Talk to Meis on its way to becoming the most acclaimed horror movie of the year, gathering many talented young actors in their respective breakthrough roles. The film revolves around a mysterious embalmed hand capable of conjuring spirits and a group of teenage friends that decides to recklessly play with, unleashing supernatural forces beyond their control.
The film is the debut feature ofbrothers Michael and Danny Philippou, distributed bythe indie fan-favorite A24. Viewers can expect an original horror premise that offers a good balance between creative scares and a dramatic charge. While many of the actors in the cast are novices, they represent a new generation of Australian stars in a promising horror scene.
Sophie Wilde as Mia
Mia, the protagonist ofTalk to Me, is played bySophie Wilde. Mia is a 17-year-old teenager still struggling with her mother’s suicide two years later. Bringing a heavy emotional charge to the film, Mia has understandable reasons to wish to contact the unknown but gets more than she bargained for when she joins underestimates the danger of the embalmed hand.
After co-starring alongside Christoph Waltz in a relatively obscure film calledThe Portable Door, Wilde is finally having her chance to shine on the big screen. Before joining the film industry, the actress was part of the TV showsEdenandYou Don’t Know Me.
Related:Talk to Me: The Scariest Moments in the A24 Film
Alexandria Steffensen as Rhea
Rhea, Mia’s deceased mother, is played byAlexandria Steffensen. Rhea returns from the beyond to haunt her daughter after Mia plays with the mysterious embalmed hand. Steffensen and Wilde previously worked together inEden, where they also played the roles of mother and daughter respectively. Steffensen is also known for the 2021 rom-comHow to Please a Woman.
Alexandra Jensen as Jade
Jade, Mia’s best friend and the closest thing she has to a family, is played byAlexandra Jensen. The actress started her acting career in her early 20s with a small role in the TV seriesMy Life is a Murder. She went on to play Sophia inAmazing Grace, Abby inFrayed, and Chealsi inJoe vs. Carole,all comedy projects.Talk to Memarks Jensen’s entry into the horror genre shortly after starring in the music filmBeast, and the actress carried on her TV career withThe Messengerin 2023.
Joe Bird as Riley
Riley, Jade’s little brother, is played byJoe Bird. Riley gets indirectly involved in the wicked game that Jade and her friends play when their little challenge causes mysterious spirits to reach out to him. Bird is one of the youngest actors in the cast, yet he’s got one of the earliest onscreen debuts: in 2017 he had a small role in the indie thrillerRabbit. The actor joinedTalk to Meshortly after his breakthrough role in the Australian showFirst Day.
Related:The 10 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time
Miranda Otto as Sue
Sue, Jade and Riley’s mother, is played by veteran actressMiranda Otto. Sue is introduced as a sweet mother who cheerfully welcomes Mia in her house whenever she feels like running away from the hardships of losing her mother, but their relationship begins to strain when the kids start messing with supernatural forces.
Otto is the most renowned actress in the cast, having appeared in successful movies such asWar of the Worlds, Thin Red Line, and two of Peter Jackson’sLord of the Ringsmovies. In addition, she’s no newcomer to the horror genre, with significant roles inAnnabelle: Creation, What Lies Beneath, andThe Silence.
Otis Dhanji as Daniel
Daniel, Jade’s boyfriend, is played byOtis Dhanji. Daniel is at the center of a typical teen drama between the characters; he’s Jade’s boyfriend, but remains Mia’s love interest ever since the two got romantically involved in the past.
Dhanji made his acting debut as the young version of Arthur Curry inAquamanand has been active in the entertainment industry ever since. On TV, the actor went on to play Iggy inOn the Ropes, Tim Hale inThe Unlisted, and Josh inUnderbelly: Vanishing Act.On the big screen, he’s known for the moviesJune AgainandDon’t Make Me Go.
Zoe Terakes as Hayley
Hayley, the host of the party where Mia and her friends first witness the power of the mysterious embalmed hand, is played byZoe Terakes. Hayley is one of those characters who immediately causes a bad impression due to her intimidating behavior, working as a low-key antagonist.
Terakes is better known for her roles on the TV showsJanet King, Wentworth, andNine Perfect Strangers.Talk to Meis her first major role in a feature film sinceEllie and Abbie (and Ellie’s Dead Aunt)in 2020.
Chris Alosio as Joss
Joss, the classmate of Mia who co-hosts a party with Hayley, is played byChris Alosio. The actor made his acting debut on the TV seriesFighting Seasonas Private Isara’elu “Izzy” Ulalei, then began to alternate between movies and TV on a variety of projects.
On the big screen, Alosio appeared inMillie Lies Lowand Taika Waititi’s latest project,Next Goal Wins, a sports drama about soccer based on a true story. He went on to play major roles in TV shows such asTroppo, Surviving Summer, North Shore,andThe Messenger.
Marcus Johnson as Max
Max, Mia’s emotionally distant father, is played byMarcus Johnson. Max finds himself at the center ofTalk to Me’s family drama as he desperately tries to reconnect with his daughter following the death of her mother.
After a series of small appearances in TV shows such asSpartacus, Mr and Mrs Murder, andRakefrom the early 2010s until now,Talk to Merepresents a major career step for Johnson. He’s betterknown for Australian productionssuch asThe Condemnedand2:22.
Ari McCarthy as Cole
Cole, a previous victim of the hand’s curse, is played byAri McCarthy. Cole is first seen in the film’s terrifying opening sequence and, as a survivor, has valuable information to offer about the mess the main characters got into.
Talk to Meis McCarthy’s first major role ever since his acting debut in 2018, when he appeared in five episodes ofDeadlock. He went on to play Alex Angel inBack in Very Small Businessand Jayden inHeartbreak High.
