Speak No Evil, but Do We Hear No Evil?

Ty Reilly ’26 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

Spoilers ahead.

Arriving at the movie theater is a nostalgic experience—riding the escalators, filling a slushy, popcorn, or really whatever your movie vise is! The only flaw I found at the AMC was a lack of darkness. The lights were not dimmed for Speak No Evil until a half hour into the film. A lack of darkness is an ongoing theme in the reviews of Speak No Evil, despite the logline: “A dark side lies within” (IMDb).

Speak No Evil falls into a variety of categories, such as psychological thriller, horror, and drama. The film follows a struggling couple: Louise and Ben Dalton, played by Mackenzie Davis and Scoot McNairy. Throughout the film, they wrestle with adultery, resentment, and insecurity while keeping their woes under wraps from their daughter, Agnes, played by Alix West Lefler. The family moves across the Atlantic, from The United States to London, England, for Ben’s job. On a family vacation to Italy, they meet another couple with a son the same age as Agnes. The couple, Paddy and Ciara, were played by James McAvoy and Aisling Franciosi. Their son, Ant, was played by Dan Hough (IMDb).

This film is an adaptation of Speak No Evil (2022), a Danish film written and directed by Christian Tafdrup. The original is much more gruesome and dark. Due to this, when Tafdrup went to see the adaptation, he was not impressed. When Tafdrup was a guest on a Danish radio show called “Kulturen”, he stated: “When I saw the [remake] yesterday, I could see that they would never succeed with a film where the characters are stoned to death, as they do in our film,” added Tafdrup. “These people [in the U.S. version] must fight for their family and defeat the bad guys..; it is a kind of happy ending, and it is so deep in their culture that America must be able to handle it all” (Marnell). In the Danish film, at the end, the protagonists get stoned to death, but in the American film, Ant stones the antagonist and his kidnapper to death. Despite Tafdrup’s opinion, the director of the 2024 film, James Watkins, catered to his target audience, the American people, and the film has soared past their small budget of 15 million USD. Worldwide in ten days, Speak No Evil has made 25 million at the box office, as well as garnered a 7.2/10 rating on IMDb (IMDb) and 83% on Rotten Tomatoes (Rotten Tomatoes). 

McNairy and Davis had fantastic chemistry on screen while portraying a struggling couple trying to band together in an impossible situation. They are clueless about how to protect their child, but underneath it all, they love each other and fight to the end. McAvoy was stunning as always at showcasing the slow mental breakdown and split personality of Paddy while keeping his mental facilities intact enough to carry out his plan. The performance of the adult actors was profound and fantastic, although the child actors were the real stars. Throughout the film, most of the tension and information the audience received was through Ant and Agnes. Dan Hough and Alix West Lefler are both roughly 12-14 years old, and their performances were outstanding (IMDB). Hough’s character was unable to communicate because his tongue was cut out by his “parents” or kidnappers. His entire performance was based on non-verbal communication and writing. This builds the tension between the families beautifully because the audience and Anges are constantly struggling to understand. Speak No Evil is Hough’s second production, and we cannot wait to see where he goes! His co-star, West Lefler, portrayed perfectly the fear and empathy for the family a child feels in a life-or-death situation. As her parents fought to protect her, she showcased the cracks of fear seeping through a child attempting to be brave.

Shifting the focus to the technical aspects, Speak No Evil was filmed in Croatia despite being set in both Italy, London, and rural West England (IMDb). The setting and cinematography reinforced the narrative well and created a secluded atmosphere for the emotions of the families, especially the men. At a point in the film, both McAvoy and McNairy are on a cliff looking out at the countryside, trying to release their emotions. McAvoy convinces McNairy to scream at the top of his lungs to process his wife’s infidelity. The two fathers have moments throughout the film with queer undertones, such as McAvoy singing to him in the car and the proposal of an orgy at dinner. Throughout the film, the suspense is built constantly, but the ending was not as gorey and terrifying as was expected by the audience. Young Hough bashing in McAvoy’s skull was the “happy ending,” and at the close of the film, the family of three had killed both of the parents and taken Ant home. From a more realistic viewpoint, Davis and McNairy did not sign up to raise a child who was kidnapped and raised by psychopaths for the majority of his life. 

Despite not being as frightening as Tafdrup intended, this film is highly entertaining! The beginning lays out all of the knowledge you need as the tension builds. The suspense constantly keeps you on the edge of your seat while having sentimental moments sprinkled throughout. Speak No Evil will tug at your heartstrings while having humor and horror!

Sources:

 “Speak No Evil.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 13 Sept. 2024, www.imdb.com/title/tt27534307/. 

“Speak No Evil.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 17 Mar. 2022, www.imdb.com/title/tt14253846/?ref_=ttpl_ov. 

Marnell, Blair. “Speak No Evil’s Original Director Bashes New Movie.” GameSpot, GameSpot, 20 Sept. 2024, www.gamespot.com/articles/speak-no-evils-original-director-bashes-new-movie/1100-6526601/. 

“Speak No Evil (2024).” Rotten Tomatoes, www.rottentomatoes.com/m/speak_no_evil_2024. Accessed 23 Sept. 2024.