By the end we see how isolating and lonely it is to be a spirit in the darkness. So much that they yearn for contact, not unlike Mia's touch starvation; and when they finally get a taste of the world again after what must feel like an eternity in emptiness, they feel euphoric. A glass of water after walking in the desert. It's that high, I believe, that the kids must be feeling.

I have to admit, as a teen, this dumb crap is exactly something my friends and I would have done. As an adult, however, that fact alone scares me to death.

The blame on the father who is also seeking connection in his grief is misplaced. He told the truth in what she wanted to know and was likely right in assuming she couldn’t handle the truth in the note in a healthy way. He was reaching out to Mia out of love, while Mia was reaching out for connection with the person that decided to abandon her and ignored the one that was still here…..

I love how quick the action starts. Pulls no punches. Mia also talks about how addictive and "amazing" it feels. So you get the feel of a drug along with the need for connection.

I personally think Mia threw herself into traffic. It mirrors the kangaroo scene at the beginning of the movie where Mia just couldn’t find it in her to put the animal out of its misery, similarly too Riley.

duckett is talking to his dead "pop" as mia is talking to her dead "mum". The mum is telling mia that her dad is not real and that is going to hurt her; "pop" is telling duckett that his brother is not real and is going to hurt a lot of people and has to stab him. the spirt is not her mum's because the spirits you meet via the hand are those of the people who died while possessed and mia's mother wasnt possessed.

Theory: The first spirit lady they contacted never left Mia. I think she knew Mia was the most vulnerable which is why she attached to her. There was like a gurgling sound that happened when she first appeared and it continued throughout the movie around Mia. When we see Riley in the hospital bed, his injuries look so similar to the first spirit's appearance which makes me think it was her all along tricking Mia and pulling her deeper into isolation. We know the spirits had the ability of creating a false reality when Mia was getting a mouthful of toes and didn't realize it so she could've been in Mia the entire time waiting.

Instant classic for the genre. Peak

The genesis of this story was the real-life filming of a kid suffering from a bad trip on drugs. Addiction is a huge part of the multilayered plot of this film. Grief? Mia never finished the process. She was afflicted by the fear that her mom committed suicide. When her father fessed up to her mom's suicide note, Mia rejected it. That's not just grief. It's also unresolved trauma.

I saw that it was the first ghost she connected with the woman who was beaten and wet. Every time that her “mom” appears she’s more and more wet. Also the gurgling or drowning sounds that appeared with the first ghost appear when her mom shows.

A missed aspect is how these kids are also exploiting the dead for their own shallow reasons and entertainment. These evil spirits are 'evil' because they probably died in horrible and unfair ways with unfinished business, the only thing that they can possibly do is rest, but they can't even do that cause each time people do the ritual, disturb them, and constantly relive the pain of what happened to them for only 90 seconds, giving them false hope at life again just to shut it off... just for these kids entertainment. This is evident in how the bloated lady looks, and Mia still having all of her scars/injuries from her death, they just constantly have to be reminded of their tragedies. We say rest in peace for a reason, and to not disturb the dead constantly. So really both parties just use each other, to always catch that high that lasts 90 seconds, an eye for an eye.

Watched this movie last night and it completely shredded my nerves and left me feeling a wave of terror and heartbreak that took me a whole day to shake. I've seen a lot of horror movies and this one completely destroyed my nerves and some part of my soul. Love this genre but this one is not for the faint of heart.

As someone who abuses marijuana to mask the pain of losing my mother young, I definitely felt the movie

hella good movie-incredible execution of an overdone premise

I think you nailed it when you said "The urge to capture can sometimes outweigh the urge to help." When those kids throw up their phones and start recording, that sends a clear message that I think reverberates through the entire film. That phone becomes not just a recording device, but a barrier that separates Mia from her "audience," the other participants in the room. Which kind of reinforces Mia's feelings that she's alone in this.

Y’all peep that Mia is the only character wearing yellow? (The significance of the color yellow is that it could portray innocence or deception) Mia, to an extent, is innocent. She’s grieving, she wants to find her place and essentially connect with others. The deception comes into place when that unclean spirit comes in the form of her mom and causes her to believe in lies instead of truth and reality… thought that was an interesting note.

I love this analysis. I just saw this movie last night and was blown away by it. Having lost a fiancé the same way Mia lost her mom, I so identified with her desperation to believe her mom was still there, trying to connect. It’s the first movie in at least a decade which made me cry. Even without social media and being an adult, grief is unspeakably lonely. I could even identify with the end and her state of limbo and watching everyone’s lives go on without her. This is a powerful and brilliant film

One thing about the fathers deception: it wasn’t just that he kept the note from Mia, it was that he told her that her mothers suicide was an accident. Mia didn’t believe her mother intentionally took her own life, and we don’t know which version is true until the father confirms it was a suicide by reading the note. So the fathers deception is much deeper than just keeping the note from Mia; he changed the entire story, to protect her. That’s why Mia wants to believe the demonic spirit so badly when it says that the mothers death was an accident-Mia’s already been told that version of the events, and it’s easier for her to accept than the truth

The first thing I thought when Riley grabbed the hand and seen the person on the other side. Is that if it was Mia’s mom. He would of recognized her.

