Movies
The Ending of ‘Talk To Me’ Explained
A24’s Talk To Me chronicles the story of 17-year-old Mia, played by Sophie Wilde, whose desperation for genuine connection makes her a dangerous candidate for possession. The possession is voluntary and happens to anyone who grabs the movie’s signature embalmed Hand before a lit candle and recites two incantations. The first is “Talk to me,” which summons a spirit for the person holding the Hand to see. Lastly, “I let you in” grants the spirit permission to enter the person’s body for 90 seconds. Any longer, and the spirit may become too attached: a lesson Mia unfortunately learns in the worst way possible. Spoiler’s ahead.
According to the kids in the movie, the mysterious hand once belonged to a medium, who had their hand severed and then embalmed. It’s now used to conjure spirits.
The Talk To Me Game Explained
The film opens with a party going off the rails when a disturbed young man stabs his brother and himself (in the face) in front of everyone. Before learning their place in the story, we meet Mia and the people in her life, including her best friend’s younger brother Riley (Joe Bird), a good kid. While Mia’s driving Riley down a country road late at night, the two encounter a severely injured kangaroo on the road. Mia’s left with the decision to either put the kangaroo out of its misery or leave it to suffer. She cannot kill it, so she chooses option two.
Mia’s best friend and Riley’s older sister, Jade (Alexandra Jensen), go to a party. Mia’s been struggling to cope with losing her mother, Rhea (Alexandria Steffensen), so she jumps at the first chance for a cheap thrill at the party: the Hand. Whatever spirit possessed Mia wantingly fixated on Riley, likely because it could control younger vessels more easily.
Letting go of the Hand and blowing out the candle ends the possession, but everyone around Mia fails to do that within the 90-second window. Despite this, she loved the experience and didn’t seem possessed after they removed the spirit from her. At this point, the film’s message of codependency and maladaptive coping mechanisms for grief becomes clear. The possession via supernatural spirits is not unlike the experience of drinking liquor (also referred to as spirits) or taking other substances. The camera angle when the teenagers are lighting the candle is reminiscent of “lighting up” certain other substances, as another example.
Riley’s Overdose
Everyone continues playing with the Hand night after night, and Mia loses herself in the good times until the night of Riley’s first possession. Riley’s not taking well to being possessed, but Mia prolongs it because she believes the spirit is Rhea’s. Mia’s grief has been so unbearable that she’s risking her friend’s well-being just for a chance to talk to her mother again.
Whatever Riley lets in nearly kills him by throwing his body around the room. The scene seems to be a gruesome reminder of the bodily, mental, and spiritual harm overdosing poses to anyone using mind-altering substances and those around them.
Riley’s family casts Mia out because they blame her for what happened to him, inadvertently contributing to her downward spiral. Even worse, she’s stolen the Hand and continues using it mostly privately. She believes the ghost she’s connecting to is her mother, despite clues seemingly pointing to the contrary.
Desperate for connection, Mia uses the Hand alone for a chance to see her deceased mother one more time.
Why Did the Struck Kangaroo Return?
What appears to be Rhea’s ghost convinces Mia that Riley’s soul is being tortured in limbo and instructs her to free the boy by killing him. The spirit tricks Mia into stabbing her father in the neck with scissors before she heads to the hospital.
While Mia’s working up the courage at Riley’s bedside to do the evil deed, she sees the kangaroo they saw on the road earlier in the film. The vision reads like an eerie goading from beyond their physical world to put the boy out of his misery.
Mia puts Riley in a wheelchair and kidnaps him from the hospital, taking him to the side of a busy highway. She intends to push him into oncoming traffic until she realizes Rhea’s ghost is a spirit posing as her mother. It possesses Mia, and she ends up severely injured on the road like the kangaroo. However, Mia’s death isn’t the end of her misery.
Mia’s Nightmare Becomes Reality in Talk To Me
Mia’s a ghost but doesn’t realize it, so she tries without success in the hospital to talk to those around her. How did she end up here? I imagine Mia was still alive after getting struck on the highway, and she died while the medical support team fought to save her.
