Speak No Evil review.
Can an Americanized version of a notoriously devastating story justify its existence? Our look at a story that will be viewed completely differently depending on your familiarity with the original.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers. Even if they are near immediate remakes of a movie we’ve already covered.
Speak No Evil
Directed by James Watkins
Screenplay by James Watkins
Starring James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy, Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough and Kris Hitchen
Speak No Evil Review
When a remake of Speak No Evil starring James McAvoy was first announced my mind immediately went to two places. First…McAvoy is going to give us one crazy good performance in the role first played by Fedja Van Huêt. The character is tailor made for McAvoy’s mix of playfulness and intensity. The trailers for this version (you may have seen them once or twice) confirmed that suspicion months ago. I’d have to wait until the film’s release to see if the second thought was just as accurate. That being, of course, that a Speak No Evil made for US audiences wouldn’t have the nerve to give us the bleak, depressing ending that made Christian Tafdrup’s original impossible to shake. Well…the movie is in theaters now. And you’ll never guess what happened.
Before we get to the meat of this improbably fast American remake (Tafdrup’s version came out in 2022) …let’s talk about that original for a minute. It’s available on Shudder right now and I thoroughly recommend watching it. What makes Tafdrup’s film so special is the persistent sense of dread forged by our everyday human responses. Strangers…are, in fact, strange. Things can look one way and feel another. Tafdrup understands that we are going to bring our own apprehensions to the table when Bjorn and Louise boldly (or foolishly) travel to the home of a family they met on vacation. It’s scary because we would be scared. The tension ramps up as the story slowly reveals that things aren’t what they seem. Our fears become real. A brutal climax leaves you feeling utterly destroyed.
Flash forward to those unavoidable trailers for this year’s Speak No Evil. There’s no point speaking in riddles about it…you’ve seen them. While everyone was criticizing the frequency with which they were shown…people familiar with the original were wondering why in the world they were giving away so many key parts of the story. All the tension Tafdrup instilled in his film is undone in under three minutes over five months before Speak No Evil was set to hit theaters. It showcased the expected McAvoy talent on display…at the cost of leaving zero doubt what direction the story will go in. That’s a regular criticism of US film trailers. Knock at the Cabin (like Speak No Evil…a Universal Pictures release) carelessly gave the answer to the movie’s only question in one of its trailers. These trailers raised an interesting point about how to look at this remake.
Most of the people who will head to theaters to see this version probably have no idea it’s a remake. Choices within the story aren’t made with any thought to what the smaller percentage of people familiar with Tafdrup’s movie will think of it. They already have that version. When those people question why the trailer spoils so many things…they’re missing the point. Universal Pictures doesn’t care how you experience the movie. Only that you experience it. James McAvoy’s evil smiles and physical violence are shown in hopes you’ll buy a ticket. Showcasing his performance is the best selling point the movie has. It’s also how you can be certain that Tafdrup’s devastating ending will not be found here.
Which makes James Watkins’s version of Speak No Evil an interesting case study. Is there an Americanized version of this story that can provide more than a platform for a memorable McAvoy performance? Is there a less bleak ending to the abundance of obviously repeated lead material that will fit satisfactorily? What does Speak No Evil feel like without the unforgettable gut punch that marks its final moments?
It turns out it feels exactly what you expect it to feel like. The Americanized version of Speak No Evil couldn’t be more of what you think it is if it tried. It’s a gorgeously shot, well cast, well made, neutered version of the original. Which leads us back to the two different types of viewers that will see Watkins’ version. If you have no familiarity with the original…you’re going to get a really good movie. The entirely different climax offers up the most exciting scenes in the movie. It’s a fun time. Like you’d expect to see in mainstream American cinemas. McAvoy is as advertised. He isn’t alone in delivering a strong performance. It’s easily the best thing Blumhouse has put in theaters in a few years.
If you have seen the original…watching 2024’s Speak No Evil is a strange experience. It plays out the same…until it doesn’t. It’s an effective slow burn despite the trailers telling you what’s going to happen. When things do turn…Speak No Evil becomes a completely different story. Watching this alternate reality unfold feels like wish fulfillment for someone who couldn’t handle the dark nature of the original’s ending. It isn’t aggravating in the way you might worry about. Just…a completely different take on the same characters living in the same world that both movies explore.
If nothing else, it makes this a unique remake. A choose your own adventure where you picked the right option this time. It’s not a better ending. It isn’t even a more satisfying ending if you were a fan of the 2022 movie. What it is, however, is an unexpectedly strong compliment to what we saw two years ago. A throwback to the days when a DVD special feature would include extensive alternate endings. 2024’s Speak No Evil is the reshot version after test audiences turned in their cards following 2022’s devastating choices. More mass appeal…less special. Still good.
Scare Value
Speak No Evil is a hard movie to score. If this is the only version of the story you ever see…it’s a very good movie. Probably a 3.5/5. A high-quality production featuring great performances. It captures the beauty and the suspense of the original and expands on it in places. The new climax is an exciting, if predictable, time at the movies. Its biggest issue should be obvious. The original movie’s ending is flat out better. A lot better. As a companion piece to the 2022 movie…this works out better than you’d think. A solid 3/5. How do you judge that on its own merits? We’ll give it the benefit of the doubt. Either way…be sure to watch that original movie at some point.
3.5/5
Speak No Evil Link
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