You ever go to a party and let lose? Maybe you did some things that you probably regret.
Or maybe you got too drunk and don’t remember much of anything, until the next morning that is. Then, you realize that you can’t let them go. Or, they can’t let you go. You and your partner have a fatal attraction vibe that can’t be shaken with rude comments or cryptic break up text messages. No, that person wants to be bonded to you for life! Afterall, they’ve found a good thing in you, and they ain’t ever going to let you go. Sadly, incels and spirits from the underworld work the same way. Both are lonely, both are desperate, and both want to eat you up alive. A24’s Talk to Me isn’t just about a grand old party. It’s about spirits how they commune, and how they want to stick with you until the very end. So, if you want to avoid a spirit possession, or spirit obsession, watch this video!
Hands down, Talk to Me was one of the best horror movies released in 2023. I think that this movie was a hit because it touched on all the things that we loved about the classics.
C’mon who doesn’t love a good old fashion ghost movie, equipped with seances, and demonic spirit possessions. Only these classic themes have been upgraded to include chat messages, funky ringtones, and viral social media videos. Yes, Talk to Me, takes very old themes and makes them new again. But what is it about these themes that make them resonate with generations old and new? The answer is simple, ghost. Yes, almost all cultures have some weird and funky folklore, where ghosts are the central characters. Afterall, virtually all cultures love ghosts. Why? Well because we all have experienced love and loss. We want to believe that the people we truly love are alive somehow. We can’t bear the break the connection or feel the grief that comes along with death. So, we write stories about heaven and earth. We tell ourselves and our children that our loved ones are in a better place. But are they? Maybe there are some people who never make it to the pearly white gates. These people, I mean ghosts, are stuck in limbo, where they don’t have access to either heaven or hell. All they can do is just wait for someone to extend a hand to them.
Of course, the hand extension has been done before. Not with an actual hand like in Talk to Me, but with a hook.
We’ve seen this symbolization of the dead connecting to the living in the CandyMan. Candy Man is an urban legend boogeyman who comes to life when his named is repeated five times. Candyman much like the horrific spirits in Talk to Me, seemed to have died a horrific death. Yet, he is able to leave the realms of purgatory by connecting and bonding with human flesh. His first victim was Helen, in the original Candyman, his second was Anthony in the remake. There is a bond that Candyman establishes with his victims. And as he gets stronger, they grow weaker. Worse, the main characters seem to develop a weird obsession with this boogeyman. They can’t shake him. It’s like the girl or guy you picked up at the bar. How do you explain to them that you were just looking for a good time. The only problem with spirits is that they’ve bonded with you. They are a part of you, and they’re going to haunt you for the rest of your days. Or worse, they’re going to use your vices to destroy you. Just look at Jack Torrance from the Shinning. He was a relatively sane guy who needed some solitude to overcome his drinking addiction. Only the ghosts at the Overlook Hotel used his weaknesses against them. Helen wanted to excel in the arena of academia and thought that the Candyman was just the guy to help her do it. Anthony wanted to be a fine artist and rose to fame once he started to fully embrace a mysterious murderer.
Mia is someone who is suffering from extreme grief.
Her mother, like many of the characters we see in the movie, seemingly died a horrific death, and may or may not be trapped in purgatory. Both the Candyman and Talk to Me used mirrors in both their death and action scenes. Now pay attention, because this is where it gets deep. Mystics believe that the spiritual world mirrors the physical world. What does that mean? It means that like attracts like. For example, you were probably all over that girl at the bar because there was something about her that was attractive. Some rule applies to women who date men who seemingly are beneath them. I know, normally you’re not attracted to lusty duties. But there is a dark side to the attraction. For example, if you’re someone who suffered from abuse when you were a child, you’re going to be attracted to other people who were also abused. If you lack self-confidence, you’re going to attract others who lack self-confidence as well. This rule doesn’t only apply to other people, but it also applies to spirits. Spirits are not only attracted to who you are, but how you are feeling. In short, they feed off your emotions. Your emotions give them energy, and strength. They give them life. In short, your emotions make them feel alive again. Now, there are some people who don’t believe in spirits. But spirits in movies and books often symbolize our thoughts.
Mia was feeling grief; thus she was attracted to spirits that were also feeling grief.
Mia had recently lost her mother. She seemed to be an only child and suffering from a strained relationship with her father. As a result of this, she bonds with another family. During her late-night pillow talks she confides in Riley that she has nightmares about not seeing herself in the mirror. She tells Riley about her mother’s accident and hints that she’s afraid that the same thing might happen to her. In truth, Mia is a girl looking for an escape. This is why she is attracted to the seance and the formidable hand. When she is possessed by spirits, she can truly be someone else. Someone who isn’t plagued by darkness and grief. She can truly escape. Only Mia doesn’t realize that when she’s in the zone, those spirits are feasting on her soul. Much like they’re feasting on Riley’s. In fact, when Riley becomes destructive, we truly see what’s going on beneath the surface. We see the real damage that these spirits can cause. While Mia finds a temporary sense of refuge by talking to the hand. The spirits find a haven in Riley’s body. He is young, full of innocence, void of pain and turmoil. He is the perfect vessel for the spirits to rest in.
In the movie, it is mentioned that the spirits are shapeshifters.
They can transform to resemble family and loved ones. However, it’s not the spirits that are shifting, rather it’s Mia’s mind. I believe that Mia is slowly descending into the realm of madness, much Jack Torrance from the Shining, and Anthony from Candyman. She is slowly becoming the spirit woman who originally possessed her. Throughout the movie, the spirit woman is changing forms and mimicking her mother. She does this to draw out the grief from Mia, and to gain more control. The spirit woman wants to test the level of control she has, by coaxing Mia to kill her father and later Riley. If Mia does this, she’ll produce more grief, thus strengthening the bond between them. I think in the end, Mia realizes that she can never truly break free from the spirits. So, she does the ultimate, freeing Rily from their possession. Only now, Mia is stuck in limbo. Her relationship with her father is still strained, her mother is nowhere to be found, and her nightmares are finally realized, when she fails to see herself in the mirror. In the end, one night of partying led to Mia’s ultimate death.
