‘Talk to Me’ offers just enough thrills and chills to satisfy

(***)

In “Talk to Me,” something terrifying always happens when one of the teens in this group of friends grasps a papier mache-looking hand that’s attached to a severed forearm sitting on a table. Word is, if you grab the hand and utter the words, ‘Talk to me,’ the spirit of the dead will possess you and transport you to another realm. 

So, you’d think they’d stop, right? Apparently not, since that’s the patented formula for every teen-horror movie. 

Set in suburban Adelaide, Australia, the first-time directors—twin brothers Danny and Michael Philippou—guide a cast of multicultural young actors, who have a natural and prescient sense of timing, as they encounter some supernatural evil. And so, it’s game on! Predictably, the teenagers who are left alone in a room with time on their hands will undoubtedly find trouble where there is none, which is the premise of this mostly engrossing horror film. 

Writers Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman know how to create compelling characters, seed the characters with interesting backstories, develop surprising subplots, and propel the storyline with plot twists and situations that delve into the supernatural realm. 

In one of the scenes, Mia (Sophie Wilde) tries the “talk to me” hand, after being egged on by her teenage friends. “Do it! Do it! Do it!” the circle of friends chants, some of whom have already tried it and bragged about the experience. 

Mia seeks answers from the great beyond, trying to understand why her mother committed suicide. In the aftermath of her mother’s death, she’s become a surrogate sister to her best friend Jade (Alexandra Jensen) and Jade’s younger brother Riley (Joe Bird), and a second daughter to Jade’s mom (Miranda Otto). Weird things happen after Mia clutches the hand. She experiences terrifying hallucinations while in a trance. 

One by one other kids try it. They’re egged on by two older teens, Joss (Chris Alosio) and Hayley (Zoe Terakes), who act more like immature jerks buying beers for underage kids just to watch them throw up. 

The proceedings start with a chant: “Light a candle to open the door. Blow it out to close it.” The deeper and more frequently that Mia and the others touch the hand, the crazier the real world gets. Things go awry when little Riley experiments and the power of the hand is unleashed. 

Haunted by her mother’s death, Mia looks for answers, which is her reason for experimenting with the five-finger demon. That yearning explains her torment and bad decisions. Her best friend is also dating her ex (Otis Dhanji), which only adds to the drama. 

The protagonist Mia and curious plotline are just enough to pull audiences through to the end. Scare tactics and macabre images will keep viewers on edge. Mia’s crossed signals with her adopted family only add to the sorrow and mixed emotions of the plot. 

The movie starts with a bang, and teen-horror fans looking for a terrorizing thriller will get just enough of what they want. What’s on view is never plausible, but engaging for the most part. Sometimes scary. Sometimes weird. But mostly creepy. 

That’s because the Philippou brothers have a good sense of when to end a scene, when to frighten, and how to create emotionally peaked performances from their very young cast.  

The ensemble never steps out of character, no matter how improbable the situation. While Wilde and Otto are the standouts, the best supporting actor is the disembodied hand that is the focus of the film. 

This budget-challenged thriller is surprisingly good. So, kudos to its casting directors (Nikki Barrett and Kelly Graham), production designer (Bethany Ryan), costume designer (Anna Cahill), composer (Cornel Wilczek), and cinematographer (Aaron McLisky) for giving the film a feel that seems true to the genre where it isn’t a requirement. 

“Talk to Me,” which premiered at Sundance last year, joins a legion of other popular horror films and TV series—Swarm, Stranger Things, and Jordan Peele’s movies come to mind—trying to become the next breakout, blockbuster hit. The tiny indie “The Blair Witch Project” did this years ago—to the tune of $248 million worldwide. That kind of success may or may not be in the cards. But a smart American producer would buy the rights to this project, cast up-and-coming young actors, and start a franchise that could become another “Scream” franchise.

Teens will relate to these kids. Horror-film fans might like to see a cursed hand drive Australians crazy. Stranger things have happened. 

“Talk to Me” is in theaters now. Check local listing for show times.