Released in 2022, Christian Tafdrup’s Speak No Evil received widespread acclaim despite underperforming at the box office. The following year, Blumhouse Productions acquired the rights to remake the film for American audiences. The studio hired James Watkins, best known for The Woman in Black and Eden Lake, to write and direct. According to Watkins, this remake is the culmination of a discussion between him and Blumhouse that lasted 16 years. For the remake, Watkins chose to have Americans visiting a British family while retaining the original’s themes. In April 2023, actors James McAvoy and Mackenzie Davis signed on to star, with Scoot McNairy joining soon after. Filming occurred in Croatia and Gloucester that May, but the SAG-AFTRA strike suspended production until November. Following its NYC premiere, James Watkins’ Speak No Evil opened in theaters worldwide on September 13, 2024.
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Synopsis
Ben and Louise Dalton (Scoot McNairy and Mackenzie Davis) are vacationing in Italy with their daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler). While there, they meet Paddy and Ciara (James McAvoy and Aisling Franciosi) and their mute son Ant (Dan Hough). Despite some reservations, the two families build a friendship, with the Daltons agreeing to spend the weekend with them. While things initially seem pleasant at their isolated countryside home, the Daltons, particularly Louise, start noticing odd things. Paddy and Ciara are open, carefree, and wild, whereas Ben and Louise are quieter and reserved. Things worsen when the Daltons notice Paddy becoming more unhinged and violent towards Ant while Ciara lets it happen. Through nonverbal cues, Ant reveals Paddy and Ciara’s dark secret to Agnes, signaling her parents that the vacation is over. What started as a pleasant getaway soon becomes a weekend of terror!
Review
Going into this, I had no idea what to expect, especially having not seen the original film. Judging this remake of Speak No Evil on its own merits, I found it enjoyably tense but not without problems. To get right into the positives, the cast, particularly James McAvoy, do a terrific job with the roles they’re given. While Split showed how he could be sympathetic and terrifying simultaneously, McAvoy manages to outdo that performance and then some. You initially like him because he’s charming, carefree, and calm, and he delivers his lines with tons of charisma. However, as time passes, you see the cracks in his facade, and he becomes more unhinged until he finally breaks. It’s similar to Kathy Bates in Misery, where she seems lovely and pleasant, but there’s something dark beneath that smile. McAvoy’s performance alone is worth the price of admission.
Mackenzie Davis is also great as the vegetarian Louise, who quickly recognizes that things are somewhat off. She quickly takes charge of the situation and decides what to do without overshadowing her husband. Scoot McNairy as Ben is an interesting contrast to McAvoy’s Paddy, who is emasculated compared to Paddy’s take-charge attitude. While he makes some poor decisions, you see him progress to where he finally stands up and becomes a man. Aisling Franciosi works great off of McAvoy, playing up her demure quality while showing her sinister side. Dan Hough does a terrific job, especially considering his character can’t speak, relying on facial expressions and body language. As great as the cast is, many of their character arcs and progressions feel familiar and played out. It’s all handled well, but it’s nothing we haven’t seen in other movies.
Also, the tone sometimes feels somewhat inconsistent, going from severe and tense to weirdly comedic and ludicrous. Granted, I saw it with an audience that talked back to the movie and laughed quite a bit. That said, I’m not sure if the comedic bits were supposed to be funny or if it was unintentional. Admittedly, the film has some genuinely funny dark humor, but I suspect it’s supposed to be more serious than comedic. That said, the third act is very entertaining, as our heroes hold themselves up against Paddy and Ciara. While the original supposedly had a bleaker ending, I think the more exciting finale works better for the remake. Still, this is an effective thriller that gradually builds tension until an explosive finale that keeps you hooked. Overall, Speak No Evil has issues, but the great cast and solid build-up make it worth a watch.
Speak No Evil is currently playing in theaters nationwide.
