Let’s get the baggage out of the way early: James Watkins’ Speak No Evil is not a straight remake of Christian Tafdrup’s unforgiving 2022 Danish film. The beats are largely the same, the uncomfortable nature of the conversations have some of the same energy, but the exploration of gender roles is slightly different and…oh yeah, this one is pure Hollywood, baby. Even with an English filmmaker like Watkins, he’s doing an Americanized suspense thriller and the icewater simply isn’t in this one’s veins as with the original. That said, this unsettling newer version more than holds its own and reconfirms that James McAvoy is one of the scariest actors alive when he wants to be.
There have been slight changes, but the basic story remains the same. Mackenzie Davis and Scoot McNairy are Louise and Ben Dalton, wealthy American expats traveling Europe with their daughter, Agnes (Alix West Lefler). While staying at a resort in Italy, they encounter bold, spirited couple Paddy (McAvoy) and Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), who along with their mute son Ant (Dan Hough) easily charm the Americans with their brash attitude and aggressive humor. In particular, Paddy comes across as an alpha male straight out of a frat house. He loves pushing others’ buttons and getting reactions from people. He seems fueled by it.
When the trip is over, Louise and Ben are invited to Paddy and Ciara’s idyllic country home. The Americans, who are having some difficulties of their own financially, decide to take them up on the offer. As soon as they arrive, however, tensions start to escalate. Speak No Evil is many movies rolled into one. The first half can be seen in some ways as a dark comedy of manners, full of awkward situations and bristling encounters. Paddy pushes his machismo in Ben’s face at every turn, even eyeing Louise during an embarrassing skinny-dipping excursion. But what starts out as slightly tricky social interactions become something more concerning as Paddy becomes more of a bully, and Ciara begins asserting control over Agnes, much to Louise’s dismay. Meanwhile, Ant begins to show signs of literally unspeakable trauma.
The second half of the movie is something else altogether. While we watch the friendship deteriorate, and the Dalton marriage suffer from dwindling trust in one another, it sets up a brutal, claustrophobic siege-style horror movie. Speak No Evil measures up to the original in action and violence, but it’s slightly more ridiculous and unbelievable in the way it keeps escape out of Louise and Ben’s grasp. There are moments in the film where they could probably get away, but then some contrivance keeps them firmly in place. Times such as this can snap you out of the moment, but then McAvoy’s terrifying presence pulls you back in.
If you thought McAvoy was scary as The Beast in Split and Glass, he’s fearsome as shit in Speak No Evil. More so because Paddy isn’t a superhuman with a split personality; he’s like a lot of abusive, toxic guys we know. He can be disarmingly charming, and is much of the time; even when that charm is a bit gruff. But when he stops trying to be nice, it’s like he’s become the version of himself he likes the most. McAvoy is too good at playing both sides. Then again, he’s well-practiced in this genre and is perfect in this role.
While McNairy and Franciosi are solid in roles that feel deliberately minimal, Davis kicks ass in the role of Louise. Effectively, she wears the pants in the Dalton household and it shows. Interestingly, she tries repeatedly to give Ben the chance to step up and…well, to be a man, and he repeatedly lets her down. Never trust a man to do what a woman can do even better.
Watkins has a solid horror track record with successful horror films The Woman in Black and Eden Lake. He also directed the unforgettable Black Mirror episode Shut Up and Dance. He navigates the tricky interpersonal stuff and the gruesome horror aspects equally well.
I remember being gutted by the conclusion of the previous movie. It’s one of those movies I’m not sure I want to ever watch again because of it. This version of Speak No Evil doesn’t leave the same visceral reaction. It’s still harshly efficient in its own way, and had the crowd cheering at the Comic-Con screening I attended. But purists who desire the same sort of bleak outcome could take issue with a more palatable finale. Still, Speak No Evil is a strong remake that will have you bristling uncomfortably in your seat, and eager to discuss when it’s over.
Speak No Evil opens in theaters on September 13th.
