SPEAK NO EVIL is a 2024 psychological horror thriller film written and directed by James Watkins (Eden Lake, The Woman in Black), and is a remake of the 2022 Danish film of the same name. Jason Blum serves as a producer through his Blumhouse Productions banner.
When an American family is invited to spend the weekend at the idyllic country estate of a charming British family they befriended on vacation, what begins as a dream holiday soon warps into a snarled psychological nightmare.
The cast includes James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough, and Scoot McNairy.
SPEAK NO EVIL made its debut in theaters September 13th, courtesy of Universal Pictures.
My love for the horror in general is undeniable, but when a film like SPEAK NO EVIL that relies more on the psychological thriller element I am still all in especially when my guy James McAvoy is involved. Admittedly I’m not a big subtitles guy so I did not see the 2022 Danish film that this is based on, but I was more than okay with going in blind. Bottom line, SPEAK NO EVIL is an intense edge-of-your-seat thriller powered by a dynamic performance from James McAvoy, and just the perfect balance as far as tone and feel making for a unique and very engaging cinematic experience.
The screenplay is setup perfectly thanks to perfect casting taking full advantage of McAvoy’s charisma and the great balance of the rest of the cast. The film keeps you guessing but the feel of unease is prevalent throughout making for a thrilling experience. I thought the soundtrack/score was great, and the cinematography really did a nice job setting the stage for viewers. This is very much a character and dialogue driven film so you really need to boy into the overall dynamic between the characters for it all to work and I definitely did.
As far as the cast goes SPEAK NO EVIL does a really nice job balancing strengths and personalities. James McAvoy anchors the cast as the primary antagonist but also has the most charisma and the larger-than-life on-screen presence. McAvoy is a very intense actor and I was absolutely enthralled by his performance.
My next favorite performance was from Mackenzie Davis who portrayed one of the films primary protagonists. In many ways Davis matches McAvoy’s intensity in her refusal to be intimidated by him. Davis is just a great actress and I would be lying if I didn’t point out her unique balance of sexy and intense, I am here for it.
Scoot McNairy plays Davis’s very passive husband who is clearly dealing with issues related to inadequacy as a husband and a father. I could see some viewers feeling annoyed with his character but I felt like it worked well within the dynamic of the film, and I do like him as an actor in general. Alix West Lefler and Dan Hough play the children in the film and I thought both were absolutely fantastic.
SPEAK NO EVIL lives and dies by the overall tone of the film which keeps viewers on edge from start to finish. The pacing was fantastic as you never quite know when things will take a turn for the worse for this family. The story never felt rushed and character development was clearly a big focus. I could see some viewers complaining that the film is a bit slow, but as long as you are able to become invested in the characters all of the pieces fall into place as they should.
From a technical standpoint I thought SPEAK NO EVIL was great. The cinematography really set the tone showing off the beautiful shooting location while still emphasizing the claustrophobic feel the film was going for. The set design was awesome particularly the old farm house that the majority of the film takes place in. I liked the score/soundtrack as well but felt like they were able to rely on that a bit less due to the fact that the film was primarily dialogue driven.
THE VERDICT
An immersive psychological thriller that gets under your skin thanks to a monster performance from James McAvoy, SPEAK NO EVIL packs a punch right until the very end and is well worth the price of admission. At this point I will see anything McAvoy stars in, he really is that good. If you are in the mood for a good psychological thriller you can’t go wrong with this one.
TED TAKES RATING - 8.1/10
SPEAK NO EVIL is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.