Talk to Me (2023)
Movie · 2023 · Horror · 1h 35m · R · English
Curator score: 5.7/10 (1.6M ratings)
Tagline: You call. They'll answer.
When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.
Ratings:
- Curator score: 5.7/10
- IMDb: 7.1/10
- Letterboxd: 3.48/5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
- Metacritic: 76
- TMDB: 7.1/10
Director: Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
Production: Causeway Films, Screen Australia, South Australian Film Corporation, Bankside Films, Head Gear Films, Metrol Technology
Cast: Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji, Miranda Otto, Zoe Terakes, Chris Alosio, Marcus Johnson, Alexandria Steffensen, Ari McCarthy, Sunny Johnson, James Oliver, Cass Cumerford, Jett Gazley, Kitt Erhart-Bruce, Hamish Phillips, Kidaan Zelleke, Sarah Brokensha, Jayden Davison, Jodie Dry
Curator Review
Verdict: A nasty, high-energy possession horror that turns a simple party game into a grief-soaked nightmare. It stands out for its brutal momentum, strong practical effects, and a bleak emotional undercurrent beneath the shocks.
Best for: fans of modern possession horror; viewers who like intense, fast-moving scares; audiences drawn to grief-driven horror; people who enjoy gnarly practical effects and body horror
Skip if: you want a slow-burn atmospheric ghost story; you dislike relentless distress and cruelty; you prefer horror with a hopeful or playful tone; you are sensitive to self-harm, addiction, or family trauma themes
Overview: Talk to Me is the kind of horror movie that feels like a dare. It starts with a viral, dare-you-to-try-it premise and quickly becomes a vicious story about grief, peer pressure, and the thrill of losing control. The filmmakers keep the pace tight and the scares physical, so even the quieter scenes feel like they are sliding toward disaster.
Worth noting: What makes it work is the balance between teen recklessness and genuine emotional damage. The movie understands how addiction-like the ritual feels, and it uses that hook to make the supernatural escalation hit harder. It is not subtle, but it is disciplined, and the best sequences are genuinely upsetting.
Bottom line: This is a strong pick for viewers who want contemporary horror with teeth: ugly, efficient, and emotionally bruising. If you want something more mournful than fun, more punishing than cozy, it delivers.
Top Letterboxd reviews:
- aaron: maybe the real horror was the crazy frog ringtone
- bimbim: that was so scary i'm glad australian people aren't real
- CosmonautMarkie: Horror movies need to go back to being hopeless and miserable like this 👍
- owen: I hate when the demon inside of me makes me do unholy things to white boys feet... I hate that shit soooo much omg.
- gillianb: this is why i wear socks to bed.
Recommended similar titles:
- The Babadook (2014 · Drama, Horror · 1h 34m · R · Curator 5.2/10 (1M ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu, AMC+, Philo, Shudder, Sundance Now, MUBI)
A grief-haunted horror film that turns emotional collapse into a monster story with real psychological bite.
- The Ring (2002 · Horror, Mystery · 1h 55m · PG-13 · Curator 3.6/10 (907.6K ratings))
Shares the cursed-object momentum and the sense of a simple ritual spiraling into dread.
- It Follows (2015 · Horror, Mystery · 1h 41m · R · Curator 5.5/10 (1.1M ratings) · Where to watch: Philo)
A modern horror standout built on relentless pursuit, teen vulnerability, and an eerie, contemporary mood.
- The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005 · Crime, Drama, Horror · 2h 2m · PG-13 · Curator 2.0/10 (293.3K ratings))
Combines possession horror with a serious emotional and bodily intensity that lingers after the scares.
- The Descent (2005 · Adventure, Horror · 1h 40m · R · Curator 5.5/10 (701.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Philo)
Claustrophobic, punishing horror with strong momentum and a deep well of trauma and survival panic.
- Insidious (2011 · Horror, Thriller · 1h 42m · PG-13 · Curator 3.0/10 (1.1M ratings))
A mainstream possession chiller with sharp escalation, jump scares, and a family-in-peril structure.
- Sinister (2012 · Horror, Thriller, Mystery · 1h 50m · R · Curator 3.6/10 (989.5K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium)
Uses a creepy discovery premise and escalating dread to create a grim, crowd-pleasing horror engine.
- Evil Dead Rise (2023 · Horror, Thriller · 1h 36m · R · Curator 3.5/10 (942K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
A recent, ferocious possession movie with nasty effects, family breakdown, and a brutal pace.
- The Conjuring (2013 · Horror, Thriller · 1h 52m · R · Curator 5.8/10 (2.3M ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
For viewers who want polished supernatural horror with clear escalation and strong genre craftsmanship.
- A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984 · Horror · 1h 31m · R · Curator 6.9/10 (1M ratings))
Teen horror with a nightmare logic and a playful-but-cruel supernatural threat that keeps mutating.
- The Sixth Sense (1999 · Mystery, Thriller, Drama · 1h 47m · PG-13 · Curator 8.1/10 (2.4M ratings))
A ghost story with emotional weight, family pain, and a restrained but memorable supernatural atmosphere.
- The Others (2001 · Horror, Mystery, Thriller · 1h 41m · PG-13 · Curator 6.9/10 (955.1K ratings) · Where to watch: AMC+, Philo, Shudder)
Elegant haunted-house horror with grief, isolation, and a slow accumulation of unease.
