Speak No Evil – Film Review
Reviewed by Harris Dang on the 11th of September of 2024
Universal Pictures presents a film by James Watkins
Produced by Jason Blum, Paul Ritchie
Written by James Watkins based on the Danish film of the same name by Christian Tafdrup and Mads Tafdrup
Starring James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough, and Scoot McNairy
Edited by Jon Harris
Running Time: 110 minutes
Rating: MA15+
Release Date: the 12th of September 2024
Speak No Evil tells the story of the Dalton family, which includes Ben, Louise, and Agnes (Scoot McNairy, Mackenzie Davis and Alix West Lefler). They are having a vacation in Tuscany, Italy. They meet a friendly and jovial family who are from Britain. The British family consists of Paddy and Ciara and their son Ant (James McAvoy, Aisling Franciosi, and Dan Hough). The two families possess common interests, both have children the same age, but most importantly, their polite camaraderie makes their company enjoyable. Sometime later, the Daltons receive a postcard from Paddy’s family, expressing their gratitude of the time they have spent together. The postcard contains an invitation to invite the Daltons to stay at their countryside home for the weekend.
With their marriage strained and hoping for an easy fix, the Daltons take the long trip to their home and are welcomed with open arms. Beneath the courtesy and minor niceties belies something that cannot help but seem peculiar and off-putting. While the Dalton family swing back and forth in figuring out if the Dutch family are just unconventional through cultural and upbringing difference, there might be something beneath the demeanour that may be far more concerning.
Speak No Evil is the remake of the 2022 Dutch horror festival hit of the same name by Christian Tafdrup. The film stood out for critics and audiences due to its mix of true-to-life scenarios of the social awkwardness in human interaction combined with horror cine-literate language that ascended beyond rote genre material. The final result sent chills in how people can show blatant disregard for one’s humanity under the abhorrent guise of self-validation.
The remake is written and directed by James Watkins. Best known for his horror efforts such as The Woman in Black (2012), Black Mirror (2011), and Eden Lake (2008), Watkins is no stranger to films that are inescapably bleak. With his filmography, he is the perfect candidate for remaking Speak No Evil. But does the remake escape the shadow of the original film and stand on its own two feet?
The fact that the original Speak No Evil is mostly in English already speaks volumes about the remake’s execution. Because the majority of the audience will have proficiency in the English language, the concept of cultural differences is slightly muted in terms of esotericism. However, the remake compensates by using our familiarity of dated/established stereotypes and conflicting ideologies to its advantage by weaponising our bias to comedic and suspenseful effect.
The duality of repression and outgoing attitudes is as old as time itself and like the original film, the interactions between the actors provide ample drama and characterisation. But Watkins and the cast aim for a different approach and add some mirth to the proceedings. The double takes, the spirited performances, and the palpable passive-aggressiveness makes the film amusingly acerbic and sharp. Yet the film rarely veers off track in escalating its tension when it aims for dry comedy as Watkins’ handling of both horror and comedy have the same sharp timing that keeps the two effectives together.
The different approach works well enough in differentiating the remake from the original since most of the plot of the remake is faithful to the plot of the original. And the approach gives the actors more to do in terms of theatricality in an enclosed setting. Davis and McNairy are both effectively conflicted, sympathetic, and believable as Louise and Ben. Davis exudes a sense of fire and gumption with her character that comes out in defensive and even provocative ways (like how Louise inadvertently belittles Ben to Paddy and Ciara in terms of their intimacy) while McNairy manages to portray vulnerability and toxicity within the bravado of Ben.
McAvoy and Franciosi have the showier roles, and they sink their teeth into them with charisma, deviousness, and gleeful abandon. Franciosi has always taken on roles that required her to be emotionally compromised, which has resulted in acclaimed performances like in The Nightingale (2018) and The Fall (2013). In the case of Speak No Evil, she is given the chance to become crafty and duplicitous beneath the paternal exterior and she plays it with an understated allure that is convincing and engaging. McAvoy treats the role of Paddy like it is a five-course meal and plays the swagger with unbridled enthusiasm. But what makes his performance so well-done is how he manages to blur his charm with his cunning that the audience enjoys his company immensely even though they know what is impending.
Which leads to the predictability of the film. Even with the overly prevalent use of its marketing that reveals most of the film in its trailers, the path the film takes is well-trodden albeit in genre or remake terms. And since the film is through the Hollywood lens, those expecting the third act of the remake to be faithful to the original will be disappointed as the film caters to commercial aspirations. That said, the film still functions as an effective home invasion thriller (done in reverse) as it provided all of the all bouts of violence, catharsis, and hoorah with audience-pleasing satisfaction. And it follows the storytelling that had already taken the dryly comedic route and the two tones mesh together than the grim outlook of the original could have.
Overall, Speak No Evil is an entertaining remake that admirably takes its own path in reconciling its own execution within the solid framework of the original with emotionally rousing results. It is unfair to expect the bleak oppression of the original considering the commercial aspirations of the remake but thankfully, the film succeeds on its own terms.
Summary: An entertaining remake that admirably takes its own path in reconciling its own execution within the solid framework of the original with emotionally rousing results.
3.5
Solid
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