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Film reviews

Talk to Me Review

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There is a vibe of disturbance that has the taste of a haunting rampage displayed with vengeance and obscure power. It is a film that is deep with sorrow and guilt in which terror seeps into wonders unimaginable. The directors, Danny and Michael Phillippou, drive the eerie feelings for their audiences. This film of existential and creative terror is Talk to Me and is by far one of the best horror films of 2023.  The momentum which builds in the tragedies involve consequences. Above all, Talk to Me is a terror experience that will make its viewers think. There is no hiding from the surprises in this film and it had me jumping in my seat due to the shocking discoveries. In fact, I found it hard to stop thinking about how many more frights I was going to have.

The film takes place in Australia and is about a group of friends who are always together despite some harsh terms. Those friends are Mia (played by Sophie Wilde), Riley (played by Joe Bird), Jade (played by Alexandra Jensen), and Daniel (played by Otis Dhanji). There are more names, but Mia, Riley, Jade, and Daniel are the important ones in this film’s haunting experience. The friends find a game where they realize they can conjure up spirits. The way they do this is by using an embalmed hand. Once they grab the hand, they have to say three words…TALK TO ME! Each of them has fun with the game for a bit by testing the boundaries of it.  The game is like a drug that feels fun to mess around with, but sadly, turns dangerous. One of the friends receives horrific injuries after the embalmed hand explodes with supernatural forces. This terrible encounter means lives are on the line because the conjuring force has unleashed. The many problems of Mia, Riley, Jade, and Daniel go into karma mode as the spirit makes them wonder who the most dangerous person is.

The terror in Talk to Me dives deep into missed connections. Mia is grieving after the death of her mother. She has struggled with drugs in the past. The embalmed hand is presented like a new escape in place of drugs. Instead, the embalmed hand opens a world of accepting the evils of reality, and the evils of past behaviors. Can Mia live with it? Can anyone conquer the supernatural forces of the hand? The writing reminds the audience that even in darkness there can be light. The light, however, does not come without sacrifice or admittance of guilt. It is like a Jumanji film, but in truth or dare mode where there are imagined supernatural spirits at their finest.

The diversity of horror is spellbinding. The search for answers involves dark allies filled with meaning. There is a puzzle to all the surreal and terrorizing outcomes in Talk to Me and a mystery to every emotion and event. The film tests the waters of the past, is filled with scary moments, and causes emotions to spiral in unexpected places that result in a triumphant terror flick.

Is the embalmed hand that dangerous? Do the spirits lurk throughout the film? Is there a way to battle the evils of conjured spirits? Find out in Talk to Me…a surreal realm of horror that surpasses other scary films of 2023. Four stars.

Film reviews

You Hurt My Feelings Review

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The beginning of You Hurt My Feelings starts with a counseling session. The topics addressed focus on feelings. The film displays how human emotions can have a big impact on how people take criticism. You Hurt My Feelings is an experience exploring how others think of each other, and how their careers and success come into play.

The start of the film begins with adults having frustrations with their careers. The focus is on a married couple, Beth, and Don. Beth is played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Don is played by Tobias Menzies. Beth is a novelist and Don is a therapist. They have a son named Eliot played by Owen Teague. Beth is more determined to find success. She questions, however, if Don truly has faith in her dreams of exploring new ideas in her writing. Beth goes on a stroll with her sister Sarah (played by Michaela Watkins), and they find Don in a store talking to Sarah’s husband Mark (played by Arian Moayed). As they come closer to their husbands, Sarah freezes as she overhears Don say some snarky remarks about the novel Beth currently has in the works. This, of course, hurts Beth’s feelings as one might guess from the movie’s title. 

The film is filled with a plethora of turmoil among all the characters from this point forward. Not only does Beth feel annoyed and put down after overhearing Don, but Sarah also struggles to support her husband, Mark. Mark is a struggling actor who is not getting the roles that speak to him. Primarily, the focus is on Beth and Don, but the other character’s troubles play into the film’s theme of finding success. Beth has a hard time having faith in her husband, while Sarah has a hard time supporting her husband’s acting career. Don even finds himself in distress when working with his patients in his job as a counselor. Everyone in the film at times falls into a pattern of feeling thrown under the bus, or feeling like they are throwing someone else under the bus. The writing in You Hurt My Feelings is brilliant in the way it presents a calm and heartfelt sense with natural human emotions.

The appreciation demonstrated throughout the film is reestablished in various scenes and particular moments. Despite Beth’s frustration with Don’s critical words, she puts more effort into trying to help her son Eliot. Beth attempts to help her son follow his dreams through his writing. Eliot continues to struggle to get his act together. The inspirational factor in You Hurt My Feelings is its approach in showcasing how feeling rejected yourself can cause you to want to encourage others.

There are moments of joy and laughter even during the harsher scenarios in You Hurt My Feelings. There are also several scenes which reinforce the experience of realizing the need for change. Despite the aggravations between the characters, it all works out in the end. Three and a half stars for You Hurt My Feelings.

Chicago Critics Film Festival 2023, Film reviews

Past Lives Review

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Friends are important, especially the ones we hold onto for many years. Past Lives is one of the best films on friendship I’ve seen. It shows how keeping the friends we have known for a long time reminds us of what to be grateful for in life. Director Celine Song makes her directorial debut with Past Lives, and it is a monumental achievement. The film is strong in portraying connections and memories, but also demonstrates how the past can play a positive part in the present world among close friends. It is a portrait that sends a message to be welcoming to those who have positive value to offer the world.

Past Lives gears on Nora (played by Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (played by Teo Yoo). They are childhood friends who have been out of touch though for ages. In their younger days, Nora’s family emigrated from South Korea. Two decades pass, and they find each other online. They begin to socialize more again and touch base frequently. Nora is married and her husband is Arthur (played by John Magaro). Arthur does not display any jealousy and is not against Nora reconnecting with Hae Sung. Hae Sung comes to visit Arthur and Nora in the United States. Both Nora and Hae Sung relive the many fascinations of their younger days and reconnect over what brought them joy. The powerful bond of friendship is still within their hearts.

Past Lives is one of the most beautiful films I have seen in terms of friends being there for each other. Nora and Hae Sung are on this journey of figuring out the curve balls life threw at them and how their cultures are different and intertwined. Arthur sees those elements as well. The powerful example illustrated in Past Lives comes in the long discussions and the realizations of how life has turned out for Nora and Hae Sung. While they are in their own universes, the message that is conveyed is to always keep the ones we care about in our hearts and be there for each other whenever we can.

The movie includes conversations regarding diversity and the director allows them to explore interesting territory. The discussions between Nora and Hae Sung do not serve any negative purpose. It is simply about them remaining friends and realizing they truly have not left each other. Their separation happened way before they were old enough to potentially fall in love.  They still have the heart for their friendships and find meaningful connection again many years later.

Again, this film is a masterpiece. The story is riveting, the goal is moving, and the film itself is a revelation of love among friends. Past Lives makes its audience feel the love that surrounds Nora and Hae Sung. It also makes them feel the love between Nora and her husband, Arthur. Past Lives opens the door to great possibilities by using fascinating elements in memorable cinematic moments. Four stars for Past Lives.