During the weekend of July 21st, folks all over the world, myself included, flocked to their local movie theater and did “Barbenheimer.” One would assume that Barbie and Oppenheimer's shared release date resulted from the usual summer blockbuster shuffle, happenstance, or even deliberate counter-programming. Some believe that Warner Bros. intentionally claimed the release for Barbie to draw business away from Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer after their very public divorce following the release of Tenet. But I don't think anyone could have predicted the viral-meme-turned-stunt-marketing-campaign that anointed this pair of big budget new releases — written and directed by some of the most beloved auteurs working today — as a double feature for mutually assured profitability. Maybe the fact that I was watching "Boppie" at the IMAX right next to the Alamo had something to do with this, but it truly felt historic. After what felt like a year of inescapable hype, crowds of casual moviegoers and cinephiles sat side by side in their pink ensembles and porkpie hats. And it was absolutely electric. I left the cinema after this six-hour journey thinking I would be chasing this high for the foreseeable future. But the very next weekend, I saw Talk to Me.
Helmed by first-time feature film directors Danny and Michael Philippou of RackaRacka youtube fame, Talk to Me follows highschooler Mia and a group of friends that come into possession of a mysterious ceramic-encased embalmed hand. Legend has it that the hand was severed from the body of a spiritual medium, so naturally it allows you to conjure, communicate with, and become possessed by spirits. Mia and her friends find out about these strange happenings through viral social media videos that are circulating among their peers. One night at a small get together, the hand comes out, and Mia jumps to try it. The ritual is simple. You light a few candles, grab the hand, say "talk to me," and a spirit appears. Then, if you're feeling really spicy you say, "I let you in." Mia reaches for the hand, and everyone pulls out their phone to start recording.
