This year’s horror sensation Talk to Me came to video just in time for Halloween. The 4K UHD edition especially enhances the scary vibes.
The film was shot in suburban Australia so looks very normal and modern day. Mia (Sophie Wilde)’s home is cold and blue, and the teens hang out on dark streets and parks at night. Mia wears a bright yellow pullover that stands out from the darkness. Her friend Jade (Alexandra Jensen) wears a pink sewerage too,
The 4K subtleties really come into focus when they use the ceramic hand. Candle lit blackness is pure and the eyes go deep black when the kids are possessed.
More deep shadows are present on rainy nights at home and in the car. Another interesting effect is when focus shifts within the frame. So sharp parts are in 4K and backgrounds are blurry.
Surround sound makes good use of rumbles during horror scenes. And there are a good selection of extras.
The most detailed is a full length audio commentary by the directors. Danny and Michael Philippou don’t want to give away themes because they want the audience to have their own interpretations
They are excited to talk about every specific location, setup and actor though. They also relate scenes back to their childhood filmmaking experiments. They clearly have more to say than they can fit in 95 minutes.
A behind the scenes feature does speak to drug addiction metaphor. Seven minutes of deleted scenes includes a subplot about Mia’s mother (Alexandra Jensen) and talking to her father (Marcus Johnson) about it, and Jade and her mom (Miranda Otto) including an extended scene they explained cutting dialogue from in the commentary.