Now that the dust has had time to settle and the litmus test has had the opportunity to really sink in and absorb the quality of this year’s most hyped and discussed Aussie horror flick, I’ve taken stock of my own initial impression of the RackaRacka brothers debut feature, Talk To Me and feel ready to weigh in with my verdict.

There was always going to be plenty of eyeballs on this venture with the amount of support that Danny and Michael Philippou bring with their strong social following. That’s before it went off the dial with a huge reaction at Sundance and A24 nabbing the rights to a cinematic release.

Could the RackaRacka boys pull off their debut directorial feature to back up their social credibility?

The answer to that is a firm yes, but with a caveat, albeit a slight one.

The choice for their playing field lies in an age-old tale of communication with the afterlife; How grief can dictate and steer your emotions to make rash decisions in the wake of the loss; and the lengths that someone is willing to go to in order to find relief no matter what the cost made to those around you. 

Driving this perspective through to its bitter conclusion is Mia (Sophia Wilde), whose mother passed away a year prior, but the memory is still ripe and the sorrow lingers with harrowing dread. Mia has been drifting through life on the periphery and as a drifter has struggled to connect to those around her. Her one lifeline to humanity is through her best friend Jade (Alexandra Jensen) and Jade’s family. They accept her for who she is and Jade’s brother Riley (Joe Bird) is almost smitten by her.
When the trio become embroiled with a group who have discovered how to conjure the dead through an embalmed hand, they are soon hooked, and drawing the spirits forth like some crazed drug fix. By inviting the souls into their own body for a short time, our protagonists are compelled to dive deeper, treating the whole episode as a light-hearted affair That is until Mia’s mother finds a brief way to connect with her, and with one quick stroke, our protagonist is willing to open Pandora’s Box and breaking all previous agreed conventions in order to connect one last time.

The Prognosis:

The RackaRacka brothers have not only exceeded expectations but have produced a solid effort for their first feature length outing, calling the shots from behind the camera. While arguably they have produced a fairly safe outing when it comes to narration, the captivating part comes through their strength in character combined with Sophia Wilde’s performance. Also, the blend of humour and horror peppered throughout helps to flip the juxtaposition of polarizing extremes to tie you to the chair forcing you to grip the hand of darkness. 

• Saul Muerte