Speak No Evil (2024) movie poster / Contributed
“Speak No Evil” (2024) is the American remake of a Danish horror film of the same name. Directed by James Watkins, it follows an American family and a British one that meet on vacation and end up staying together for the weekend at the British family’s estate. As you can imagine, with the movie being labeled horror, the dream weekend and family twist into something out of a nightmare.
Our protagonists, the American family, are first introduced to the British family in Italy, where despite the beautiful shots of the countryside and food, a sense of envy and discomfort permeates. The Americans crave the perfection that the English seem to have achieved. It is clear from the very first interaction that Paddy (James McAvoy), the father in the English family, is obsessed with pushing boundaries. This is the theme throughout the movie, to see how far the people-pleasing Americans will let him go.
Soon, it is not just the American parents that are uncomfortable but the audience as well. We figure out what is going on long before the victims, and the reason for the title becomes clear as Ant (Dan Hough), the English couple’s son with no tongue, tries to warn them of their approaching doom. His acting is wonderful and captures the true horror of the situation. The rest of the acting is good, but James McAvoy is phenomenal. He portrays a psychopath that is equally disturbing and charming.
How his perceived sanity disappears is deeply unsettling to watch. It truly makes the movie something that you cannot stop watching despite the growing pit in your stomach.
The tension and uneasiness that builds during the film is great, but the climax does not totally capitalize on what should have been explosive. The end has one of my favorite scenes (if you know, you know), but it seems like they were afraid to follow through with the gore and tragedy of the film.
“Speak No Evil” is a disturbing psychological thriller worth watching if only for James McAvoy’s performance. It lingers rather than shocks, with scenes that I will be thinking about at three in the morning for at least the next week. The original Danish film is enjoyable as well, so if you have the time for a scary movie marathon, one or both should make the cut.