Despite being a remake that changes the entire third act, Speak No Evil impresses with a stellar performance from McAvoy.
PLOT: A family is invited to spend a weekend in an idyllic country house, unaware that their dream vacation will soon become a psychological nightmare.
REVIEW: I, like many, was very confused when they decided to remake Speak No Evil. The original film was released in 2022 and was mostly in English, so it seemed more logical to just put a spotlight on the Danish film. But given how few people have watched the film since I’ve been swayed toward this remake being a positive. Then the trailer played about 5000 times this summer and I just wanted it to release to save me from having to witness those teases again. This had nearly everything working against it yet somehow, against all odds, this remake kicks ass.
Speak No Evil follows a couple and their daughter as they’re invited out into the countryside by a family they just met. What starts out as a normal vacation gets increasingly weirder as violent tendencies start to reflect in their hosts. James McAvoy is absolutely the star of the show and gives a riveting performance as Paddy. He’s electric from one moment to the next and brings such a chaotic energy. This is an all-time performance from McAvoy and will likely stand out as a career-best. As evil as the trailers make him out to be, the performance is much more nuanced and he draws you in. He’s like a dog playing with a new toy, just testing how best to tear it apart.
Mackenzie Davis is a great foil to McAvoy, even if her character isn’t the most likable. Though Scoot McNairy‘s Ben may just be the most frustrating person in existence as he is such an immense pushover. At every turn, he’s unable to stand up for himself or his family. All of this is purposeful but it had me uninterested in the fate of the couple. Thankfully Davis becomes more likeable as Ben becomes more insufferable, as her actions almost seem reasonable. I said almost. There are some iffy character decisions throughout that feel purposeful if not still frustrating. I ultimately liked how the film ended up so it’s hard to go too hard on the logic of getting there.
Aisling Franciosi really impressed in Stopmotion, so it’s great to see her pop up in a big horror release. She plays crazy well and adds some interesting wrinkles. The original film was mostly focused on the darkness of the situation and big moments of horror. The characters are just surrogates for the events and don’t really have much personality outside of husband, wife, and child. Here, everyone feels so much more fleshed out, with Paddy and Ciara not screaming evil off the bat. The children are probably the most benefited by the script changes and actually get some moments to shine.
Writer/Director James Watkins was more than up to the task here, shooting a beautiful film that moves at a steady pace. He’s not afraid to recreate certain scenes but shows a surprising amount of restraint towards avoiding others. All of the changes feel like improvements and result in a more satisfying narrative from start to finish. I love how much he stayed on shots, ramping up the tension with every passing moment. It’s even acknowledged in the film that what you don’t see, can be even more exciting and he takes that to heart when building tension. It’s often what we don’t see that is the most terrifying.
As much as the trailer gave away, and as much as this is a fairly faithful remake, there’s still plenty different about Speak No Evil. The third act is entirely changed, which gives a different texture to the entire narrative. There are some uncomfortable moments but everything comes together in an interesting way. McAvoy is the clear standout but Davis also really impresses. I imagine this striking a similar chord as The Strangers did in 2008, as it feels just logical enough that it could happen. And isn’t that always the scariest kind of cinema?
SPEAK NO EVIL IS PLAYING IN THEATERS ON SEPTEMBER 13TH, 2024.