The hand is also a left one, left has traditionally been associated with clumsiness, misunderstandings, and sinister. The hand being left amplified it's preternatural abilities no doubt

This is ABSOLUTELY the analysis I’ve been looking for for this movie. All the other analyses I’ve seen were lackluster and barely scratched the surface. Superb job.

This is exactly what I got from the movie, this made me open up to my parents because I felt I had been closing myself off to them too much. I’m glad I’m not the only one.

I’d been waiting for people to talk about this and was surprised some of my other favorite film reviewers didn’t bring up. Drug addiction was always a topic that came up, but nobody mentioned how people stood by entirely complicit on something rather insidious but was seen as just “plain fun”. But we as the viewer can see how you can commodify anything if you can separate yourself from it with a screen. You commodify friends, you commodify their trauma - because this is what the most extreme reactions exemplify, a trauma reaction.

This movie hit me hard as I watched it not too far after my own mom's death anniversary. Mia and her dad needed therapy and community so badly. To take the notion of lack of connection a step further, Mia is the only black girl we see which could aid in her feeling isolated. I wish I could hug her and her dad. :(

A comment somewhere said it is an analogy for drug use, the strap around the person like the one drug addicts use to pop their veins, kids first using something extremely dangerous recreationally very well knowing the risks, and some going past the point of no return and end up hurting themselves, their loved ones and others.

the etymology of kangaroo is "“I don’t know”, and the mother death/suicide is also not known, other things: Mia means "Ocean Goddess" , rhea means "flow" jade means (green stone: "it a protector of generations, living and dead"), riley means "courageous", daniel ""God is my judge".

This movie deserves way more talk about it. One of the best horror films I’ve ever seen and the best film of the year after Oppenheimer for me and for this to be from RackaRacka who I kind of forgot about after watching them when I was younger is just crazy and now they’re some of the biggest up and coming directors in Hollywood with this film

Jade did actually push Mia onto the street, if you watch it in slow motion, you can see the three of them from the view inside the car, you see Jade running right up to Mia from behind.

I love this film I saw it three times in theaters and have scoured KZfaq watching many videos about it. This was the best by far.

This reminds me the mid 2000s when kids would smoke Salvia and people would record their trips for entertainment now there minds are mush

Only two other horror movies have made me feel this uneasy the next day 1408 and the Poughkeepsie tapes. They all hit me differently but very real tones and themes.

I remember back in high school I did Salvia and my friends filmed it. It was a deeply profound and personal experience, and my friends were just pointing and laughing at me, treating it like it was a joke. This movie reminded me a lot of those Salvia videos on youtube and my own experience as well. That drug was unbelievably powerful and I feel lucky I didn't go insane. When we're teenagers we just have no idea what we're messing with when we mess with something that is far beyond our understanding. As an adult, I can safely say I have way too much respect for those substances and will never touch them again. Show this movie to your kids and tell them the hand is a metaphor for drugs, that'll teach em 😂

The mother literally turns back into the drowned lady in the end.

Being a parent is the true horror

Was I the only one that noticed the baby in the hospital scene, truly terrifying! Was it purgatory we were seeing? Or...was it Hell?

I would definitely never go to a house again if someone just started recording me. Creepy.

The candle is still lit on the table after Riley is possessed. You can just see it when Mia walks out. 🕯️❤️‍🔥

I loved this movie. Best horror movie of the year, along with Evil Dead Rise

Oddly enough, this movie made me feel even more alone. I am currently grieving, and I have been since I was 9. With big black eyes like that, no, you will not bait me. I know it isn't my loved one. I'm not easily tempted no matter how hard I hurt. But I understood the social commentary of the movie which is scary af on its own. Social media is a soul sucking void...or it CAN be. I have a cat and a dog next to me...yet I sit here typing and watching random stuff on the internet. Why am I not petting them? Welp...time to go and live a little and make their lives a little less boring...goodnight.