Mia can’t see her reflection in a mirror, which is her recurring nightmare made real. Next, Mia finds herself in complete darkness until a faint light appears. A new group of kids is playing with the Hand and Mia’s become part of the game.
Some questions remain, but a Talk To Me sequel is in the works, so we’ll likely understand more about the creepy Hand and its obscure origins soon.
You can watch Talk To Me on VOD or purchase the Blu-ray starting October 3rd, 2023.
It’s still too cold to seriously consider going outside, so I am still in my couch potato era. Cozy, comfort, and Netflix are the three words people will hear me chanting under my breath this month. I also recently finished a group rewatch of Slasher: Solstice and have been looking at the other TV shows currently living on Netflix. Which is why I am looking for the warmth of my next quick binge. That’s right! I’m here with a few shows that could be taken down in one frosty February weekend. Most of them have been on my radar forever, and one of them I want to revisit because it screams lazy Stephen King Sunday. However, what I find most appealing about each of them is that I am guaranteed to lose at least a whole day if it’s a match made in hell.
Without further ado, here are the five titles I have my evil eye on this month. Check out my five Netflix picks for this February below! Happy binging to all my fellow couch potatoes!
The Best Movies to Stream on Netflix This Month
Archive 81 (2022)
An archivist finds himself reconstructing the work of a filmmaker and her investigation into a dangerous cult. I missed Archive 81, but have only heard good things about it. Which is why it’s weird it was cancelled after only one season, consisting of eight episodes. The popular show was created by Rebecca Sonnenshine and starred talent like Mamoudou Athie and Matt McGorry. So, I’m long overdue for this Netflix watch and am excited to finally see what all of the fuss is about.
Castle Rock (2018 – 2019)
A series set in the town of Castle Rock and inhabited by characters from some of Stephen King’s most infamous works. This is the only show on this streaming guide that I have already seen. However, it’s very cozy, and I want to go back in. While this divisive series wasn’t for everyone, it scratched my King itch better than most of his adaptations. Also, this cast was ridiculously stacked. Where else can you see André Holland, Melanie Lynskey, Bill Skarsgård, Jane Levy, Sissy Spacek, and Lizzy Caplan all play together? I will definitely be revisiting these twenty episodes that make up these two seasons of what the fuckery.
NOS4A2 (2019-2020)
An immortal who feeds on children is threatened by a young woman with a mysterious gift. This show has circled my list forever, and it’s high time I cross it off my list. I also need to know what Zachary Quinto and Ebon Moss-Bachrach were doing during this era of genre TV for research. I’m ready to run through these twenty episodes and report back on my findings. More importantly, I love to see a show with big “fuck them kids” energy. So, fingers crossed, he eats a few kids to keep me leaned in. I need this to be good for so many reasons.
Peaky Blinders (2013 – 2022)
A mob family in 1900s England sews razor blades in their caps and causes a ruckus. I am so ready to find out how this alleged crime drama collected so many horror fans. Is it just because it stars Cillian Murphy? Or is it very bloody and violent due to the razor blades being a key factor? Whatever the case, I’m excited to see all six seasons on Netflix. I plan to take these thirty-six episodes down like it is my job. I also cannot get over how lucky I have been to avoid all spoilers for the show, and I need to jump on it before someone ruins it for me already.
Reality Z (2020)
When a zombie apocalypse breaks out, a TV studio becomes a shelter for a small band of survivors in Rio de Janeiro. Because of the pandemic, I missed this Brazilian horror show. However, this seems like the kind of international gory zombie situation that I would like to make my new personality. I’m looking forward to seeing if these 10 episodes are one of the few reasons to keep talking to Netflix this year. Fingers crossed it is a scary good time, because we deserve some scares this February.
