Acclaimed “Lord of the Rings” director, Peter Jackson, has joined the growing list of renowned filmmakers singing praises for A24’s new horror film “Talk to Me,” directed by siblings Danny and Michael Philippou. The movie, which premiered at the Sundance Festival in January, quickly became a box office phenomenon this summer, thanks to word of mouth.
Jackson, in a statement issued through Ahi, one of the film’s distributors in Aotearoa and Australia, described “Talk to Me” as one of the best horror films in recent years. He stated, “It’s relentlessly scary and unsettling – in the best way possible. ‘Talk To Me’ isn’t just good – it’s very, very good. The most intense horror movie I’ve seen in years.”
It’s not just Jackson who’s impressed with the film. Other renowned directors, such as Jordan Peele and Ari Aster, have also reached out to the Philippou brothers to commend their new work. The film follows the story of Sophie Wilde, a grieving teenager who joins a group of séance addicts at her school. They use an embalmed hand to communicate with the dead, but things go awry when Sophie’s late mother tries to reach out from beyond.
Danny Philippou, in an interview with “Evolution of Horror,” mentioned, “Jordan Peele FaceTimed me and was talking about the film. Ari [Aster] said the movie was special.”
Michael added, “And now we’re friends with Ari Aster. He sent me a message, and a friend saw it and said he was at the premiere. He was like, ‘Ari Aster was at your premiere!’ And I was like, ‘This guy?’ And I sent a screenshot of Ari Aster, but I sent it to Ari Aster himself. It was so awkward.”
“Talk to Me” has already grossed $31 million in the U.S. and counting. A24 recently announced that a sequel is on the way, with the Philippou brothers returning to direct.
What is “Talk to Me”?
“Talk to Me” is a horror film that follows the story of a grieving teenager who joins a group of séance addicts. They use an embalmed hand to communicate with the dead, leading to eerie and unexpected events.
