TALK TO ME (2023)

When a group of friends discovers how to conjure spirits by using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill -- until one of them unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.

A24 has quite quickly set itself apart from the competition. In just a few short years they have had a clear vision of finding and distributing low-budget films that subvert expectations, and provide raw emotional connections with the audience. I first encountered A24 back in 2019 when I was absolutely mesmerized by Gloria Bell; a film about the night-life of a middle-aged divorcée. Not something I'd typically expect to love, but a film that would have easily been in my Top 10 of the year. 

I digress.

Where I am going with this, is that whether A24 is simply distributing films, or producing them, their films all have a distinct flavour to them. A sense of atmosphere, emotional clarity, and reliability. And Talk to Me is another great choice for the outfit.

The film is marketed as a horror, but it is quite apparent, even when watching the trailer, that this film isn't quite what you would expect. More accurately, the film uses horror settings but acts as a dramatic thriller. It's an intriguing and terrifying viewing that is best served in the cinema, in the dark, surrounded by strangers, with surround sound audio. To be clear, this isn't a film that relies on jump scares and overly loud noises to shock the audience. Talk to Me doesn't want to shock you, it wants to disturb you and make you feel uneasy and on the edge of your seat for the entire 95-minute runtime.

What really sets the film apart, is its reliability. Being an Australian film, it's a bit easier for us to relate with, and the directors, Danny and Michael Philippou, spend the time to develop the characters and the world around them. Our main character, Mia (played brilliantly by Sophie Wilde) is not a non-descript teenager who happens to be in a dangerous situation. Time is spent to introduce her family, let us understand the relationship dynamics between each character, and tease some backstory, before even introducing the horror MacGuffin.

And then, how do these teenagers deal with a potential supernatural item supposedly causing possessions? It's time to pull out the camera and take videos and dare each other to do it; it's quintessentially Gen Z. Yet it doesn't come across as patronizing or condescending towards any of the characters, and really provides a fresh modern take on the old "ouija board" horror trope. There are definitely some drug metaphors going on in the arrangement and sequences

The imagery and violent nature of the action will make you cringe and wince involuntarily. The gore is minimal, but well-placed and extremely off-putting, and the use of practical effects brings in such a sense of authenticity that it manages to properly trigger the fear responses; not just in the instinctive "Loud noise could be predator" manner, but in a total body "This is not right, I can't trust what I am seeing, and should not be seeing this" way. Talk to Me is not an easy film to shake off, and I can honestly say that you will most likely leave the cinema in complete silence, as you come to terms and process what you have seen.

It plays with you. It throws every manner of psychological warfare at you, with red herrings, misdirection, and unreliable narrators, and while it doesn't let you stew on it for too long, it continually moves the goalposts throughout the film's runtime, leaving you full of uncertainty and dread for the majority of the viewing experience. There is a trauma that is woven into the film's narrative, that could have been better executed, but the rest of the film carries the burden well and uses it for great emotional heft.

The isolation, the breakdowns, the trauma, the desensitization, the grief and the torment. You can understand every decision, you can see each decision before they have made it, but the consequences of that decision are unknown, and it keeps you glued to your seat.

I was not expecting such a memorable experience. The trailer and poster fail to do it justice, but perhaps that is just reverse psychology to throw you off even more when you go to see it. Absolutely chilling. Thanks, A24 for bringing another great film to light. But I need a palate cleanser after that...when's the next Barbie screening?

Talk to Me is in NZ cinemas from July 27, 2023

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING, PART ONE

 

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan's past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins.

The last few years of Hollywood cinema have felt like the studios have truly given up on the idea of creating coherent stories. Everything has been simply "beating the dead horse" bringing out the same intellectual properties again and again, and inserting things or people that were popular before, in an effort to win audiences over with nostalgia and easter eggs. But audiences are getting wise, or more accurately, audiences are getting bored. Bored of the same thing, again and again, rinse and repeat. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, Star Wars 11, Ant-Man 3, Fast & Furious 10, Transformers 7, Indiana Jones 5, Insidious 4, Toy Story 5, Jurassic Park 6... I could go on, but you get the point.