Thanks! I had just gone for the addiction motif but yours is better, loss of connection and grief, its certainly in the title. I don't think ppl are more lonely than they were before social media, I think we just know about it more and they feel worse because they think they are the only ones not included in the party, the party that probably isn't real.

well done on a great video, well written and strong points!

great analysis, this film felt gripping and visceral and you explained exactly why

I actually really liked this movie. Usually horror movies aren’t that interesting but I love that you felt like you were there, at the party etc

It's about teenagers and experimentation of what is 'cool' or 'thrilling' right now in their world. Being 'cool' or a 'thrill' as in experimentation of drugs, the hand symbolises the most dangerous high that is available but it comes at a cost like altering the mind or taking too much (holding the hand too much) can lead to death. You can die from the drug/hand. The scene I like the most was when the mother was asking if there is a party and all her children lied to her face. This shows how teenagers will lie and can't be trusted, they will sneak around to party and potentially get high by touching the 'hand' aka 'drugs'. Drugs take you out reality that is what was happening with Mia, she was losing connections with everybody and developing a type of schizophrenia which is linked to long term use of drugs. The message is....just because you 'can' doesn't mean you 'should'.

It’s about how trusting the wrong person can lead to horrible things, it’s also about drug addiction and sexual depravity. Think of the monsters, they’re often an exaggerated sexual act. And even about how family can corrupt you. I could go a lot deeper about all of this but I won’t

Really great analysis! It was a lot of fun to watch this video. Very insightful. I would have really liked to know why the spirits wanted Riley so much.

Great analysis. Subscribed!

Just watched this movie...what made me like it was two things....the ending was solid! And also (spoiler) I was expecting each of the characters to get killed off one by one. So when it did not happen I was pleasantly surprised. I just assumed it would follow the trope of everyone or most of everyone gets killed.

Great movie, great video. Thanks Gil!

This was excellent. Thank you for this break down.

It feels like myself in my younger years dealing with the confusing and rooted emotion of my mother’s suicide attempt and the drug abuse that ensued for me when I got a little older trying to cope with untapped trauma.

What an excellent analysis, I can’t wait to see it at home soon

I think the father you are blaming is the ghost pretending to be the father. The real father never hid the suicide note because there never was one. If you think about this way. The first father was the ghost. That is the one that read the note. That is the one that was choking her. The second father is the real dad. He broke down the door to get to his daughter.

You made some very insightful points in your analysis🎉

Fantastic breakdown 👏

I really liked this movie, I am just curious at this point if ever single spirit they connect to died because of the hand, and how that will play out in the sequel, I do not believe Mia was talking to her mom but a malevolent spirit taking advantage of her so they could have Riley's soul. I can't wait for a sequel to this!

"Demonic form of catfishing" got damn lol that's unsettling yet kinda funny the way you worded it

I know one of the art dept leads; the whole thing is a metaphor for drug use due to peer pressure and mainly loneliness. Not much else. Of course everyone looks into it waaaay too much.

I don't like how my thumbs up was 666 😒 Anyways 😆 This movie is brilliant. It disturbed me. I got the similarities between drugs and clout and how both are addictive and ultimately dangerous. With writing an essay, that was my first correlation. Clout is the new drug. These young people didn't do this once but several times. They want to be a part of this thing. Like sex, drugs, and peer pressure are all present in the story, but the way they spun it up was sooo good. There were some holes, but that's where the art is opened for interpretation.

There are parallels here between the hand as an ambiguously useful technology for human connection and the phones. Sure, something meaningfully connective COULD come from them, but very often people reach for it without much care or consideration of how it stack up against the more mundane connections they might be avoiding. Of course holding hands (of people arround a table) is part of Ouija boards and older spirit commune rituals too, so this is really understanding how old metaphors can help us make sense of modern things.

I've figured out part of what happened at the end when Mia died. I've just watched the movie frame by frame, and here's a combination of what I saw and what I figured out through logic. Jade came straight down the steep hill toward Mia and Riley. Since Riley was at the very edge of the highway, Jade logically wouldn't risk barrelling into them because it might knock her brother into traffic. But Mia had already taken her hands off the wheelchair handles by then, and watching frame-by-frame shows that Jade ran up *beside* her and got in between her and the wheelchair. Then she wrestled Mia further away from Riley. Unfortunately, that's when the car which hits Mia blocked the kids, so I couldn't tell for sure whether Jade threw Mia into the road or whether Mia threw herself. But I'm tempted to say Mia did it because the car was just a little too far along for Jade to throw her into its windshield; the angle is wrong. Plus, I just don't think Jade would do that. She's pretty levelheaded, as she proved by approaching Mia from the side so as not to endanger Riley, and I don't think she'd kill her best friend no matter how scared or angry she was. But Mia took her hands off the wheelchair when she realized the spirit was deceiving her, and she was already in a state of profound grief and confusion. It's easy to imagine her jumping into the road to end her suffering and to save her friends from any further harm caused by the spirits.

Drugs are absolutely the main theme of the story

"... he's confronted by a crowd of bystanders phones in hand each one eager to capture a moment that might garner views clicks likes upvotes or whatever" Same thing Jordan Peele's Nope was critiquing. Think it's why I liked this movie, the social commentary.

