A24’s ‘Talk to Me’ is a triumph for the box office and the horror genre

“Barbie” is an undeniable blockbuster, but “Talk to Me” — an indie horror film that sets inconsolable grief against a backdrop of adolescent ennui — is the real triumph of the summer box office.

The A24 film, in which a group of teenagers discover they can communicate with the dead using an embalmed hand, has proved both profitable and popular. Released at the end of July, the movie has made more than 10 times its $4.5 million budget at the global box office. (A sequel is already in the works.) Experts praise the film as a successful pairing of traditional horror elements and the profound stories that can be told from a supernatural perspective. “Talk to Me” spins a thoughtful meditation on grief that is particularly resonant as the world emerges from a deadly pandemic. It is also a testament to the reputation of the indie studio, which has leaned in to the intersection of grief and horror.