Jigsaw's tricycle, Ghostface's mask the Chucky doll have become synonymous with their films and infamous in the annals of horror. More than any other genre, horror relishes in using props beyond a mindless MacGuffin. They are imperative to the storytelling and, more times than not, hold a mythology all to themselves.
In Talk to Me, the directorial debut of Australian twin brothers Danny and Michael Philippou (best known for their YouTube channel RackaRacka), an embalmed hand is the chosen object at the centre of the possession horror flick. Almost appearing broken at the wrist, the hand reaches out as if soliciting a formal hand shake, but there's an unsettling urgency to its odd contortion that betrays this invitation.
Covered in graffiti, by presumably past users and owners, the hand is placed in front of an individual with a candle softly illuminating it from behind. "Talk to me," they recite, conjuring a spirit who will appear before them; it isn't until they announce "I let you in" that the full possession occurs.
"We wanted it to be reaching and desperate," Michael tells Exclaim! over Zoom.
"And to have a big sense of history," adds Danny.
I speak with the Philippou brothers the day after the Canadian premiere of Talk to Me at Montreal's Fantasia International Film Festival. It's their first visit to Canada, and their impression of the Great White North is succinct: "Canada's got a dark sense of humour."
It's a fair assessment, considering Fantasia audiences laughed at the best/worst moments during the film. "It was a fun crowd last night," Danny says with a big smile.
For Danny in particular, the creation, release and impending success of the film has to feel extra significant and full circle, as it was through his own harrowing experience that the idea to use a hand was born.
"I was in a car accident when I was 16," Danny explains. "I had split my eye open, and they thought I might have fractured my spine. When I was in hospital afterwards, I couldn't stop shaking. The doctors were bringing in extra blankets and turning on the heaters trying to keep me warm, but I just couldn't stop shaking."
He continues, "My sister came to visit me and she held my hand and the shaking stopped. It was like the touch of someone I love brought me out of this state of shock that I was in. I always remembered the power of human touch and that connection. It just felt right to be our object of horror, like it was forcing this connection with these spirits."
Michael offers, "It was a physical representation of everything [the film's] talking about."
There are a few bits of the hand's history mentioned in the film: the current owner of the hand, Joss (Chris Alosio), contends that it's truly an embalmed hand, not simply mould, and inside the casing is the severed hand of a psychic. But these are mere bread crumbs for an object that must hold some incredible tales from the living and those beyond.
When writing the script, the Philippous created a "mythology bible" that recounts these stories, as well as details the in-world origins of the hand, its restrictions and requirements.
"[The bible] breaks down where it came from and every spirit the kids [contacted]," Danny shares. "It's a whole big thing that's so in-depth. We wanted the kids to be in over their heads and not understand what it was they were messing with."
"They've got a set of rules that they abide by," adds Michael with an air of mystery. "But that's not necessarily the true rules."
Talk to Me is already being considered one of the best — if not the best — horror films of the year, and the iconography of the hand has a lot to do with that. Its haunted shape sends the imagination into overdrive, and the montage of the different teenagers taking a turn at becoming possessed hints at the film's deeper lore.
As for whether or not this mythology bible will ever see the light of day, Michael proposes something different than releasing it as gussied up merchandise: "I'd really love to do a sequel. I'd love to keep revealing more and more throughout our subsequent films."
He adds, with a pointed pause to the camera, "If A24 gave us the opportunity, that'd be awesome..."
"If not," Danny quickly interjects, "we'll just release it."
In Talk to Me, the directorial debut of Australian twin brothers Danny and Michael Philippou (best known for their YouTube channel RackaRacka), an embalmed hand is the chosen object at the centre of the possession horror flick. Almost appearing broken at the wrist, the hand reaches out as if soliciting a formal hand shake, but there's an unsettling urgency to its odd contortion that betrays this invitation.
Covered in graffiti, by presumably past users and owners, the hand is placed in front of an individual with a candle softly illuminating it from behind. "Talk to me," they recite, conjuring a spirit who will appear before them; it isn't until they announce "I let you in" that the full possession occurs.
"We wanted it to be reaching and desperate," Michael tells Exclaim! over Zoom.
"And to have a big sense of history," adds Danny.
I speak with the Philippou brothers the day after the Canadian premiere of Talk to Me at Montreal's Fantasia International Film Festival. It's their first visit to Canada, and their impression of the Great White North is succinct: "Canada's got a dark sense of humour."
It's a fair assessment, considering Fantasia audiences laughed at the best/worst moments during the film. "It was a fun crowd last night," Danny says with a big smile.
For Danny in particular, the creation, release and impending success of the film has to feel extra significant and full circle, as it was through his own harrowing experience that the idea to use a hand was born.
"I was in a car accident when I was 16," Danny explains. "I had split my eye open, and they thought I might have fractured my spine. When I was in hospital afterwards, I couldn't stop shaking. The doctors were bringing in extra blankets and turning on the heaters trying to keep me warm, but I just couldn't stop shaking."
He continues, "My sister came to visit me and she held my hand and the shaking stopped. It was like the touch of someone I love brought me out of this state of shock that I was in. I always remembered the power of human touch and that connection. It just felt right to be our object of horror, like it was forcing this connection with these spirits."
Michael offers, "It was a physical representation of everything [the film's] talking about."
There are a few bits of the hand's history mentioned in the film: the current owner of the hand, Joss (Chris Alosio), contends that it's truly an embalmed hand, not simply mould, and inside the casing is the severed hand of a psychic. But these are mere bread crumbs for an object that must hold some incredible tales from the living and those beyond.
When writing the script, the Philippous created a "mythology bible" that recounts these stories, as well as details the in-world origins of the hand, its restrictions and requirements.
"[The bible] breaks down where it came from and every spirit the kids [contacted]," Danny shares. "It's a whole big thing that's so in-depth. We wanted the kids to be in over their heads and not understand what it was they were messing with."
"They've got a set of rules that they abide by," adds Michael with an air of mystery. "But that's not necessarily the true rules."
Talk to Me is already being considered one of the best — if not the best — horror films of the year, and the iconography of the hand has a lot to do with that. Its haunted shape sends the imagination into overdrive, and the montage of the different teenagers taking a turn at becoming possessed hints at the film's deeper lore.
As for whether or not this mythology bible will ever see the light of day, Michael proposes something different than releasing it as gussied up merchandise: "I'd really love to do a sequel. I'd love to keep revealing more and more throughout our subsequent films."
He adds, with a pointed pause to the camera, "If A24 gave us the opportunity, that'd be awesome..."
"If not," Danny quickly interjects, "we'll just release it."