Some of the best films are the ones you never see coming. Case in point, James Watkins’s “Speak No Evil,” a remake of the 2022 Danish suspense thriller of the same name. What starts out as a comedy of two mismatched families enjoying their vacation transforms into a gripping suspense thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat thanks in no small part to James McAvoy’s charmingly unhinged performance as the lead antagonist.
Having not seen the original before, this will be more of a review of the 2024 version rather than comparing the two. However, based on conversations, Watkins pays homage to the original while adding a few tweaks to make the film stand independently.
While the film’s ominous cold opening of a married couple driving into a remote estate in the cover of darkness sets the overall tone, quickly back pedaling into something more contrary. Transitioning into something more sunny and warm, we are introduced to Ben (Scoot McNairy) and Louise (Mackenzie Davis), and their daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler), your typical family who are trying to spend their quiet vacation in Italy. Though they are cordial with other guests, all they want to do is be together – despite other problems that await them when they return home. Soon, they befriend an unlikely mischievous family of three, Paddy (James McAvoy) and his wife Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), and their son Ant (Dan Hough). For Ben and Louise, meeting Paddy and Ciara is just what they needed. Paddy’s charm is alluring, and it’s hard not to gravitate towards someone so outgoing, honest, and friendly. They share stories and learn a lot about each other, although you get a sense that the film reveals more about Ben and Louise than it does about Paddy and Ciara. But Ben and Louise don’t suspect anything is a miss. They finally have people they can connect with and someone who can get them out of a jam when other annoying vacationers ruin the moment. Not only that, but Anges can play with someone her age.
Upon their return home, Paddy sends them a post card inviting them to their estate in England. Believing that spending a weekend getaway with their new friends could help repair their marriage, Ben and Louise accept their invitation and take their daughter. When they arrive, its everything they could want to escape their problems and fix what’s broken. Although, Ben and Louise soon realize that things aren’t what they seem. The two refuse to be honest about the unkempt house and uncomfortable moments lead them to believe that this isn’t the family they met back in Italy. Soon enough, things start to spiral out of control, and what was supposed to be a getaway has turned into desperate attempts to escape captivity.
Though one doesn’t need to see the original to understand the story, the trailers give away a good chunk of the reveals. This is unfortunate because the twists and turns would have been more organic had it not been spoiled so early on. That said, “Speak No Evil” heavily relies on the cast’s solid performances and the other technical aspects to carry the film.
The film revolves around the themes of honesty, with Ben and Louise being unable to be open with others, much less themselves. Neither of them can speak out about some of the frustrations of work or how inappropriate texts are putting a strain on their marriage. For them, Paddy and Ciara are the antithesis of their marriage. While the former accepted the latter’s gracious invitation for a getaway at a remote estate, the home is in absolute shambles, and it’s like Paddy and Ciara didn’t even bother to prepare for a welcome. However, Ben and Louise keep it all to themselves to avoid being rude or ungrateful. Earlier scenes reveal they are a family of previlage, while Paddy and Ciara speak of a harsher upbringing. The rural home is also the polar opposite of what Ben and Louise are accustomed to, so they converse when the doors are closed or their hosts are out of sight.
Where one is quiet and reserved even amongst themselves, the other is more vocal and outgoing. Ben is meek, whereas Paddy is strong. The mysterious family Ben and Louise have accepted into their lives exploit their vulnerabilities through charm and deception, often making their targets question their sanity. Are Ben and Louise afraid to tell Paddy that Louise doesn’t eat meat, after she explicitly told them during their vacation, when Paddy feeds her a piece of goose he just killed? Did they mishear Paddy saying he was a doctor when Louise got injured? Though these mind games were revealed in the trailers and are a part of suspense thrillers like these, the cast plays their parts so convincingly that the spoilers don’t matter.
Social class aside, the film also delves into defining gender roles and the differences between family discipline. “Speak No Evil” can address these contrasts because these two families are diametrically opposed. Using his alpha male posturing, Paddy often helps bring out the “man” in Ben. The two would speak about their places in their respective relationships when it’s Ciara and Louise.
So, when it comes to the third act, Ben and Louise’s decision-making becomes predictable. These characters will make terrible decisions (which are equal parts funny and frustrating), but there wouldn’t be much of a film had they not befriended these two so quickly. As such, McNairy and Davis’s characters bring emotional depth to the film as they had a lot to lose had they not gone on this getaway. Adding to the complication is Anges, who has an attachment to her stuffed bunny that helps her cope with the anxieties she suffers. Ben wants her to realize she is too old to have such attachments, while Louise believes it’s okay for her to keep them. Of course, this item will be the family’s undoing as Anges can’t cope without it.
McAvoy, on the other hand, is charming at first glance and then captivatingly unhinged the next. His unpredictable nature keeps Ben, Louse, and the audience off guard. He starts out charming at first but then makes us uncomfortable with his words and interactions with Ant. Soon enough, that unhinged performance envelopes the film to a point where it’s so frightening, yet you can’t look away because you want to see how it all ends. Jon Harris’s editing keeps the film running smoothly. At the same time, Tim Maurice-Jones’s shots have audiences looking at every inch of the framing while screaming that someone is looking at Ben and Louise.
Like all great horrors, “Speak No Evil” cleverly weaves in social commentary while disguising itself as an outright scary suspense thriller that keeps audiences on the edge. It may not be for everyone, especially those who loved the original, but McAvoy’s charmingly unhinged performance, along with Davis and McNairy bringing emotional depth, is worth watching on the big screen.
8.5/10
Speak No Evil is in theaters September 13, 2024
