The Past Isn’t Finished With You Yet

Read Time:5 Minute, 25 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Talk To Me Limited Edition 4K UHD and Blu-ray
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Genre: Horror, Thriller
Year Released: 2022, Second Sight 4K 2025
Runtime: 1h 35m
Director(s): Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
Writer(s): Danny Philippou, Bill Hinzman, Daley Pearson
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
Where to Watch: available June 23, 2025, pre-order your copy here: www.secondsightfilms.co.uk

RAVING REVIEW: There’s a difference between horror that shouts and horror that lingers in your mind. This one doesn’t rush to frighten you with jump scares or drown you in CGI monster and chaos. Instead, it creeps along steadily, grounding its supernatural premise in real-world heartbreak and emotional disarray. What starts as an eerie party game becomes a devastating spiral, but the raw humanity, not the haunted hand, leaves the deepest scars.

Set in the suburbs of Australia, the film revolves around a trend that takes off among teenagers: a séance-like challenge using a mysterious “hand.” Grasp it, speak the phrase, and you become a temporary host for a spirit. It’s filmed, shared, and treated like the latest social media trend. At first glance, it feels like familiar territory for horror fans. But just when you think you’ve figured it out, the film changes direction—not with just a twist, but with purpose.

The story's heart is Mia (Sophie Wilde), a teenager consumed by unresolved grief over her mother’s death. She’s not seeking thrills—she’s searching for connection. The supernatural becomes an escape from her isolation, but what begins as a coping mechanism quickly spirals into something much darker. This isn’t about surviving ghosts but navigating grief that refuses to stay buried. Wilde captures this struggle beautifully, delivering a performance that balances volatility with restraint.

The film's refusal to treat trauma as a plot device elevates it. The horror isn't built on shock value alone. It grows from decisions rooted in pain, from teens who act impulsively, not because they’re dumb but because they're lost. Each possession scene pushes that further, using poignant moments rather than escalating special effects. Instead of growing louder, the story sharpens its focus with every encounter, making it all the more unsettling.

An effective blend of horror subgenres is at play, but it never feels gimmicky. Rather than reinventing the genre, the filmmakers bend it to suit the story’s arc. And even though the mythology is minimal—no elaborate explanation for the hand, no convoluted lore—the mystery doesn’t suffer. The vagueness enhances the dread. Ambiguity becomes an asset, making the supernatural feel both real and unknowable.

Another smart decision is how the story deals with the adults. Instead of painting them as clueless or cruel, it offers a more grounded portrait of parents who care but can’t connect. Mia’s father and Jade’s mother mean well, but they’re overwhelmed, distracted, or distant. It’s a subtle but powerful reminder that generational divides aren’t just about age but about miscommunication. And in a story about ghosts and grief, being unheard can be just as terrifying as being haunted.

Even the commentary on viral culture feels earned. Teens recording their possessions, laughing at what should be terrifying, sharing the chaos online—it’s all part of a backdrop that never feels forced. Rather than preach, the film observes. It lets the absurdity speak for itself, showing how numbness becomes a defense mechanism. The hand may be the supernatural threat, but apathy is what opens the door.

This is horror that values storytelling as much as scares. It doesn’t just want you to scream—it wants you to think. And even more impressively, it wants you to feel. Not many genre films pull that off without overexplaining or overindulging, but this one is remarkably confident. It’s rare for a horror film to balance genre thrills with grounded emotion this well. But here, the result is a movie that doesn’t just play on your nerves—it stays under your skin. For once, it’s not the ghost that’s hard to shake. It’s everything else.

Special Features:
Dual format edition including both UHD and Blu-ray with the main feature and bonus features on both discs
UHD presented in HDR with Dolby Vision
New audio commentary by Emma Westwood and Sally Christie
Audio Commentary with Directors Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou
Talk to Them: a new interview with Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou
Conjuring Demons: A New Interview with Producer Samantha Jennings
Beautifully Grotesque: A New Interview with Cinematographer Aaron McLisky
Contagion: Kat Ellinger on Talk to Me
Behind the Scenes of Talk to Me: archive featurette
Behind the Scenes – No Spoilers: archive featurette
Deleted Scenes
Cast Interviews
Crew Interviews

Limited Edition Contents:
Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Ann Bembi
120-page book with new essays by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Kat Hughes, Meagan Navarro, Cecilia Sayad, Rebecca Sayce, and Amber T
6 collectors' art cards

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[photo courtesy of SECOND SIGHT FILMS]

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