This lean and mean supernatural horror isn't afraid to get nasty, with some certifiably vicious violence (most of which is, even more disturbingly, self-inflicted) and a couple of gross-out moments that trigger a very different kind of fear reflex to the usual bumps in the night associated with the genre (let's just say that they both involve dogs in their own way). Even though 'Talk To Me (2023)' never even threatens to break new ground in terms of its narrative, with its trauma as horror underpinnings and focus on a group of teens who do very silly things with very dangerous objects, the picture is just really well crafted in pretty much every way. It draws some basic but effective parallels between its central spiritual concept and teenage drug misuse, leaning into the highs and lows associated with taking illegal substances. It's also just a really grubby affair, presenting its terrors in relation not to glossy Hollywood stars but to realistic Aussie kids (even though none of the adult actors come even close to passing for someone still in school). The cinematography is dark without feeling dull, the direction is subtle yet distinct, the performances are heightened yet natural and the scares are expected yet successful. There are a handful of jump scares, but none of them feel cheap and the piece generally favours slow-burning frights than cattle-prod shocks. The plot moves in a generally predictable direction, but it gets there in an enjoyable and occasionally inspired way. It's not interested in even pretending that any of its characters are going to get a particularly happy ending, and there's a sense of dread that escalates as the piece approaches its fatalistic finale. At the same time, it isn't an overly dour experience and a lot of it actually has a chaotically comedic energy. It knows it's ridiculous and sometimes uses ever-so-slightly self-aware humour to highlight this, but it's also as sincere as possible and understands that comedy and horror are two sides of the same coin. Even the most outlandish scenario can soon become utterly terrifying if it's allowed to go on for long enough, and vice versa; the directors know this well, and allow each scene to play out for exactly as long as it needs to in order to remain on the intended side of that equation. The whole thing is just put together really well and you can tell there's a lot of passion behind it. It's ending is also as surprisingly ambiguous as it is satisfying, an inevitable conclusion that sneaks up on you almost silently. Ultimately, this is a really solid slice of supernatural horror that's totally unsentimental about its characters and isn't afraid to get gross. I can't wait to see what the directors do next ('Talk 2 Me', I take it).