What has been missing from these films has not only been an engaging story, but a sense of authenticity, made worse by the ever-encroaching capabilities of AI and CGI. More and more films are being made in front of a green screen; inauthentic locations, inauthentic action scenes, impossible stunts. All of which makes Tom Cruise an interesting point of difference. Apart from looking amazing for a 61-year-old, his dedication to the authenticity of his stunts has turned the Mission: Impossible franchise into something breathtakingly genuine, despite coming around to its seventh addition to the series. What should have been a decidedly predictable, unsatisfying, and uninspired sequel of sequels, Dead Reckoning, Part One proves once again that real stunts and practical effects are a guaranteed way to engage with audiences.

It shouldn't be a surprise. Tom Cruise has effectively marketed the Mission: Impossible films on his dedication to stuntwork himself; from jumping off a 120ft cliff into the sea and holding his breath for over 6 minutes underwater in Rogue Nation, to breaking his ankle jumping across rooftops in Fallout, even flying in his own helicopter pursuit through mountain ranges. This level of avoidance when it comes to CGI provides a secure sense of realism to a genre that has become saturated with false physics, and unbelievable stunts. The appeal of Mission: Impossible actually being achievable (in a sense) is what captures the hearts of the audience every time.

It makes us overlook the fact that nobody sleeps, eats, or suffers from any sense of damage once the scene ends (if they survived it). The frenetic energy and choreography of the action sequences are mesmerizing and hypnotic. Seamlessly blending action, thriller, comedy, and drama into a captivating viewing experience. 

The writers have done a superb job with what they are given: a need to introduce new characters, utilise established characters, write a story that connects with the previous films in the series, create new action sequences, provide adequate exposition for any new viewers, and sets up a satisfying end when Dead Reckoning is only part 1 of 2. All while ensuring there isn't a moment in the 163-minute runtime that the audience feels like they are sitting for nearly three hours.

Dead Reckoning is by no means perfect. It still has an outlandish premise that makes little sense if you really think about it, but the film takes itself seriously enough that you allow it. It hits recognisable elements to make the idea relatable (the opening Russian submarine sequence is very current right now with the Russian-Ukraine conflict and the Titan Sub tragedy, as well as the antagonising presence of the film, The Entity, being a somewhat ChatGPT-influenced AI), but still never truly explores the elements deeply enough to bog down the viewer. It merely floats a recognisable element, before jumping into the next action sequence. The biggest example of this is having the threat be an AI that can completely wipe and rewrite anything digital, altering live communications and records at will, yet the MacGuffins that need to be found to stop the threat are physical items, and allow the protagonist' success to be decided by pick-pocketing, one-on-one fights, and chase scenes. 

The cast is large but they all get their chance to shine. Ving Rhames’ Luther, Simon Pegg’s Benji, and Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa all return to help Ethan (Cruise) in his latest impossible mission joined this time reluctantly by Hayley Atwell's Grace. Atwell is quite a breath of fresh air in the franchise and injects a relatable hesitancy and comedic scepticism throughout the film's runtime. Rather than a simple game of cat and mouse, we have a cat trying to catch two mice, while being chased by multiple dogs. It's a fast-paced, sweat-inducing frenzy of action and chases that keeps you on the edge of your seat at all times, even during exposition scenes, where you are drip-fed new information that consistently changes the plans and the good-bad alignment of the characters. Double and triple-crosses galore!

Apart from a train sequence that is noticeably CGI-heavy, the film feels tactile and genuine. Ethan's determination, Benji's creative solutions, Paris' overarching indomitable ferocity, Grace's...grace, each character has its own defining features, yet they fit together like a band of bandits that have been together for decades. It doesn't feel like acting, it feels like old friends and new acquaintances.

I'm not even going to tell you about the film's physical antagonist. Just go and see the film. While Top Gun got a great response from the critics and the audience, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One is on a completely different level. Bring on Part Two.  

Mission Impossible is in NZ cinemas from July 9