The complete review embargo for Universal Pictures and Blumhouse’s remake of the disturbing Danish horror film Speak no evil was lifted earlier today, and the critics’ consensus is (mostly) very positive – although it sounds like some significant changes have been made to the relentlessly grim original.
After 44 reviews, the film currently sits at a very impressive 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The black-humored thriller is about an American family that befriends a seemingly sociable British doctor (X-Men: First Class Star James McAvoy) and his wife and son are on vacation and agree to stay with them for the weekend. Soon the friendly facade begins to crumble and it soon becomes clear that something is wrong. very something is going wrong in the household.
The reactions are all full of praise for McAvoy’s performance and the majority of people who have seen the film seem to believe that toning down or changing certain elements of the original for this adaptation was actually the right move.
If you’ve seen the Danish film, you’ll know what we mean. If not, there are no spoilers here (check back over the weekend for a full breakdown).
The American remake of the shocking horror film #SpeakNoBad ultimately holds its own and finds new ways to engage with familiar material. Here’s our review. https://t.co/oopebGv75j
— /Film (@slashfilm) 10 September 2024
“Even a watered-down Hollywood version can’t take away the malice of this remake of a truly nihilistic Danish horror film.”
Our verdict on the James McAvoy horror “Speak No Evil” ⭐⭐⭐⭐https://t.co/5gjTTEEI67— Time Out Film (@TimeOutFilm) 10 September 2024
“In both versions, this story is all about suspense, and James Watkins is great at putting pressure on people.”
James McAvoy is the host from hell in a thrilling horror remake #SpeakNoBad – in UK cinemas this week.
Read the Empire review: https://t.co/uP1n23yHVc pic.twitter.com/eHn55eAISF
— Empire Magazine (@empiremagazine) 10 September 2024
#SpeakNoBad is actually pretty good. James McAvoy carries this film and it is both terrifying and entertaining to watch. I loved the uncomfortable and scary rabbit hole the leads were taken down. Grim but SATISFYING ending. While not a hard bar to measure, it is the best Blumhouse film of 2024. pic.twitter.com/O9Z2smILG2
— Cris Parker (@3CFilmss) 10 September 2024
The remake of Speak No Evil turns one of the most depressing films of the decade into an entertaining, nasty studio thriller – it’s not as powerful as the original, but never feels like a watered-down Hollywood tale. My review for @awards_watch: https://t.co/EnAQaNqDLz
— Alistair Ryder (@YesitsAlistair) 10 September 2024
SPEAK NO EVIL may rob the original of most of its subtlety, but it’s still an effective reminder of how profoundly terrifying the English are, with a hell of a performance from James McAvoy at its center https://t.co/1XikhnisGg
– Clarisse Loughrey (@clarisselou) 10 September 2024
SPEAK NO EVIL may rob the original of most of its subtlety, but it’s still an effective reminder of how profoundly terrifying the English are, with a hell of a performance from James McAvoy at its center https://t.co/1XikhnisGg
– Clarisse Loughrey (@clarisselou) 10 September 2024
Speak No Evil is a wild cinematic trip. It’s been incredibly well-received by audiences. James McAvoy is as crazy as you’d expect. He knows exactly what tone to strike in a particular scene. It gets more and more gripping as you get to the third act. Incredibly entertaining, highly recommended. #SpeakNoBad pic.twitter.com/sgIxjITAXU
— Hunter Bolding (@HunterBVideo) 10 September 2024
#SpeakNoBad is a tense, exciting and surprisingly funny play on horror/thriller cliches. James McAvoy’s masterful, creepy performance anchors the film, which focuses more on entertaining its audience than surprising them. The theatrical engagement was GREAT! pic.twitter.com/n8E9Rr8BQV
— Tony Mosello (@MoselloATC) 10 September 2024
I must say, I loved #SpeakNoBad. Perfect kind of slow downward spiral into horror thriller chaos.
A lot of discomfort before it becomes anxiety. If you’ve ever been forced into a couples dinner/outing, that’s practically a trigger.
McAvoy is a threat.#SpeakNoEvilMovie pic.twitter.com/S0SjqvoyPo
— Kofi Outlaw (@KofiOutlaw) 10 September 2024
When an American family is invited to spend the weekend at the idyllic country estate of a charming British family they befriended while on vacation, what begins as a dream vacation soon turns into a psychological nightmare. From Blumhouse, producer of The Black Phone, Get Out and The Invisible Man, comes an intense suspense thriller for our modern times, starring BAFTA award winner James McAvoy (Split, Glass) in a riveting portrayal of the charismatic, alpha male landowner whose unconditional hospitality conceals an unspeakable darkness.
Speak no evil also plays Mackenzie Davis (Terminator: Dark Fate, Halt and Catch Fire) and SAG Award winner Scoot McNairy (Argo, A Quiet Place Part II) as the American couple Louise and Ben Dalton, who together with their 11-year-old daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler; The Good Nurse, Riverdale), accept the weekend holiday invitation from Paddy (McAvoy) and his wife Ciara (Aisling Franciosi); Game of Thrones, The Fall) and her furtive, mute son Ant (newcomer Dan Hough).
Written for the screen and directed by James Watkins, the screenwriter and director of Eden Lake and the award-winning Gothic ghost story The Woman in Black, Speak no evil is based on the screenplay of the Danish horror sensation from 2022 Guestswritten by Christian Tafdrup and Mads Tafdrup. The film was nominated eleven times for the Danish Film Award, the Danish equivalent of the Oscar.
Speak no evil is produced by Jason Blum (Five Nights at Freddy’s, M3GAN) for Blumhouse and by Paul Ritchie (McMafia, The Ipcress File) and is produced by Beatriz Sequeira for Blumhouse, Jacob Jarek and Christian Tafdrup.
The film hits theaters this weekend. Are you planning to see it on the big screen?
