Sigh.
Talk To Me is an Aussie Horror film telling the story of a young woman (age is unclear, seemed like they were in high school but the actors are mostly in their mid-20s and look it and one of them is actually 37 years old) who has trouble fitting in, is still getting over the death of her mother, and now chooses to play a dangerous supernatural game in order to fit in. Which goes really, really well for her, lemme tell ya
As a hint, the movie has a cold open in which a teen at another party, seemingly sulking in his room, suddenly stabs his own brother and then himself in front of the whole party. Obviously we have now revealed the destination and the movie will be how the main characters get back to this point.
The party-game boils down to a difficult conceit to swallow: A local punk-ass kid who is, ostensibly, cool (?), has been posting videos on social-media of people grasping this hadn't-statue thingy (see poster) and seemingly becoming possessed. Somehow this teenage wannabe-thug has obtained the most convincing supernatural object in human history and... uses it as a party trick. That is not the hard part to swallow as this is a Horror movie, but apparently everyone wants to do this. Like, people are lining up at his parties to take hold of this thing and become possessed by the dead. So, Mia, trying to fit in at a party where people are saying, out loud, "Why did you bring her" and such kindnesses, jumps at the chance to be first to try it.
Mia finds the experience euphoric and wants to do it again and again and then the part with her dead mother comes in. And things get worse from there. Sadly, this is also about the point where you realize this movie is not going to be fun and it's probably not going to end well (for the characters).
Leaving the plot there, I must pause to say my presentation sounds somewhat negative but actually this is a pretty good movie in spite of itself. Despite straining credibility throughout the story, the presentation is so solid, cinematography, acting, directing, music, editing, etc., that it's hard not to just go along with it.
The way I watch Horror movies and movies in general is that I try to match movies to my mood (and my allotted time-frame) so that I can try to maximize my enjoyment of a film. If I know I'm in the mood for something contemplative, I don't watch an Adam Sandler movie. And if I'm in the mood for a fun Horror movie, I don't watch Martyrs.
So, for people like me, for people who don't want to watch a movie they're really in the wrong mood for, I am going to tell you how this movie makes one feel, in spoiler tags:
WARNING: "So spoilery" spoilers below
This movie is a ****ing bummer. There are lots of bummer Horror movies that are very good, like Lake Mungo or Hereditary or, perhaps a good comp to this movie, Triangle. I'm just letting y'all know so you don't see a movie about a disembodied hand at a teen party and think it's gonna be a Teen Horror Comedy or even just regular Teen Horror, this movie leaves you feeling very sad at the end. It is rarely scary though it is unsettling at times. But when it was over I had to watch Demon Knight to shake off the ****ing bummer I felt.
Like I say, good movie, all the things done well. Caveat above.