Movie review | The American version of the acclaimed Danish thriller remains mediocre

Thriller

Speak No Evil, directed by James Watkins. 110 min. K16.

★★

Always sometimes a Nordic film comes out that Hollywood gets so excited about that they make an American version of it. Sometimes the result is successful, more often not.

British director James Watkins was hired to make a new version of the Danish by Christian Tafdrup from the acclaimed thriller Speak No Evil (2022). Watkins gained some notoriety for his gritty horror film Eden Lake (2008). In addition, he has directed excellent TV series that we have also seen Secret Agent Harry Palmer and McMafia.

American Dalton couple living in London, Ben (Scott McNairy) and Louise (Mackenzie Davis) meet Paddy (James McAvoy) and Ciaran (Aisling Franciosi).

Paddy and Ciara invite Ben, Louise and their daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler) to spend the weekend at his farm in Devon. The Americans leave, but gradually discover that their host couple and their speech-impaired son Ant (Dan Hough) is something strange.

of Watkins previous directing jobs have already shown that he is a good personal director and also knows how to effectively build an atmosphere. Little by little, the screw tightens and the horror begins to emerge from under the everyday outer shell. And what’s more, such a horror that one would not have been able to imagine.

Far Speak No Evil works perfectly with the leisurely increasing atmosphere and good actors, but then the development of the mood changes to the usual functional and bloody ending, which slows down the whole film to a solid lower middle level.

Although unusually blunt but understandable, the final shock is effective, and also explains the connection between the first and last image of the film.

Inter alia by M. Night Shyamalan in the movies Split and Glass Scottish actor James McAvoy, who previously played a somewhat similar whiny role, is excellent as Paddy, who plays a nice man whose mask is starting to show cracks.

Speak No Evil could have been a better reinterpretation of Tafdrup’s film. Now it’s just an average psychological thriller sliding in the direction of horror.

Screenplay based on a screenplay by James Watkins Christian and Mads Tafdrup, starring James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy, Aisling Franciosi.