So, that’s where you can find me this February. Under a weighted blanket, in front of a TV, and eagerly taking advantage of the shows Netflix has collected. Let me know if any of these titles on my list will be your excuse to stay in this winter, too. Although, I am sure many of you will be revisiting your favorite Mike Flanagan Netflix Originals. Meanwhile, I am trying to get into some new (to me) stuff because the winter of our discontent is upon us. I plan to beat the winter of our discontent by being unreasonably comfortable and drowning in genre shows. I advise you to do the same because the weather outside is frightful and we have no place to go.
Shudder is making February a little more frightening with this month of programming. The streamer is adding indie horror that has been stuck in festival purgatory for a couple of years. The app is also getting a few international movies I need to see, a couple of classics, and one of my favorite overlooked Blaxploitation horror gems. So, it should go without saying that I will be very busy this month.
That is why I am sharing my notes with the class now so I can live every day in February like it is Shudder Saturday. Check out my five picks for the month below now and be prepared to see some weird stuff!
The Best Movies to Stream on Shudder This Month
J.D.’s Revenge (1976)
A murdered 1940s gangster possesses a young law student 30 years later to get revenge on his killer. This overlooked piece of cinema stars Glynn Turman and Louis Gossett Jr. I caught it last year, and will still argue that it is at the intersection of Blaxploitation and Shakespearean theatre. The plot is plotting, the drama is over the top, and the players are diabolical. Come to laugh at the outfits and stay for the betrayal and outstanding performances. I am especially grateful that Shudder is getting J.D.’s Revenge this month, so people can see a cleaner copy without ad breaks. It is truly a Black History Month miracle. Get into it while you still can.
You can watch J.D.’s Revenge on February 1st.
Nina Forever (2015)
A suicidal man starts dating a co-worker. However, whenever they have sex his dead girlfriend appears. That premise has my attention, and I will be hitting play on this immediately. I want to watch this dead woman heckle this man and his new girlfriend almost as much as I want anything else in life at the moment. This British horror comedy has my attention, and I hope it is even half as good as I have built it up to be in my head. This is the kind of chaos I expect from Shudder, and I am glad they are one of the few things that I can depend on these days.
You can watch Nina Forever on February 9th.
Kill Your Lover (2024)
A couple’s relationship becomes so toxic that it leads to an acidic battle to the death. Kill Your Lover is a movie that understands the horrors of a bad romance. This movie is sick, this apartment gets dank, and it will remind you that being single is usually for the best. I’m beyond excited to make people watch this now that it is finally on Shudder. After all, how many indie body horror breakup movies will we get in this lifetime? I highly recommend that you watch it with your friends, who should separate and see if it starts an overdue conversation.
You can watch Kill Your Lover on February 9th.
Hood Witch (2024)
A single mother who smuggles exotic animals and illegal goods develops an app that connects users with spiritual healers. However, when someone uses her app and gets deadly results, her community turns on her. Hood Witch is a lot of anxiety seasoned with some “good for her” moments. They take a witch hunt virtual with the use of apps, cellphones, and internet outrage over misinformation. The thought of your internet ops meeting up to hunt you down is enough to make us break out in a cold sweat. This movie was a fine time when I caught it a couple of years ago. I imagine it has only gotten even more timely as it finally makes its way to Shudder.
You can watch Hood Witch on February 16th.
The Last Sacrifice (2024)
The Last Sacrifice examines the real-life 1945 murder that inspired The Wicker Man (1973) and jump-started folk horror as we know it. The alarming witchcraft killing of Charles Walton shook its small community, and this true-crime documentary is here to remind us that this popular cult movie is based on a true unsolved murder. The doc also looks into society’s rabid fascination with true crime. How often do we sensationalize something grizzly to the point of losing the humanity of the subject? This documentary has eluded me for months, and I am looking forward to catching it while it’s on Shudder this month. What a time to be a subscriber!
You can watch The Last Sacrifice on February 16th.
Shudder really has something for every day of the month, and I am living. They really thought of every good little ghoul, and that’s why they’re kinda the best. So, it is only polite that we smash the play button on these wicked goodies and tell our friends to do the same.
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