Talk To Me Directors Talk Creating a Spooky Universe For The Next Generation (Exclusive)

Talk To Me is a horror film that centers on a detached hand that allows those who hold it to be taken over by spirits. In the new movie, the supernatural appendage finds its way to the hands of high schoolers that use the item as a party trick, recording one another for social media when they’re taken over by ghosts. With the movie arriving in North American theaters this week, we here at ComicBook.com had the opportunity to talk with directors Danny and Michael Philippou about their spooky new universe.

Talk To Me was picked up by A24 for theatrical distribution around the world, focusing on a horror story that adds elements of social media and the next generation in its runtime. Using quite a few allegories, the horror movie has plenty of creepy spirits and horrific elements that have garnered positive reviews from critics. With the hand itself clearly having some wear and tear, the sibling directors clearly have some history in mind for the appendage. 

Michael Philippou started the conversation by confirming that they were aiming for Talk To Me to work both as a horror and a drama when all was said and done, “We knew that we wanted all the horror to be rooted in character, and we didn’t just want a splatter film where people are getting picked off here and there. We wanted scenes to have the impact that was necessary. We wanted it to be rooted in reality and for the film to work as both a horror film AND a drama film.” 

Danny then chimed in by emphasizing the need for realism in a horror film fit to bursting with supernatural creatures, “We wanted it to be current. We wanted to make something that was modern. Gen Z and the problems they face with social media are just a part of life now. It’s a lot of what we understand and where we come from. We came to realize that some of the things we wanted to say worked well in focusing on that.”

Starring Sophia Wilde, Joe Bird, Alexandra Jensen, Otis Dhanji, Miranda Otto, Marcus Johnson, Alexandria Steffensen, Zoe Terakes, and Chris Alosio, Talk To Me is described as follows: “When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.”   

Talk to Me lands in theaters on July 28th.