Lifestyle ‘Talk to Me’ is a Gripping Milestone of Modern Horror

and turns the narrative takes, so it’s best to go in as blind as possible.

If there’s one company to thank for saving the independent film industry, it would be A24.

From mainstream hits like “Everything Everywhere All at Once” to niche arthouse films like “Beau is Afraid,” this distribution helps give a voice to fantastic filmmakers. And the company’s most recent production “Talk to Me” proves they are masters of their craft.

“Talk to Me” follows a group of teens messing with paranormal forces in the form of a mysterious hand that gives them strange visions. The best part of the film is the numerous twists

To understand what makes the movie so great, it is important to compare the film to horror movies with similar ideas that miss the mark. 2018’s “Truth or Dare” follows a vaguely similar premise to this film, yet its execution is far worse. “Truth or Dare” rushes its plot and ruins the characters to cram in contrived scares, convoluted lore, and tons of unnecessary padding.

“Talk to Me” leans into its simplicity to avoid these pitfalls. There is no explanation for the events that take place in this film, which is one of the best choices the directors could have made. Not only does this leave a lot of the finer details to the audience’s imagination, making the film and its gimmicks far more memorable, but it also allows the filmmakers to focus on the actual story rather than the reasoning behind it.

One of the most refreshing parts of this movie is the fact that the char- acters act realistically and are well-developed. Sometimes the cast acts smart, and sometimes they act like stupid teenagers, but it never feels like they are out of character or poorly written to serve the plot. Many horror flicks have a swarm of characters rushing toward completely preventable deaths.

“Talk to Me” gives us believable teenagers while using excessive violence sparingly. When something goes down, it feels all the more devastating and intense since the characters are built up so thoroughly. The all-time greats in horror understand a movie is far more terrifying when you genuinely care about the characters.

Of course, sometimes the plot can get a little sidetracked by its characters and their personal problems, but every time the film felt like it was slowing down, something happened to jolt the audience awake into another gauntlet of terror. The horror in this film is wellpaced, constantly building up to a truly haunting finale. There’s a great variety in the types of scares as well, from gross situations to body horror, to psychological horror. It keeps the audience on the edge of their seat until the final shot of the film. The movie is well-directed and that brings a sense of joy. The composition of every shot is competent and aesthetically pleasant. The editing is sharp and keeps each shot lingering just enough to soak in the atmosphere of each scene. The special effects are entirely practical which, combined with stellar acting across the board, makes everything feel all the more real.

With all of that in mind, “Talk to Me” is undoubtedly the best horror movie since “Hereditary,” simply because the film lets you soak in the atmosphere and enjoy a thrilling, compelling narrative rather than throwing a bajillion jump scares at you. I believe this movie shows once again that A24 is only capable of straight bangers. entertainment.ed@ocolly.com