Directed and written by James Watkins, Speak No Evil marks the director’s return to the horror genre in which he previously found success with both The Woman in Black (2012) and Eden Lake (2008). Thanks to a stellar performance by the cast involved, with an especially impressive James McAvoy in one of the lead roles, the film takes its viewers on an entertaining and chilling journey across the British countryside.
★★★✰✰
Speak No Evil starts in Italy where two entirely different families meet while vacationing in Tuscany. On one hand, there are Louise (Mackenzie Davis) and Ben Dalton (Scoot McNairy) with their daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler), who have recently moved to London from the United States. They seem like the perfectly normal traditional family, if only a little overprotective of their daughter, who are struggling to find their feet in a new country.
On the other hand, Paddy (James McAvoy), Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), and their son Ant (Dan Hough) appear to be a lot more free-spirited, almost the total opposite of their American counterparts. After going back to their respective homes, Paddy and Ciara invite the Daltons to spend a weekend at their farmhouse in the British countryside where everyone will learn a sinister truth and uncover secrets about each other.
At one of the multimedia screenings in London for his newest film, Speak No Evil, James Watkins spoke about the UK setting of the film, something he was very keen to include since early discussions about the project began. As a remake of a 2022 Danish film of the same name, one of the most distinctive characteristics of this version is, in fact, the British setting. A lot of the humor of the film comes from jokes about the UK environment and society that many in the audience will be familiar with, This also speaks to the cultural specificity of the movie: not only was a lot of it filmed in the UK but the creative talent behind it is also British, from the director and writer to the majority of the cast. This version of the story also feels somewhat less terrifying – as Watkins’ film focuses on creating tension instead – and in a way more hopeful in its characters’ arcs and plotlines.
During its runtime, Speak No Evil does an excellent job at combining the comedic aspects of the film, which ends up being surprisingly funny more often than not – with the more tense and frightening moments. This all culminates in an especially well-paced third act that makes its slow beginning very much worthwhile. James McAvoy particularly stands out in this sense with an impressive performance as one of the lead characters. In his portrayal of Paddy, McAvoy manages to be equally funny, charismatic, creepy, and terrifying all in the same breath, proving once again his versatility and chameleonic talent as an actor as viewers might have already seen in Split (2016).
The exploration of toxic masculinity is particularly interesting: it functions as an inciting incident for the first half of the movie in the way it creates competition and comparison between the two male characters. This is mirrored in many ways in the female characters who, on the other hand, can be seen as an investigation of motherhood. More often than not, it seems like the plot is literally propelled by mother’s love as its driving force in its entire second act. This allows the characters to justify their actions – whether that is for better or worse- and go through a journey of growth throughout the movie.
However, it is also far from being a perfect movie. The film sets up some key character traits – the fact that Louise is American is mentioned more times than one could count – and recurring themes without any of them really paying off in terms of either character development or jokes later in the movie. For example, the fact that Paddy is a doctor constantly comes back in the script but the film never directly addresses whether or not he lied about his profession. Similarly, Speak No Evil could have gone into more detail about the relationship between Paddy and Ciara and their backgrounds which are, instead, left to the audience’s imagination.
For a horror film, it also feels more tense than actually scary, which is perhaps the other biggest difference from the much more horrifying original movie. This is not necessarily a fault as Speak No Evil still manages to keep its viewers on the edge of their seats until the very last frame. Despite the growing tension, however, the ending of the film remains a little too predictable in the way the story concludes: what surprises us, rather, is how the characters get to that point rather than the final outcome itself.
The Verdict
With its tense yet funny tone, Speak No Evil is the perfect film for a fun night at the cinema. It makes for a very enjoyable movie for fans of the genre and particularly for those in the audience who are excited to see James McAvoy in another scary and brilliant leading role. Best enjoyed with a crowd that will laugh at its jokes and hold their breath in its most thrilling moments, it will take you on an emotional rollercoaster.
Words by Clotilde Chinnici
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