It’s always fun reading about filmmakers complimenting other people’s films. In fact, I find it more interesting than any critic chiming in with his or her own thoughts on a film.
Here’s Peter Jackson — remember him? — of ‘Lord of the Rings’ and “Heavenly Creatures” fame, he’s also known for his ingenious horror movies (“Bad Taste,” “Brain Dead”) from the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Jackson just watched “Talk to Me” and, in a statement, labelled it "relentlessly scary and disturbing - in the best possible way […] Talk To Me isn't just good - it's very very good. The best, most intense, horror movie I've enjoyed in years.”
The best horror movie in years? This decade has seen the release of critically-acclaimed neo-horror movies such as “The Invisible Man,” “Barbarian,” “Titane,” “Watcher” and “Possessor,” but, I agree, “Talk to Me” is quite good.
Jackson’s comments come in the same week A24 announced that a sequel, entitled ‘Talk 2 Me’, is in the works. The film has been an indie hit at the box-office as well, having grossed $33 million so far on a scant $4 million budget.
The Phillipou brothers have received messages from the likes of Steven Spielberg, Jordan Peele, George Miller and Ari Aster, all praising “Talk to Me.” They must feel like they’re living some kind of dream. Good for them. Their film is very good.
Twin filmmaking duo Danny and Michael Philippou's “Talk to Me” completely subverted the clichés of the horror genre. Yes, there are some first-timer mistakes here and there, but these boys have vision to spare.
The twins are known as the YouTube duo RackaRacka, where they produce horror videos with a comedic twist. I never heard of them until this movie, but they now have my attention. Watching “Talk to Me” felt like the time I discovered David Robert Mitchell’s “It Follows” at Cannes. On paper, it didn’t sound like anything fresh or original, a low-concept idea, but watching the film is a whole other story.
The film stars Sophia Wilde as teenager Mia, who, on the anniversary of her mother’s death, gathers for a “calling” seance with her friends. They conjure up spirits using an ancient embalmed hand, and become temporarily possessed. The catch is that they must exorcise the spirit within 90 seconds, or it will try to stay.
The thin line between reality and spiritual collapses in this film, as Mia is haunted by supernatural visions, but are they just all in her head? It amounts to a very distinctive vibe — the atmospheric dread is one thing, but parts of this film feel damn-near surreal.
Jeremy Saulnier’s mysterious A24 project, formerly “October,” still has no release date. You’d think, given that it has been in post-production for almost a year now.