James McAvoy in “Speak No Evil.” Credit: (Jay Maidment/Universal Pictures and Blumhouse/TNS)
Disclaimer: “Speak No Evil” has not yet been released in theaters, with its wide-scale distribution officially set to begin Friday. The Lantern recently participated in an early film screening as well as a virtual roundtable interview with lead actress Mackenzie Davis.
Snakes. Heights. The dark. These common fears are widely acknowledged as daunting.
“Speak No Evil” — director James Watkins’ English-language remake of Danish director Christian Tafdrup’s 2022 film by the same name — draws attention to another primordial fear that may just be more frightening than any other: dinner parties.
Whether it’s dinner with in-laws, drinks with co-workers or high school reunions, everyone has had to begrudgingly put on a good face to maintain the fragile balance of politeness and decorum that keeps an awkward situation from getting ugly.
In “Speak No Evil,” an American family befriends an overly exuberant British couple while on vacation, eventually agreeing to spend a few days at their house so their shy children can bond with one another.
What starts as a seemingly successful playdate quickly turns into a fascinating battle of wills between the two sets of parents, as the British couple’s eccentric personalities begin to make the Americans question if their hosts are hiding a dark secret.
“Speak No Evil” isn’t a horror movie in the traditional sense of the term. It lacks the jumpscares and consistent frights necessary to consistently conform to the genre, but what it does offer is arguably more terrifying.
The film explores how much people will excuse in the name of courtesy, even if it comes at the expense of their own well-being — or their immediate safety.
Though it may not be the most textbook horror flick, “Speak No Evil” is overpoweringly uneasy.
The sometimes-cringe, sometimes-disturbing feeling permeating through the screen isn’t caused by gore or monsters; rather, this discomfort emerges from filmmakers pointing a mirror at viewers, suggesting that if they were in a similar situation, they’d express similar behaviors to avoid an uncomfortable conversation or two.
The main controversy surrounding “Speak No Evil” is its remake status, seeing as the original film was released just two years ago. Some have criticized the apparent need to pander to English-speaking audiences that are too lazy to read subtitles.
It’s true the newest “Speak No Evil” doesn’t do much to justify its existence, apart from featuring a terrifying performance from James McAvoy — arguably his best showing since his role as a young Professor X in the “X-Men” franchise.
The film is essentially a beat-for-beat remake of its Danish predecessor, with the only notable difference being its slightly more comedic tone.
Debates around remakes aside, “Speak No Evil” is here, and it’s undoubtedly an entertaining, well-paced horror-comedy that features great performances from its leads, including McAvoy and Mackenzie Davis (“Black Mirror,” “The Martian”).
Ultimately, “Speak No Evil” is an uncomfortably relatable film that adds to 2024’s growing slate of underappreciated horror flicks.
Rating: 3.5/5
