Speak No Evil [2024] – Movie Review (3/5)

SPEAK NO EVIL (2024) is the American remake of the successful Danish horror film from 2022. A film we gave a top rating. James McAvoy is amazing in this version, but there are quite a few changes in the remake. Read our full Speak No Evil remake movie review here!

From The Netherlands to England

In this Speak No Evil remake, the Danish family has been turned into an American family. Also, the brutal Dutch couple is now British. Obviously, this also moves the majority of the story from a small Dutch town to the countryside in England.

The American couple meets the British one on a holiday in Italy. Then, just like in the original film, our protagonists are invited to spend the weekend at an idyllic country estate. Now with the (seemingly) charming British family.

However, it doesn’t take long after the arrival before the idyllic farm holiday turns into a neverending nightmare.

First, there are small strange situations and weird incidents. Later, it turns life-threatening, and drastic decisions must be made if the American couple (and their daughter) are to escape their nightmare.

From Danish tourists to Americans

Overall, I’m not against remakes. Not at all. Whether it’s remakes that come after a few decades and are reinterpretations (such as The Hills Have Eyes), or remakes in other languages ​​(as with Ringu and The Ring).

At the same time, however, I also want to acknowledge that remakes aren’t always necessary. With this one, however, there are so many changes that it comes across as a new interpretation based on the same basic premise.

The entire last third – approximately – offers a completely new story. This also means the ending of this remake differs wildly from the Danish original version. Whether you prefer the Danish or the American depends on personal preference.

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Our article about the ending of the Speak No Evil remake >

I think the Danish one was much more psychologically creepy, and it’s a film that still has a grip on me. This 2024 English-language version has an ending that is more entertaining in many ways.

An eerily good James McAvoy

Whichever version one prefers, the actors in both films are fantastic. Although I prefer the Danish one, I was extremely excited about James McAvoy (Split) as Paddy in this 2024 remake.

Good Lord, he is amazing at being charming one second and unbelievably scary the next.

Mackenzie Davis (Terminator: Dark Fate) also made a deep impression on me. The way she alternated between being insistent (and a little annoying) to quickly compromise again when the good atmosphere needs to be secured.

To me, Mackenzie Davis is always exciting and often pretty (okay, very!) cool. This Speak No Evil remake is no exception.

Of course, both Scoot McNairy (A Quiet Place Part II) and Aisling Franciosi (Stopmotion) are also fantastic. They portray the spouses of Mackenzie Davis’ and James McAvoy’s characters respectively.

Watch the Speak No Evil remake in theaters 

This new version of Speak No Evil is written and directed by James Watkins. He previously made films such as Eden Lake and The Woman in Black. Especially the former gave me faith that this remake could easily be as cruel and dark as the Danish one.

If you haven’t watched Eden Lake (2008), I highly recommend it. Well, if you can stomach it, of course.

In fact, for a moment towards the end, I thought James Watkins was coming up with an ending at least as sinister as the original. But no. Still, it hits the right tone and vibe overall. And I fully expect that some viewers will prefer his version.

The movie is based on Christian Tafdrup and Mads Tafdrup’s script from the 2022 film adaptation. Christian Tafdrup was the director of the film and is also an executive producer of this 2024 remake.

We gave the original movie one of our rare top ratings, and we’re not there with the remake. However, it is still my strong recommendation that you watch the film and judge for yourself. Maybe you’ll prefer this version?

Produced by Jason Blum (M3GAN) for Blumhouse, James Watkins’ Speak No Evil is made for the broader horror audience, and I expect they will love it. Whether it will be on various “Best Horror Movies of the Year”-lists, as the Danish original was, is less likely.

Speak No Evil is out in theaters from Friday, September 13, 2024.

Details

Cast: James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough and Scoot McNairy 
Written for the Screen and Directed by: James Watkins 
Based on the screenplay by: Christian Tafdrup and Mads Tafdrup