Topics: possession horror, supernatural thriller, body horror, grief, teen horror, bleak tone, practical effects, Australian horror, addiction metaphor, coming-of-age
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/movie/talk-to-me/1008042
Talk to Me (2023)
Movie · 2023 · Horror · 1h 35m · R · English
Curator score: 5.7/10 (1.6M ratings)
You call. They'll answer.
Overview When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.
Ratings
Curator score: 5.7/10
IMDb: 7.1/10
Letterboxd: 3.48/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Metacritic: 76
TMDB: 7.1/10
Director Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
Production Causeway Films, Screen Australia, South Australian Film Corporation, Bankside Films, Head Gear Films, Metrol Technology
Cast Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji, Miranda Otto, Zoe Terakes, Chris Alosio, Marcus Johnson, Alexandria Steffensen, Ari McCarthy, Sunny Johnson, James Oliver, Cass Cumerford, Jett Gazley, Kitt Erhart-Bruce, Hamish Phillips, Kidaan Zelleke, Sarah Brokensha, Jayden Davison, Jodie Dry
Curator Review
Verdict
A nasty, high-energy possession horror that turns a simple party game into a grief-soaked nightmare. It stands out for its brutal momentum, strong practical effects, and a bleak emotional undercurrent beneath the shocks.
Best for
fans of modern possession horror
viewers who like intense, fast-moving scares
audiences drawn to grief-driven horror
people who enjoy gnarly practical effects and body horror
Skip if
you want a slow-burn atmospheric ghost story
you dislike relentless distress and cruelty
you prefer horror with a hopeful or playful tone
you are sensitive to self-harm, addiction, or family trauma themes
Overview
Talk to Me is the kind of horror movie that feels like a dare. It starts with a viral, dare-you-to-try-it premise and quickly becomes a vicious story about grief, peer pressure, and the thrill of losing control. The filmmakers keep the pace tight and the scares physical, so even the quieter scenes feel like they are sliding toward disaster.
Worth noting
What makes it work is the balance between teen recklessness and genuine emotional damage. The movie understands how addiction-like the ritual feels, and it uses that hook to make the supernatural escalation hit harder. It is not subtle, but it is disciplined, and the best sequences are genuinely upsetting.
Bottom line
This is a strong pick for viewers who want contemporary horror with teeth: ugly, efficient, and emotionally bruising. If you want something more mournful than fun, more punishing than cozy, it delivers.
Top Letterboxd reviews
aaron (3.5★) · 37030 likes
maybe the real horror was the crazy frog ringtone
bimbim (3.5★) · 29400 likes
that was so scary i'm glad australian people aren't real
CosmonautMarkie (4★) · 20120 likes
Horror movies need to go back to being hopeless and miserable like this 👍
owen (2.5★) · 18518 likes
I hate when the demon inside of me makes me do unholy things to white boys feet... I hate that shit soooo much omg.
gillianb (4★) · 14419 likes
this is why i wear socks to bed.
Recommended similar titles
2014 · Drama, Horror · 1h 34m · R · Curator 5.2/10 (1M ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu, AMC+, Philo, Shudder, Sundance Now, MUBI
A grief-haunted horror film that turns emotional collapse into a monster story with real psychological bite.
2002 · Horror, Mystery · 1h 55m · PG-13 · Curator 3.6/10 (907.6K ratings)
Shares the cursed-object momentum and the sense of a simple ritual spiraling into dread.
2015 · Horror, Mystery · 1h 41m · R · Curator 5.5/10 (1.1M ratings) · Where to watch: Philo
A modern horror standout built on relentless pursuit, teen vulnerability, and an eerie, contemporary mood.
2005 · Crime, Drama, Horror · 2h 2m · PG-13 · Curator 2.0/10 (293.3K ratings)
Combines possession horror with a serious emotional and bodily intensity that lingers after the scares.
2005 · Adventure, Horror · 1h 40m · R · Curator 5.5/10 (701.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Philo
Claustrophobic, punishing horror with strong momentum and a deep well of trauma and survival panic.
2011 · Horror, Thriller · 1h 42m · PG-13 · Curator 3.0/10 (1.1M ratings)
A mainstream possession chiller with sharp escalation, jump scares, and a family-in-peril structure.
2012 · Horror, Thriller, Mystery · 1h 50m · R · Curator 3.6/10 (989.5K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium
Uses a creepy discovery premise and escalating dread to create a grim, crowd-pleasing horror engine.
2023 · Horror, Thriller · 1h 36m · R · Curator 3.5/10 (942K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
A recent, ferocious possession movie with nasty effects, family breakdown, and a brutal pace.
2013 · Horror, Thriller · 1h 52m · R · Curator 5.8/10 (2.3M ratings) · Where to watch: Max
For viewers who want polished supernatural horror with clear escalation and strong genre craftsmanship.
1984 · Horror · 1h 31m · R · Curator 6.9/10 (1M ratings)
Teen horror with a nightmare logic and a playful-but-cruel supernatural threat that keeps mutating.
1999 · Mystery, Thriller, Drama · 1h 47m · PG-13 · Curator 8.1/10 (2.4M ratings)
A ghost story with emotional weight, family pain, and a restrained but memorable supernatural atmosphere.
2001 · Horror, Mystery, Thriller · 1h 41m · PG-13 · Curator 6.9/10 (955.1K ratings) · Where to watch: AMC+, Philo, Shudder
Elegant haunted-house horror with grief, isolation, and a slow accumulation of unease.
Topics
possession horror, supernatural thriller, body horror, grief, teen horror, bleak tone, practical effects, Australian horror, addiction metaphor, coming-of-age
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