A24's Talk To Me Is Creeping Out Critics In The Best Way

A24 knows good horror when it sees it. From atmospheric throwbacks like "The Witch" to slashers like "X," the entertainment company has brought chills to plenty of people in the past. And it looks to have another creepy hit on its hands with the Australian horror flick "Talk to Me."

While the film has premiered at several film festivals, A24 released the "Talk to Me" trailer not too long ago, meaning more people have now marked their calendars for when they can next be thoroughly terrified. The story sounds fairly straightforward. It's about a group of friends who come in possession of an embalmed hand that allows them to conjure spirits. However, things begin going too far when supernatural forces are unleashed.

Dozens of critical reviews have already populated Rotten Tomatoes, with the movie getting fairly unanimous positive praise. One such fan of the film is Mashable's Kristy Puchko, who wrote, "Talk to Me is a terrifically scary horror offering thanks to powerful performances, creepy creature designs, a splash of blood and gore, and practical effects that'll blow your mind and chill your spine." And if "Talk to Me" isn't on your radar already, plenty of other reviews will ensure it's placed there. 

Based on these reviews on the "Talk to Me" trailer alone, the movie's already shaping up to be one of the best horror films of 2023. And it's all the more impressive, considering it's the directors' first feature film. Movie reviewer Perri Nemiroff stated on her channel, "A stellar feature debut from Danny and Michael Philippou that features an A+ ensemble of rising stars navigating a wildly chilling and catchy core concept." The Philippous got their start on YouTube and actually declined getting a larger budget so that they could retain greater creative control over the final film. It's a gambit that's appeared to paid off as the film is already getting excellent word-of-mouth praise.

Not only is it scary, but Rendy Jones says it also speaks to the current moment in the zeitgeist, writing, "Talk to Me might be the first to accurately capture the Gen-Z teen experience through a fun and empathetic portrayal, which is hard to do because teenagers suck ... The Philippou brothers nail the current landscape of Gen-Z culture, where the obsession with doing dumb s*** to seek viral fame has desensitized us to life-endangering consequences."

Following in the footsteps of other Gen-Z-centric horror films like "Bodies Bodies Bodies," "Talk to Me" from A24 has all the makings of being the right movie at the right moment. It's scheduled to come out in the United States on July 28.