When Speak No Evil premiered at Sundance in 2022, it may have been expected that the film would receive a larger and more widespread reception than it actually received.
The Danish indie film barely made half a million at the box office and was not released outside Denmark and the Netherlands. This lack of attention from international audiences probably encouraged Blumhouse, the production company synonymous with horror films, to remake the film just two years later.
The remake, albeit without a new title, “Speak No Evil” is a powerful psychological thriller that shows the mental, physical and emotional depth of the protagonists on screen and also rewrites the ending with a less grim conclusion.
Although the film follows a predictable course in terms of plot and characters that viewers are sure to anticipate, it will still shock and awe thanks to its secret weapon: James McAvoy.
The Scottish actor is no stranger to roles as complex, both emotionally and physically, as Paddy, the film’s intrepid villain. It could be argued that this character is just another cog in the wheel of multi-personality that he navigated so flawlessly as Dennis in Split and again in Glass.
Paddy is loud and brash, a notorious psychopath who disguises himself as a family man along with his free-spirited wife Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) and mild-mannered son Ant (Dan Hough). His calm demeanor is largely due to his lack of a tongue.
While on holiday in the Italian countryside, they befriend the Daltons. Ben Dalton (Scoot McNairy) moved with his family from America to England, where he subsequently lost his job, putting pressure on his wife Louise (Mackenzie Davis), a staunch vegetarian and Type-A frontier thinker, to earn a living and keep their life in order.
Her constant worry is likely the cause of her daughter’s innate, unwavering anxiety. Agnes (Alix West Lefler) is deeply anxious and clings to her comfortable, stuffy surroundings despite her young adulthood.
Under the Tuscan sun, in a haze of goodwill and holiday warmth, the two families find a bond that they carry with them to the next weekend. The Daltons drive for hours from London to the remote country estate where their new friends live, far from civilization.
The structure and many plot points have remained unchanged from its 2022 predecessor, with the exception of the revised ending.
The film doesn’t run many scenes that viewers aren’t expecting, thanks to the horror movie cliches that have infiltrated our general subconscious. A remote farmhouse setting calls for a big showdown with guns blazing. The disturbed boy missing his tongue will no doubt reveal some plot-altering details. There are sure to be turning points that will have you screaming at the screen: “Don’t go back into the house! Don’t break up! Why would you do that?”
This is where the social commentary comes to the fore, and the film’s subtle condemnation of “civilized” society is all too relevant. It’s not just that we hate it when characters on screen fall into predictable traps. It’s that every warning sign should send the Daltons running for the nearest exit.
Instead of putting their families and lives first, Ben and Louise struggle to appease these total strangers who have shown them time and time again that they cannot be trusted. Louise, not wanting to make a fuss about her eating habits, agrees to a piece of poultry. Ben, eager to impress Paddy and match his machismo, ignores the growing concerns of his wife and daughter.
Horror films are, in my opinion, the best way to deliver social criticism. However, there is something special about this new entry in the genre, and it is largely thanks to McAvoy’s dark, crazy and absolutely mesmerizing performance. After a long career of bringing life to every character he portrayed, McAvoy has perfected the art of car crash acting, the kind of acting that keeps you glued to the screen and makes him one of the most interesting actors working today.
And he’s not alone in fighting the good fight. All four adult actors fill their necessary corners, turning each scene into a flawlessly orchestrated dance. Davis, who’s been on my radar since she appeared in a critically acclaimed episode of Black Mirror in 2016, plays Louise as Paddy’s counterpart. While both of their emotions are big, loud and disruptive, they lie at opposite ends of the spectrum. Paddy’s anger battles Louise’s fear.
As the action builds in the third act, a power struggle develops that will leave audiences glued to their seats and speechless at the evilness of human incompetence.
“Speak No Evil” is now in theaters.
