Eerie, tense, yet wildly amusing, Speak No Evil sees James McAvoy at his unhinged best in the 2024 remake of the 2022 Dutch film that took the horror genre by storm.
Speak No Evil Review
As much as everyone bemoans the remake and reboot wave that seems to be overtaking much of Hollywood, sometimes there is a case for it. I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical about one coming only 2 years after the original’s release but in the horror genre this is actually not all that uncommon. This is an area of moviemaking where remakes are almost guaranteed and have been happening since the dawn of the medium. Americanized versions of popular overseas horror films is standard procedure, albeit with wildly varying results. Not every remake ends up as good as The Ring (looking at you The Grudge) but with director and writer James Watkins (Eden Lake) overseeing it, my hopes were cautiously high.
Watkins’ Speak No Evil doesn’t sanitize the original horror of Dutch filmmaker Christian Tafdrup’s 2022 Speak No Evil (Gaesterne) but instead honors its predecessor while also justifying its own existence in the world. It is both similar yet different, and when it takes a left turn away from the familiar narrative, the brutality and sinisterness of it all not only works but works well. Watkins’ approach to the central conflict is definitely Americanized yet still plays to the clashing cultural expectations from the original, where he explores how different humans would react under specific circumstances based on the culture they were raised in. It may seem somewhat tame in comparison to its Dutch counterpart but armed with a stellar cast– one led by a gleefully unhinged McAvoy – this Speak No Evil more than makes a name for itself.
An American family, Louise (Mackenzie Davis), Ben (Scoot McNairy), and their daughter Agnes Dalton (Alix West Lefler) have recently relocated to London from the US. It’s clear from the beginning there is a strain in their marriage but they seem to be trying to make it work. While on holiday, the more reserved couple meet a UK family led by the carefree, charming, and madly in love Paddy (McAvoy) and Ciara (Aisling Franciosi). These two seem to have it all, including a sweet mute son named Ant (Dan Hough). By the end of the week, the families have become close enough that Paddy invites the Daltons to visit their home in the West Country. Despite some reservations, Louise eventually agrees that they should go stay with their “vacation friends.” Soon after they arrive, cracks begin to form in Paddy and Ciara’s “perfect” image but Louise and Ben ignore these warning signs until it’s ultimately too late.
Adjusting to cultural norms outside of what we are raised with can be difficult for many. As humans we will often find ourselves reevaluating our thoughts and reactions to situations when they occur outside of what we feel is familiar. Observing and being open to differing opinions is not a bad thing unless it causes you to ignore very obvious red flags all in an effort to be polite. Watkins’ zeroes in on this pressure to “fit in” and uses it as a foundation to put the main characters in increasingly sinister situations.
It’s fascinating to see just how much Paddy and Ciara can get away with all while being frustrating to watch. To be fair most horror movies annoy me on some level because I sit there thinking–Why would you run upstairs? You know you could leave right? Grow a spine for the love of God. Speak No Evil is no different. As I said I enjoyed seeing just how far the Daltons’ boundaries were pushed but I equally wanted to smack some sense into them. (To be clear I would’ve been out the moment I saw the dirty bed sheets and that is literally the least offensive thing that happened.)
In both iterations of the story, there is a desire to punish those who let their self-righteous posturing and desire to be liked get in the way of their natural instincts. Speak No Evil asks the question: If the trappings of wifi, electric cars, and sustainably sourced fish were removed would someone have the fortitude to do what needs to be done in order to survive? Or would they still cling desperately to their delusions that these sorts of things don’t happen in polite society while they are hunted down like an animal?
The original film’s finale played more to the psychological horror of it all but Watkins switches it out for pure slasher carnage. Despite the first two acts more or less following the Dutch film’s lead, this change in direction still works incredibly well thanks to how believable it is that Ben is a “beta male” who can’t seem to find his manhood even when his wife begs him to. McNairy pulls it off by playing him a little angry, dull, and desperate to be liked. He oozes low self-esteem which is especially noticeable when he is standing next to the “alpha male” that is Paddy. All of this insane longing to be someone he’s not allows boundary after boundary to be pushed culminating in a viscerally thrilling third act.
Each member of the ensemble does what needs to be done to sell the madness unfolding onscreen but McAvoy steals the show, chewing the scenery every chance he gets. He’s wickedly alluring, dangerously charming, and so perfectly unhinged. It’s not hard to see how Ben and Louise were lured into his trap. When the truth behind Paddy’s motivation is revealed, McAvoy transforms into an almost feral villain in one of his best performances since M Night Shyamalan’s Split. And yes, that alone is worth the price of admission for this thrill-ride.
Verdict
Despite the changes that were made to the source material, Watkins’ Speak No Evil is still brutal, tense, and creepy enough to make your skin crawl. What he infuses into the story, wanton violence and macabre humor, allows this version to stand on its own, well outside the shadow cast by the original. The result is something engrossing, entertaining, and absolutely gnarly. McAvoy is a force of nature, reaffirming once again that he was 100% robbed of accolades for his role in Split. This is one of those horror films you’re going to want to watch again because it doesn’t leave you feeling defeated but amused. Maybe people do need to stop being so damn polite.
Speak No Evil releases in theaters September 13. It is rated R for some strong violence, language, some sexual content and brief drug use with a runtime of 1 hour 50 minutes.
