Talk to Me

This far into the history of horror films, it’s nice to be surprised. And experiencing the unexpected is the primary reason to seek out the new Australian export Talk to Me.

The feature directorial debut from twin brothers Danny (who co-wrote the script with Bill Hinzman) and Michael Philippou — both of whom served as crew members on The Babadook — puts creative twists on the spiritual world, combining ouija board communication with urban legend allure and Truth or Dare thrills, all of which are further heightened by the ubiquity of social media.

Though Talk to Me would benefit from subtitles — good luck deciphering more than a few phrases from a chaotic opening party sequence, or in plenty of other exchanges — actions indeed speak louder than words, but they’re so spread out and connected by such lazy writing that waiting for the next notable sequence becomes somewhat of a chore.

After the electric start, nearly 20 minutes elapse with outcast teen Mia (Sophie Wilde) and her two friends — siblings Jade (Alexandra Jensen) and Riley (Joe Bird) — before anything resembling horror movie content emerges. (And no, the labored metaphor of putting a suffering animal out of its misery doesn’t count.)

But then the trio is at a small gathering of classmates, and Mia is gripping the alleged severed hand of a seer and allowing a creepy-looking ghost to inhabit her body. Showing off their visual and editing skills, the filmmakers imbue the encounter with a sudden energy that matches Mia’s quick-rush possession, and while those gathered laugh it up at her freaky behavior and film for posterity, the rule of to not letting the haunting last more than 90 seconds adds another layer of danger.

Here and throughout Talk to Me, the Philippous blessedly resist relying on jump scares. Rather than send their characters into spooky places and force them to wait for something to leap out at them, the brothers put their trust in the power of disturbing imagery, which ramps up via complications that arise from communing with a spirit claiming to be Mia’s dead mother.

Even still, these jolts prove far too few, and the dramas that Mia unintentionally cultivates with her dad (Marcus Johnson), Jade, and Jade’s mom (Miranda Otto) feel more like filler to pad the runtime than genuine character development.

Unlike Saint Maud and several other A24 horror predecessors, Talk to Me isn’t a 15-minute short, stretched beyond its breaking point in the name of theatrical profits. But one can easily imagine a tight, 40-minute cut of this story, one that still includes its masterful final scene, which leaves viewers with a bit of an unearned high.

Grade: C-plus. Rated R. Now playing at AMC River Hills 10, Carolina Cinemark, and Regal Biltmore Grande.

(Photo: A24)