“Talk to Me” is a supernatural horror film and marks the directorial debut of Danny and Michael Philippou.
Let’s dive into some trivia and facts about the new film.
- Talk to Me is a 2022 Australian supernatural horror film
- It directed by Danny and Michael Philippou
- This marks their feature film directorial debut
- Written by Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman
- From a concept by Daley Pearson
- The film stars Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji, and Miranda Otto
- Talk to Me had its preview screening at the 2022 Adelaide Film Festival
- Followed by its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on 22 January 2023
- It was theatrically released in Australia on 27 July 2023
- Internationally it was released on 28 July 2023
- The film has received positive reviews
- With critics praising its story, horror sequences, practical effects, and performances
- Talk to Me is a co-production of Causeway Films, Bankside Films, and Talk to Me Holdings
- It is a presentation of Screen Australia in association with the South Australian Film Corporation, Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund, Head Gear Films, and Metrol Technology
- Directors Danny and Michael Philippou worked closely with producer Samantha Jennings, one of the co-founders of production company Causeway Films, who is familiar with Adelaide
- They knew her from working with her on The Babadook, another Causeway Films production
- They credit her with keeping them grounded and helping to shape the film
- The film is set in the filmmakers’ hometown of Adelaide, South Australia
- It relies largely on plot rather than special effects, sudden scares, or gore
- The Philippou brothers have said that they are committed to filming in Australia for all future projects
- Οr at least doing post production,
- Talk to Me sold to numerous international distributors at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival
- In the United States and Canada, Talk to Me was released alongside Haunted Mansion
- It was originally projected to gross $4 to 5 million from 2,340 theaters in its opening weekend
- After making $4.2 million on its first day
- This includes $1.3 million from Thursday night previews
- The weekend estimates were increased to $10 million
- On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 95% rating
- Based on 182 critics’ reviews
- With an average rating of 7.8/10
- The website’s consensus reads: “With a gripping story and impressive practical effects, Talk to Me spins a terrifically creepy 21st-century horror yarn built on classic foundations”
- Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 76 out of 100
- Based on 41 critics
- Indicating “generally favorable reviews”
- Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of “B+” on an A+ to F scale
