Speak No Evil
Sometimes, an American horror remake gets it right. On this rarest of occasions, it’s usually because of a hard left into ballsy new territory, or the fleshing out of previously 2D characters, or letting the original exist as a spiritual influence and building something more tangible onto its skeleton. Luca Guadagnino’s 2018 Suspiria is a prime example, taking the bones of Dario Argento’s stylish 1977 original and adding depth and texture beyond what was originally there. But for every Suspiria there is a Wicker Man; a The Vanishing; or God forbid, a Martyrs. So when an American remake of Christian Tafdrup’s wonderfully nasty Speak No Evil was announced less than two years after the Danish original was released, my hopes were not high. It brings me no pleasure (okay, maybe a bit) to say that this James Watkins directed Blumhouse production is yet another gutless American remake, one that’s already begun its gradual fade from my memory where its source material still lives rent free.
Speak No Evil is, for about three quarters of its slightly longer runtime, a beat for beat adaptation that changes only the nationalities of its characters. And the colour palette. Oh, and the tone. We’re introduced to the Daltons, an American family comprising Louise (Mackenzie Davis), Ben (Scoot McNairy) and their daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler). They’ve recently moved to London and things haven’t gone so smoothly; Ben’s business hopes have been dashed, there’s a hint of past infidelity on Louise’s part and 12-year-old Agnes has a panic attack any time she’s not clutching her stuffed rabbit Hoppy. And to put a further (and literal) damper on things, it rains all the time in England, so they’ve escaped to Tuscany for a holiday.
There, they meet fellow countrymen Paddy (James McAvoy and his traps), Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) and Ant (Dan Hough), their shy child who has ‘communication issues’. There are some red flags on display in Paddy and Ciara but generally, the families get along well, and the Daltons are promptly invited to come stay with them in their remote British country house. Unable to find an excuse not to, the Daltons oblige, and soon they’re driving their Tesla through some winding country roads towards some rural hospitality. During their stay, their hosts seem to push every boundary shakily held by the Daltons; Louise eats meat out of politeness despite being a vegetarian, the couple don’t say anything when it’s revealed their daughter will be sleeping on the floor in Ant’s attic room, and it’s pretty clear the guest sheets haven’t been washed. As their stay drags on, the Daltons’ complacency in their own discomfort leads to more serious altercations, and some unfortunate realisations about the company they keep.
What I love about the original Speak No Evil is that its tension, performances and aesthetics all fit with its messages. There’s a Biblical quality to its storytelling that adds considerable weight to the experience of watching it, as if it should be read as a cautionary tale. A horror film about the dangers of meekness, it features a truly brutal and unnerving third act that not only makes the film memorable, but makes sense of everything preceding it. I knew in my heart that no American production house would allow the same level of nastiness but I’d hoped, based on the grit of one of James Watkins’ previous films, that there’d be at least a sliver that remained.
A stroll through Watkins’ filmography tells an uneven tale; The Descent Part 2 is a definite low point, and the action thriller Bastille Day seems a strange misstep for someone intent on horror. But then there’s Eden Lake, a dire, gritty horror film with real atmosphere and a beautiful sense of hopelessness. Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender star as a couple terrorised by violent youths and the film goes pretty hard at executing its themes of cyclical neglect and parental ambivalence. I’m not sure how much input Watkins had on the shakeup of Speak No Evil’s final act - he did write and direct the film, so he’s at least partially responsible for the bloodlessness - but it now seems that his foray into proper horror died somewhere near Eden Lake.
To call this Speak No Evil a horror film is to misunderstand the genre. The biggest shock from the Danish original is spoiled in this film’s trailer and then not even shown, and the reveal is spelled out with an alarming lack of subtlety when the kids stumble upon a basement and a photo album. Mackenzie Davis’ deer in the headlights look becomes funny rather than concerning after a while, confirmed by the laughter that erupted in our audience. The film strangely evokes Straw Dogs in its last stretch and for audiences with a lower tolerance for terror, the veer into survival thriller territory might be welcome. For me, it was a slog. It’s interesting that the film’s one pager felt the need to point out that the Danish original “earned 11 Danish Film Awards nominations, the Danish equivalent of the Oscars.” There’s a reason for that and it’s not present in this remake.
Now that I’ve released the rant, I will say that I did enjoy James McAvoy’s spirited and over the top performance, as well as Aisling Franciosi, who I’ve loved since The Nightingale. Personal misgivings aside, the film is perfectly fine for people who haven’t seen the 2022 film or who prefer their ‘horror’ without any suspense or meaningful kills. But if you’ve seen the real Speak No Evil, or you enjoy horror the way it should be, there really is nothing to be gained by watching this.
Verdict
☆☆½ (with personal bias removed)
Speak No Evil is in cinemas today, Thursday 12th September. The original is available online to rent or buy.
