley (Joe Bird) pays a gruesome price. While his fearsome mother (Miranda Otto) searches for easy answers, Mia and her friend must look into the abyss of limbo to pull Riley back from it. 

Within this setup, the Philippous have ample space to spasm in grief, teen angst, and sexual panic. The spirits who overtake the teen’s bodies are often of the ferociously horny or outrageous variety, giddy to spout worrisome threats or perform a kinky act with a licking dog or some naked toes. These bouts of unnerving action are exhilarating. Part of this success belongs to the performers — both the teen actors playing possessed and the gooey ghouls revealed by the hand. But the directing duo deserves praise for keeping their central conceit not only creepy, but also dripping with ick. 

Talk to Me‘s practical effects will make you scream…and gag. 

The ceramic hand is a suitably spooky handshake to introduce Talk to Me‘s world of sinister spirits. From there, the performers chuck their bodies back violently in the chair, as if the rush of the spirit into their form has a violent physical push. The camera whips up with them, plunging audiences into the thrill of the rush by chasing the thrown-back head and scared expression. Large dark contacts make the pupils of the possessed’s eyes feel alien. Their faces drain of color, turning a puckering pale blue, as the blood flees from their childish cheeks. But this is just the look of tourists in the torturous realm of limbo. 

The spirits themselves come in various genders, ages, and appearances, but generally, they all share a certain gloppiness. They are bedecked with bruises, blue skin, oozing dark bile. Some have fingernails broken as if they’d been clawing at a closed coffin lid. Others are bloated as if they’d drowned and been lost in the tide. All possess a slick, shiny sheen of — god only knows — snot? Ectoplasm? Drool? These vicious ghosts race across rooms or skitter out of dark corners, and you might well get lost in their deranged details, even as you shudder at their scare tactics. Sharp cuts add oomph to the intrusions, making the ghosts appear and vanish in a blink of an eye. Of course, once Mia sees them, we know they’re always near — visible or not — and always craving the touch of a warm hand and the call of the candlelight. In this way, suspense stews even when there are no ghouls to be seen.

An ominous score sends shivers as the spirits break the boundaries of the game, intruding into Mia’s life day and night. As the movie is focused on her experience, the directors bind us to her way of seeing the world. Every dark corner, every strange noise might be a lost soul screeching for attention. But having broken the rules of the game, Mia is, along with us, at a loss as to what could happen now. The Philippous revel in pitching us all into panicked battles — physical, psychological, and potentially fateful. It’s all twisted fun.

Talk to Me stands among teen horror by keeping it real. 

These aren’t the devastatingly chic teens of 2000s studio horror, though Talk to Me manages a similarly sleek sheen to its production. These Aussie youths are plagued not only by poltergeists, but also by bad hair days, chipped nail polish, clumsy flirtations, and a painful need to fit in. Wilde channels Mia’s desperation for acceptance in a riveting performance, made up of stolen glances, wry smiles, and rib-rattling screams. The other teens match her, offering performances more grounded and gritty than the waifish and wooden or glamorously theatrical that Hollywood horror tends to turn out. But it’s the mom who truly stands out. 

In teen-centered horror, parents are often sidelined or effectively nonexistent to the tormented teens and whatever evil stalks them. In Talk to Me, Otto plays the kind of mom who demands absolute honesty from her kids and gives it back, clearly stating her expectations and rules before leaving them home alone. But it won’t be enough to save them from horror. Her rage over that slices through the film’s second half, creating a heart-wrenching obstacle to Mia’s plan to save Riley. Naturally, what mother would let this bad influence near her beloved and battered boy after what happened last time?

While Wilde must shoulder the emotional storytelling, and does so with aplomb, Otto plays a mom so real that it makes the movie’s most outrageous bits feel authentic, bound by this line of recognizable parental intensity. 

Thrillingly, Talk to Me isn’t all darkness. And that’s part of its power.

It can be easy to distance ourselves from the plight of many a horror protagonist. We tell ourselves we’d never act the way they do. We wouldn’t play with the clearly evil toy. We wouldn’t trust the smirking tourist. We wouldn’t climb a tall, teetering pole for online clout. But Talk to Me diffuses this distancing judgment by taking the time to relish the fun before the fear. 

After the rules of the game are introduced, the Philippou brothers let loose on a kinetic montage, intercutting the possessions of the partying teens. Though scary, this paranormal exploration feels like a party, the kind where you might act reckless, exposing your youthful — and presumably invincible — bodies to sex, drugs, alcohol…or ghosts. Indeed, the act of being possessed is treated as if it’s doing a shot, or a drug trip — a delicious dare to prove yourself and entertain those who look on. Mia and her friends eat up the chance. And even as things get gross, it’s easy to connect to the vicarious thrill of it all. There is glory in the stupid naivety of youth. That reveling makes the turn to violence — unrelenting and inexplicable — all the more harrowing. Because moments before, weren’t we having fun? The speed at which it slips through our fingers is all too real and frightening.

In the end, Talk to Me is a terrifically scary horror movie, thanks to powerful performances, creepy creature designs, a splash of blood and gore, and practical effects that’ll blow your mind and chill your spine. Like its sister in Sundance 2023’s Midnight slate, Birth/Rebirth, Talk to Me is the rare horror trip that knows just when to end — with a wallop.

If you’re looking for some freaky frightening fun, be sure to reach out and touch this one. 

Talk to Me is now in theaters.

UPDATE: Jul. 26, 2023, 11:50 a.m. EDT Talk to Me was originally reviewed out of Sundance 2023 on January 24, 2023; this review has been republished to celebrate its theatrical release on July 28.

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