Talk to Me 2023

The film opens at a rambunctious party where Cole (Ari McCarthy) is on a mission to locate his brother Duckett (Sunny Johnson). Upon discovering Duckett locked away in a room, Cole forcefully breaks down the door and pulls his distressed brother out while Duckett is in a disheveled state, mumbling incoherently. Cole, filled with frustration, confronts the onlookers filming the chaotic scene and demands they stop, only for Duckett to lash out and stab him before horrifically turning the blade on himself outside the house, leaving the party guests in sheer shock.

Simultaneously, we are introduced to Mia (Sophie Wilde), a 17-year-old grappling with the emotional fallout of her mother Rhea’s (Alexandria Steffensen) death, which Mia believes to be an accidental overdose. Living with her father Max (Marcus Johnson), the two have a strained relationship marked by silence following the tragedy. Mia finds solace in her friendships with Jade (Alexandra Jensen), her best friend, and her younger brother Riley (Joe Bird), along with their caring mother Sue (Miranda Otto).

One fateful evening, on their way home after picking up Riley from a playdate, Mia and Riley encounter an injured kangaroo on the road. In a moment of contemplation, Riley suggests putting the creature out of its misery. However, when the moment comes for Mia to act, she finds herself unable to carry out the grim task and instead drives around the suffering animal.

Encouraged by Jade to attend a party where her boyfriend Daniel (Otis Dhanji) will be present, Mia decides to sneak out with Riley. The party, held by Joss (Chris Alosio) and Hayley (Zoe Terakes), features a bizarre game involving a preserved hand belonging to a medium purported to conjure spirits. Curiosity piqued, Mia steps up, saying, > “Talk to me.” As she grasps the hand, she is initially startled by the apparition of an elderly man, but she soon returns to the game with a spirit that appears to be a grotesque woman. In a chilling twist, Mia becomes possessed, uttering menacing words directed at Riley, intensifying the bizarre atmosphere of the night before the hand is ultimately wrested from her grip.

The night concludes with more supernatural occurrences as Mia and her friends experiment with the hand at Jade’s place, taking advantage of Sue’s absence. The tension escalates as Daniel finds himself possessed during a particularly comical moment, inadvertently kissing Jade while also entangling himself with Riley’s pet dog.

Despite reluctance from Jade and protests from others, Riley insists on trying his hand at the game, although the timeframe is limited to under a minute for safety. To everyone’s horror, Riley appears to connect with Rhea’s spirit, conveying messages of longing, but as the game spirals out of control, he begins to injure himself, leading to a frantic hospital visit.

Seeking to support her brother, Mia is confronted by Jade and Sue at the hospital, both of whom hold her responsible for Riley’s condition. Their rejection leaves her feeling isolated, and she finds herself increasingly drawn to Daniel. Following a surreal incident where Mia believes she sees a spirit connected to him while they share an intimate moment, she becomes consumed by her desire to uncover the truth about Rhea’s passing.

Mia’s pursuit of closure leads her to revive the game both in a desperate bid to communicate with Rhea directly and in hopes of rescuing Riley from his possession. As the haunting images of spirits torment her brother, Mia discovers the duality of her mother’s legacy, further complicated by Max revealing a suicide note that contradicts Mia’s beliefs about Rhea’s death.

The narrative intensifies as Mia attempts to confront her fears through a series of chilling events, including endangering her father’s life by mistaking supernatural threats for reality. The climax reaches a fever pitch when Mia confronts the malevolent spirits, challenging them as the barriers between life and death blur.

In a harrowing turn of events, Mia’s encounter with Rhea leads her to a shocking revelation: Riley’s suffering can only be alleviated through a tragic sacrifice. The culmination of her journey unfolds as she grapples with moral dilemmas, spiritual awakenings, and the harsh realities of familial bonds, leading to a climactic moment where choices are made with devastating consequences.

Mia’s descent into darkness continues until she awakens, disoriented by her new reality. She finds herself in the hospital, witnessing Riley’s return to health alongside Jade and Sue, with Max seemingly recovered from his injuries. Yet, as she attempts to reach out, her voice remains unheard, leaving her trapped in a limbo where she confronts the lingering spirits of her past, now integrating into a chillingly remorseless game she unwittingly joined, the cycle of torment far from broken.