Review: Speak No Evil
James McAvoy gives a terrifying and brilliant performance in Speak No Evil, James Watkins’ American adaptation of Christian Tafdrup’s 2022 Danish thriller of the same name.
Speak No Evil is almost beat for beat the same as the original until the film’s final act. Louise (Mackenzie Davis) and Ben (Scoot McNairy) are an American couple on vacation with their daughter in Tuscany. They befriend a British family, Paddy (James McAvoy) and Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), who invite Louise, Ben, and their daughter to their idyllic country estate, only for the weekend to turn into psychological torture.
My screening of Speak No Evil was interesting because it was a mix of people who had seen Tardrup’s film and those who had not. I noticed a lot of the audience, which was a mixture of film critics and general audience members, had not seen the original film due to their yelling at the screen or audible emotions when something surprising would happen. The people sitting behind me would insult the characters on screen for making a dumb decision or if they did something mean or comfortable, a tell-tale sign they had no idea what would come. There were other people in the theater, like me, who would get a small chuckle at a passing line or weren’t as surprised by some of the film’s events.
I bring this up because, based on audience reaction and surprise, I feel like not a lot of people saw Tardrup’s film. If you haven’t seen the original film or have been lucky enough to avoid any of the trailers for the film that show way too much in terms of surprises and twists, then you might find this version of Speak No Evil to be as brutal as those of us who saw the original. For those who have seen the original, which is a dark, twisted, haunting film I recommend everyone seek out, you’ll find that most of this version is a lot like the original. The first two-thirds of the film were on par with Tardrup’s film. It’s an uncomfortable, tense first two acts filled with mystery, shock, and even some humor, which nicely cuts the tension. With the film’s focus entirely on these two families and setting most of it at Paddy and Ciara’s home, it feels like we are also on this trip with Louise and Ben, which forces us to witness awkward arguments about vegetarianism and how to raise children that will have every part of your body clenching. Even if you’ve seen the original, your stomach with turn, and your body will tense up during these encounters.
The final act of the film is where Speak No Evil fell apart for me. Besides softening the events of what happened in the original (which are horrifying and bleak), Speak No Evil turns into a house-under-attack finale that we’ve seen in constant horror movies that ends up turning into a bloody melee as the family tries to escape to safety. It was a real bummer watching the ending playout with little tension. For a film that was unpredictable and interesting for the first two acts, it was disappointing to see the finale end in such a cliché, boring way.
What keeps Speak No Evil going, even through the finale, is the performance by James McAvoy. McAvoy, who already has a great performance of a man with multiple personalities in M. Night Shyamalan’s Split and Glass, gives another performance here of a man who always has you on edge. One second, he’ll make a creepy comment that will make your skin crawl, the next he’ll crack a joke and make you want to have a beer with him. McAvoy was the perfect casting for this as he can perfectly balance charm and intensity and be able to switch back and forth in a snap with ease. It’s another great performance from McAvoy in a horror remake that would have been great if not for the lackluster finale.
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