Film Review – Speak No Evil

September 14th, 2024 | POSTED BY Allen Almachar

I’ll admit to you, dear reader: When I heard that there would be an English language remake of the Danish film Speak No Evil (2022), I was not immediately bursting with anticipation. Don’t get me wrong, it is a tense and disturbing psychological thriller. I was left shaken after watching it, which I’m sure was the whole point. But it was so nihilistic, so bleak, and so cold blooded that I felt like I needed to take a shower to wash off the dread. One could argue that what I just described are all good things – that it accomplished its goal of connecting with me on an emotional level. It’s a valid point. I can fully admit that the film was good, even if it bummed me out for the rest of the day.

So, you can understand my hesitation when I stepped into this version. While writer/director James Watkins does follow the same overall blueprint of the original, Speak No Evil (2024) adds enough modifications to stand on its own. I’ll tell you right now: This does not reach the same depths of despair as its predecessor, which some fans may not take too kindly. However, this still ended up being an effective and suspenseful watch. This is a total “Audience Movie” – the kind of flick where viewers will yell at the screen, “Get outta there!”, “Don’t do it!”, “It’s a trap!” and so on. The production took a hard hitting and chilling plot and turned it into a thriller from the 1980s. Dare I say: This was fun!

The narrative wastes no time in setting up the stakes. We meet an American family of Ben (Scoot McNairy), Louise (Mackenzie Davis), and their daughter Agnes (Alex West Lefler) while on vacation in Italy. There, they meet Paddy (James McAvoy), Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), and their young son Ant (Dan Hough). The two families hit it off so well that Paddy and Ciara invite Ben and Louise to stay at their country house outside of London. Ben and Louise have hit a rough patch both professionally and personally, and perhaps that is the reason they accept the invitation without really knowing anything about their new counterparts. Almost as soon as they arrive, Ben and Louise realize they may have stepped into something they weren’t prepared for.

Like the Danish film, Watkins gradually ramps up the anxiety. Despite the country house being warm and inviting – the environments are shot with brightly lit yellows, browns, and greens – there is an uneasiness bubbling underneath that creeps its way to the surface. The dynamic between Paddy, Ben, Ciara, and Louise can be seen as a kind of social experiment. At first Ben and Louise admire their friends’ confident, open personalities. But soon, certain boundaries get tested. The way Paddy and Ciara speak to Ant and Agnes, the fact they make Louise eat meat even though she told them she’s a vegetarian, the way they gradually push themselves into personal bubbles, etc. Are Paddy and Ciara simply brutish characters that mean well but can’t see how their actions affect everyone else? Should Ben and Louise brush it off for the sake of being polite? When does the line get crossed?

The cinematography (Tim Maurice-Jones) and editing (Jon Harris) construct images that may appear normal, but upon closer inspection are not. During a hike in the woods, Louise’s neck starts to cramp. Paddy – who is a doctor – offers to help by rubbing her neck. Paddy and Louise are placed in the foreground, while Ben and Ciara remain in the background. The look of concern on Ben’s face indicates that this isn’t right – that the situation isn’t helpful, but awkward and inappropriate. This kind of scene is repeated over and over. It’s like a balloon slowly being filled with air, to the point of near bursting. Each action by Paddy and Ciara pokes and prods Ben and Louise’s level of tolerance. 

What this all leads to will either make or break the audience. For those hoping to see a repeat of the original will be sorely disappointed. Where Watkins takes the story still works, even though it doesn’t hit with the same kind of visceral impact. Emphasis is placed on Ben and Louise’s relationship, and how they are put to the ultimate test against two alpha individuals. Scoot McNairy and Mackenzie Davis are very good at juggling the varying degrees of emotional states. They must make us believe that their characters are tired of Paddy and Ciara’s antics but are willing to grit their teeth to get through it. That’s why the third act, where things really get explosive, still fits in with the rest of the narrative. We can see how the characters mentally arrived from Point A to Point B.

The star of the show, undoubtably, is James McAvoy. He makes Paddy into a charismatic yet aggressive ticking time bomb. The way he carries himself is all physical. Even when he isn’t doing anything, he appears wound up like a spring. McAvoy has grown into a very interesting actor. Here, the boyish good looks of his youth have disappeared, replaced with a person with a bigger build and rougher edges. He gives Paddy a persona that can make others gravitate to him, but you would never want to get on his bad side. For example, in the scene where Paddy encourages Ben to let out his pent-up frustrations with a primal scream, the advice does provide some mental relief. But it’s all a trick, a way for Paddy to get into Ben’s good graces before the other shoe drops. It takes an actor of McAvoy’s talent to make a character feel like a friend and a foe simultaneously.

As weird as it may sound, I had a good time with this version of Speak No Evil. It’s a rollercoaster ride that doesn’t let up. The original may still be the better overall film, but if you asked me which one I would want to revisit, this might be it. 

Aisling Franciosi, Alex West Lefler, Dan Hough, Featured, James McAvoy, James Watkins, Jon Harris, Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy, Speak No Evil, Tim Maurice-Jones