Speak No Evil (2024, dir. James Watkins)

by Jack Martin | Sep 13, 2024

Certificate: 15

Running Time: 110 mins

UK Distributor: Universal Pictures

UK Release Date: 12 September 2024

WHO’S IN SPEAK NO EVIL?

James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, Scoot McNairy, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough

WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?

James Watkins (director, writer), Jason Blum (producer), Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans (composers), Tim Maurice-Jones (cinematographer), Jon Harris (editor)

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

A family is terrorised by their hostile holiday hosts (McAvoy and Franciosi)…

WHAT ARE MY THOUGHTS ON SPEAK NO EVIL?

Even though remakes of horror films are far from uncommon, a lot of people did not seem to respond well toward news about an English-language version of the acclaimed Danish thriller Speak No Evil. It wasn’t because it’s only been two years since that original film was released (normally, you’d have to wait at least another year or two before finally greenlighting a remake). And it certainly wasn’t because director Christian Tafdrup’s movie was pretty well-received by critics. Rather, it’s because the OG Speak No Evil featured an ending so shocking, so bleak, and so unconventional for what one would normally expect from this kind of film, that a version made for general Western audiences would surely dilute its impact, or even worse opt for something much safer and thus less scary.

In fairness towards those initial worries, writer-director James Watkins’s version of Speak No Evil does indeed feature a slightly different climax than that of the Danish original. However, that does not make the film itself any less of a tense experience, as Watkins piles on as much uncomfortableness as that film, but with its own flavouring that helps it stand out as not just a worthwhile horror remake, but a pretty good movie on its own accord.

The film starts out in the Italian countryside, where London-based American couple Louise (Mackenzie Davis) and Ben (Scoot McNairy) are on holiday with their young daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler). It is here that they meet British couple Paddy (James McAvoy) and Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), along with their mute son Ant (Dan Hough), who initially charm Louise and Ben with their unfiltered and rather boisterous attitudes, and eventually accept an invitation to join them for a weekend at their farmhouse in the West Country.

Once they arrive, though, the American family are subjected to increasingly tense scenarios enforced upon them by their hosts. For instance, Paddy pressures Louise, a vegetarian, to taste a slice of a cooked goose; later, the patriarch inflicts some harsh abuse towards young Ant in front of his guests; and at one point, Ciara mimes a sex act that goes on for far longer than necessary. And just when you think that this trip couldn’t get more awkward, the true motivations of Paddy and Ciara come to light, sending everything into even further oblivion.

Given that it comes from Blumhouse, who has not had a particularly strong year with duds like Night Swim, Imaginary and as recently as AfrAId, you half-expect this version of Speak No Evil to start dumbing down the boiling suspense and biting satire of the original film. In fact, Watkins does quite the opposite, as he expands upon those attributes to make an exceptionally unnerving atmosphere that this overly polite American family cannot seem to escape from. The filmmaker carefully builds tension as both McAvoy and Franciosi’s characters act in ways that are clearly uncomfortable, and sometimes even reprehensible, yet they have such a good grasp of their approachable charm that their unhinged behaviour is all too easily forgiven. Their performances, especially McAvoy’s, are so perfectly tuned to the sinister tone that Watkins is establishing here that even before his film eventually takes the turn that it does, you’re already genuinely scared by their unpredictable actions and intimidating presence.

As in the original, Speak No Evil also has fun playing around with the automatic act of politeness that people put on in the face of uncouth attitudes. Throughout, both Davis’s Louise and McNairy’s Ben are clearly shocked by the inappropriate behaviour of their new friends, but out of the goodness of their hearts they cannot seem to find a way to express their disgust directly, instead hiding their feelings or even accepting the weightless excuses they receive as explanations. Watkins gets some uncomfortable laughs out of how this couple cannot muster up the courage to stand up for themselves in the moment, adding some light relief to an already intense scenario.

The filmmaker also incorporates underlying themes of toxic masculinity, with McAvoy’s Paddy in particular strutting about with his intimidating bulked-up physique and acting like he’s just binged-listened to Andrew Tate podcasts. Male toxicity, in essence, comes from an inner desire to mask one’s insecurities or traumas under the pretence of flexing their supposed manhood, and what Watkins interestingly does here is to have someone like Paddy go to such extreme lengths in order to appear tough and manly that it ends up making him a lot more dangerous than he would otherwise want to be seen as. It’s clear that the masculine energy he’s projecting has leaked into his already-warped mindset, so when things eventually do take a turn for the worst, he goes into full-on beast mode as it metaphorically transforms him into a supernatural figure that exclusively runs on creatine.

That aforementioned turn, which lasts throughout a rather tense climax, will all but surely divide viewers who may already be familiar with how the original film ended. For me, it really works, for while it’s true that this film’s ending is not as extreme or even quite as mean-spirited as the one in the Danish version, this is still a horrifying situation for these characters to be caught up in, and the film maintains that level of suspense to where you’re genuinely tensing up at certain points. In a sense, the filmmaker seems to be counting on the viewer already knowing the horrific way in which the original movie ends, which somehow makes this viewing experience even more tense because you’re unsure how close it’s going to stick to that film until it plays out in the moment.

But whether or not you’re on board with this newer ending, Speak No Evil sticks the landing as an effective horror that works concurrently to what came before, as well as taking things in a more straightforward but still intriguing direction.

SO, TO SUM UP…

Speak No Evil is a terrifying and suspenseful horror remake that sees writer-director James Watkins expand upon the uncomfortable atmosphere and satirical edge of the Danish original, while sticking the landing with a slightly less shocking but no less satisfactory conclusion.