There are so many ideas for a second and third movie....The second movie can feature the second hand and someone can try using both hands at once. Also what if the medium who owned those hands, is still alive?

EXACTLY my thoughts!!!!! ‘The Exorcist’ is ultimately a serious drama with a horror arc.

Best horror movie of the year.

Jade pushing her seems odd i believe the jump theory because Mia lets go of the wheel chair right before we see the collision. The position of holding the wheelchair wouldn't allow Jade to push her without Riley be taken with her or knocked over into the traffic so the thought that she jumped makes more sense. I wish she didnt but i saw it as Mia sacrificing herself once and for all.

Thank you my friend.

only went to see it because i loved rackaracka but it was so good, cant wait for the sequel

I definitely called this a Gen Z horror movie and honestly they definitely captured everything it takes to pull in the teens today

Imo Mia realized she was being played when fake ghost-mom said ‘we’. So she jumped into traffic in an attempt to save Riley by sacrificing herself and maybe fight off the bad spirits hurting him from the other side. But Riley didn’t need her, because the spirits possessing him became weaker over time. Since Riley wasn’t using the hand as much as Mia did, he was able to sort of detox in the hospital far away from it. Which kinda sucks because Mia pretty much deleted herself for nothing

Fire ass movie s/o to rackaracka been a fan since I was in middle school 25 now glad to see them up🫡☝️

Mia's mom is the spirit that she connects with at the start of the film when she goes over the 90 second rule. You can see her appearance gradually start to change into the drowned woman as the film progresses which would make sense in the context of the spirits losing power the longer they're inhabiting someone.

This was one of the best horror movies I’ve seen in a long time

ThanksMuch! yeah

90 seconds is very arbitrary. Why not 5 seconds, 90 minutes, 2 minutes? I wondered why they chose 90 seconds 🤔

Talk to me just might be the best scary movie I’ve ever seen

Do not blame the dad for Mia's mistakes. People need to take responsibility for their own actions. She is in charge of her own life. She makes those choices. And others suffer the consequences of her actions alongside her, including her dad.

Take a shot everytime he says grief, isolation, connection and loneliness/lonely :)

Now let's talk about adults who do the same thing due to peer pressure, entitlement, boredom or whatever

What makes you think Mia changed her mind at the end if Jade did push her? I assumed Jade arrived just in time to shove Mia before Mia could kill her brother, but I'm curious about the take that she saw reason and was choosing not to kill him when Jade shoved her.

The movie impressed me. That's rare.

Youre wrong about the significance of the note. Until he reveals it, there is still the unspoken hope/belief that her moms death was an accident. The reading of the note is when that hope is shattered

I think it was a very good metaphor for drug abuse in youths

👀 🍿

No Joeys were harmed in the making of this movie. Though, next time a friend tells me to talk to the hand, I might punch them…

Dude, you are dissing Halloween, but this movie wouldn't exist if Halloween didn't pave the way for modern horror movies. That said, Talk to Me was good, entertaining, and had some genuine unique and novel ideas. A lot of parallels are also being made between this and Hereditary. IMHO, Hereditary is in another class, but this movie is also good.

This was a really good movie.

Talk to me is really about what it's about

Can you please do a video on SKINAMARINK? ❤

Here bc i fell asleep in the theater

The beginning of The Exorcist is what happens before anyone gets permission to actually perform an exorcism. There can't be a reasonable explanation for what's happening.

Why would jade push her though? Makes sense what you said, but Mia definitely jumped

Just saw the movie. FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC. Mia. Her home was always shot was blue, cold and empty. Her father was always masked in shadow. Personally I felt like he represented the dark truth that she wasnt ready to walk into. Same about her feeling for her ex. She had a problem with honestly owning her feeling and used the escapism of the hand to feel like she was "glowing" a light out the darkness. The possession was a great symbol for addiction. Anyone who has seen the grasp of addiction take over someone it is like theyre possessed. I feel like this was also a story of family pathology. Mia was depressed and sought comfort in her addiction like her mother. Perhaps her hugest denial. And she ended uo the same way. Havent seen a brilliant depiction of fear of family pathology like this since Hereditary. Also anyone else feel the scene of her crying was a nod to 'Get Out?'

Best horror this year methinks

Given the reviews of the new Exorcist movie, it's embarassing that a couple of KZfaqrs had a better grasp on why the original movie was so good than a corporation with more than 400M to buy the franchise.

I hope they make an part 2

Why couldn’t see we who everyone else was connecting to

Mia mom was crazy the apple dont fall far away from the tree...

3:55 completely unrelated and totally irrelevant but that car just climbed the curb