Running Time: 110 minutes
This feature from Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions opens at theaters on September 13th.
Believe it or not, the new film Speak No Evil is actually a remake of a very popular and critically lauded 2022 Danish film. It even won awards in its homeland. This information gave this reviewer the impression that this redo might be more of an arthouse thriller than a chiller. As it turns out, that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. This film is a disturbing effort that fully embraces fear and terror as it reveals itself.
When quiet American couple Louise Dalton (Mackenzie Davis) and husband Ben (Scoot McNairy) visit Tuscany with anxiety-prone 11-year-old daughter Agnes Dalton (Alix West Lefler), they repeatedly cross paths with another family. Paddy (James McAvoy), Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) and their mute son Ant (Dan Hough) are a British family who seem to be enjoying their time a little more than the leads. After Paddy breaks the ice, Ben and Louise explain that they have recently moved to London and are struggling to adapt to the change in their lives. As it is later revealed, there is also friction in their marriage. Paddy soon invites the family to stay at their remote farm, have some fun and disconnect from the outside world. An envious Ben is excited by the idea and Louise eventually relents. After arriving, it isn’t long before extrovert Paddy begins to prod, resulting in an increasingly tense visit.
While the story embraces the cliché of having the leads agree to travel to a desolate location to spend time with people they know little about, what follows is (at least during the first two-thirds of the picture) more unique than initially anticipated. In fact, the film starts as a dark comedy of manners, with the American leads attempting to get a handle on their blunt hosts, who are constantly poking fun at their politeness. As the time passes, Paddy becomes more and more brazen, leading to some of the most awkward and uncomfortable conversations imaginable. In the process, the emasculated Ben almost becomes charmed by Paddy’s directness and, at times, toxic masculinity.
The interactions do push some boundaries as to what an audience would expect a guest to tolerate, but they are indeed trapped on the farm. The performances are also so excellent that viewers are carried along on the ride. McAvoy appears to be having a great time in the role of the diabolical Paddy, who engages Louise in arguments. He provokes in order to get a big response, and then uses her reaction to bolster his own point. It creates tension not only between them, but between herself and husband Ben. And Ciara is no less trouble. Some memorable exchanges include a clash over Louise’s pescatarian eating habits, as well as an extremely unsettling exchange on parenting techniques. Co-star Davis convincingly moves from stoicism to more overt defense tactics as the palpable strain increases.
There is also an important and effective subplot involving daughter Agnes, who is bunked with the speechless and oddly behaved Ant. Initially fearful and leery of being near him, the thread manages to take an unexpected turn as events progress.
When all is revealed and strain and pressure escalate into physical confrontations, the film finally resorts to using standard genre tropes in order to deliver a dramatic climax. I’ll admit to not having seen the original, but I get the sense that the close of the film was likely far more unsettling than what North American audiences are getting. But at least the final moments may also leave one wondering if some of the antagonist’s tendencies haven’t been transferred to others.
Yes, the climax doesn’t surprise, but at least it is excitingly delivered and packs a literal wallop. This picture was screened to critics with a public audience, and a number of the crowd were shouting at the screen. While sometimes they complained about choices made by some of the individuals, this reviewer couldn’t help but notice how truly engaged they were in the climax. The cast in the film are very strong and early sections are unique enough to involve viewers in the plight of the protagonists. Although I suspect this version of Speak No Evil isn’t as ruthless as the original, it’ll provide the goods to anyone looking for a creepy evening at the cinema.