I prefer to think that I keep an open mind when it comes to film and television. But this year I did happen to judge a book by its cover – the English language Speak No Evil remake whose lackluster trailer almost led to me to miss out on one of the best cinema experiences I have had this year.
When the Speak No Evil remake was first announced, I did think, what's the point? As a fan of the 2022 Danish version (which is largely in English anyway), I felt we didn't need a remake of a two-year-old movie. Christian Tafdrup's original film follows a Danish family who visit a Dutch one they met on vacation earlier, only to find their holiday friends are not all they seemed to be. A lot of tension in the movie comes from the two families speaking different languages – something that an English version would lack.
Then, the trailer dropped in April, and to say I was disappointed is an understatement. It looked shot for shot the same as the original's trailer, then went one step further and gave away some major spoilers from the 2022 movie. I did wonder if the teaser was a red herring and if the movie would have a whole different ending, but I didn't hold out much hope. Nevertheless, with nothing else to watch that weekend in September, I took a trip to the theater like I do every Friday and purchased a ticket for Speak No Evil, fully expecting to come out bored and let down. But oh, was I wrong.
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The more the merrier
James Watkins's 2024 version follows an American family who meet a British couple (James McAvoy and Aisling Franciosi) and their child whilst on holiday. But when the Brits invite their newfound friends over to their country home, the guests soon realize that their summer pals are not what they once seemed. Now, no one can deny that the general plot for both movies is the same, but the small cultural changes and tweaks make it a whole different experience. Just think of how the Japanese and English versions of The Ring are so similar in theme yet widely different in viewing experiences.
As a British viewer who has previously lived in America for a short while, the cultural differences and awkwardness between the two couples proved very relatable and enabled me to further connect with the movie. For example, when Americans Louise and Ben (Mackenzie Davis and Scoot McNairy) comment on Paddy and Ciara's shabby home, British viewers will recognize it as actually a pretty sizable property.
Or how Paddy is able to get away with a lot of innuendos and plain rude comments, blaming it on his British sarcasm. This was something I missed in the original as I am simply not a part of that Danish or Dutch culture and will have surely missed out on certain references and social cues, which was no fault of the 2022 flick.
McAvoy's perfect villain
Paddy's sly remarks and ability to play people are just some of the reasons why McAvoy makes for the perfect villain. From the offset, Paddy is perfectly funny and inviting, but you just can't help but notice something is a little off about him, from his menacing laugh to that little vein on his forehead popping out every so often. The genius of McAvoy's portrayal of Paddy falls down to the fact that he feels so familiar in the sense that he embodies that toxic male archetype we see so often either online or in our own lives.
And I cannot forget about Paddy's partner in crime and in life Ciara, played by Stopmotion’s Franciosi. Ciara is a multi-leveled villain who, in the end, I truly felt sorry for. We are led to believe that Ciara is as much a victim as anyone, as she claims she was caught in Paddy's web when she was just a teen. Whether this is true or not, it certainly pulled at my heartstrings. The idea of having a victim as a killer makes the story all the more harrowing, as it becomes apparent that perhaps the only thing that sets Louise and Ciara apart is their starts in life.
Similar to Ciara, Paddy is also presented more sympathetically as opposed to the original movie's villain. Paddy was also given a painful and troubled backstory which helped humanize the monster we see in the movie. Much like his performance in Split, McAvoy's villain is unpredictable, chaotic, and downright scary, creating much of the tension in the movie, constantly having you think – what will he do next?
A different kind of tension
And tense it was. Upon seeing Speak No Evil in the theater, my earlier misjudgement of the movie overall was quickly proved wrong as I was practically glued to my seat the whole time. Seriously. Not even rustling wrappers, mumbling movie-goers, or the teenager behind me kicking my seat could take my attention from the screen, especially when it came to that fiery ending.
Differing from the raw and bleak nature of the original's finale where everything seems hopeless and by the end you are witnessing the most evil of humankind, this year's Speak No Evil offers a small glimmer of hope that the victim will prevail. Both endings are equally as effective, but it was very a nice surprise to see Watkins change it up. Seeing the killers who have been taking advantage of innocent families for so long finally get their comeuppance provided the closure we didn't get from the 2022 flick.
All in all, it's worrisome to think that I could have completely missed out on seeing one of my top 10 movies of the year all because of a trailer. If something else had been on that week at the movie theater, maybe I would have given Speak No Evil a pass. This whole experience has made me think twice about judging a movie based on a 2-minute teaser, and that is a mistake I surely will not make again.
Speak No Evil is available to rent on Peacock For more, keep up to date with upcoming horror movies heading your way this year, or see our full list of our top 25 movies of 2024.
