An English-language remake of a Danish film from two years ago, what could go wrong? It turns out, in capable filmmaking hands, not a whole lot. Speak No Evil was originally a Danish film from 2022 that Blumhouse and Universal Pictures remade into the film that’s coming out this September 13th. It stars James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy, Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Lefler, and Dan Hough. It’s directed by James Watkins, and written by Christian Tafdrup, Mads Tafdrup, and Watkins. With all that out of the way, you’ve probably seen the trailer a million times in the past few months.

That trailer does a decent job of showing you what Speak No Evil is about, but if you need a refresher, it’s about Louise (Davis) and Ben Dalton (McNairy) and their daughter Agnes (Lefler). The three of them meet another family while on vacation in Italy, the charismatic and manly Paddy (McAvoy), his wife Ciara (Franciosi), and their son Ant (Hough). Ant has a developmental disability, where his tongue wasn’t fully formed, so he has trouble communicating. After some drinks and fun, Paddy extends an invitation for them to stay at their home in the West Country in the UK. Once there, Louise and Ben see the perks of living out in the country, but see some issues that arise with Paddy and his family. All the while, something bubbles under the surface, particularly with Ant.

James McAvoy in Speak No Evil (2024)

The beauty of Speak No Evil is that it knows the perfect tone to strike at any given moment. There are absolutely hilarious moments, there are frightening moments, there are moments where you don’t know what to think. All the while, James McAvoy is tearing up the scenery with the utmost macho energy. Throughout the film, it’s striking at just how unhinged Paddy can be, while being as charismatic as possible. It makes for an interesting dance that the audience has to make in their mind about if they want to like him or not. At a certain point in the story, that all flips, but Paddy’s charisma shines through for a good portion of the film.

Think of Speak No Evil like a reverse home invasion flick. Louise, Ben, and Agnes head to Paddy’s farm and have to figure out a way out. The ride to get there is filled with slight red flags from Paddy and Ciara’s relationship like their age gap, Paddy’s domineering behavior, and Ant’s cold demeanor towards his parents. Dan Hough’s performance could have been lost among the great jobs in the cast, particularly with Mackenzie Davis and James McAvoy, but Hough acts as the catalyst for the reveal in the third act. That reveal ends up as more disturbing than the marketing materials would let on.

Speak No Evil knows just when to throttle the tension and quickly release it back down with some levity. For a movie that seems like it should just be all scares and thrills, it follows the tried and true method of letting humor be a release valve. The movie, especially in the beginning section, lets McAvoy stretch out and show how great his comic timing is. There are also moments that the film plays off for laughs that are extremely awkward feeling, on purpose. Ciara and Paddy getting hammered and dancing to “Black Velvet” comes to mind.

Louise and Ben’s relationship also comes under the microscope giving audiences a juxtaposition between “the perfect couple” in Paddy and Ciara and the “broken couple” in Ben and Louise. That juxtaposition continues with Ben, where Scoot McNairy plays the sort of wimpy modern man perfectly. Paddy is all brawn, all manly energy, using his hands, and flexing his muscles. Ben is timid, passive, and doesn’t want conflict. It presents the perfect opportunity in the third act when the shit hits the fan. After the big reveal, the story is all cat and mouse between the two couples, who both know something is up, but are trying to hide that they know.

Just when it looks like the film will end a certain way, it takes plenty more twists and turns and ends with a bang. It does change the ending of the original film fundamentally, but this ending still feels like it’s not cheap or cleans up the original 2022 film’s ending. The small quibbles with Speak No Evil are mainly about pacing, and some of the character’s motivations are unclear. The relationship between Ciara and Paddy could have been explained more. There really isn’t a whole lot to complain about.

Outside of those small things, Speak No Evil is an absolutely rip-roaring time at the theater. See it with a crowd, the bigger moments play so well with people whooping and cheering along. It knows what tone to strike at any given moment. The performances across the board are fantastic, but Mackenzie Davis and James McAvoy really carry the film to a great place. This movie is incredibly fun, tense, thrilling, and while it’s not “scary” in the way that you’d think, the third act still has some jumpy moments. If you want a great movie to see this spooky season, Speak No Evil is it.

Speak No Evil releases in theaters on Friday, September 13th.

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