Rating: 3.5/5
Synopsis:
Not long after the disturbing Danish version was released, “Speak No Evil” gets an American remake two years later. The premise is similar, but this time an American family meets a charming British family on a vacation in Italy. The British family invites the Americans to visit their remote farm in western England. Shortly after they arrive, they notice the warm welcome may be short lived. The visiting family learns they might not make it out alive as secrets come to the surface. Can they manage to get away?
Positives:
I had been looking forward to this one for quite some time. Any time James McAvoy is playing a deranged villain immediately piques my interest. To no surprise, he is the best part of the movie. Although he is playing the main antagonist, he is able to switch his creepy demeanor to charm very quickly. Part of what makes his character so interesting is that he is able to disarm the American family (and the audience) through a savvy blend of creep factor and British hospitality. It’s understandable how someone could ignore the red flags and think “It’s not a big deal. He probably doesn’t mean it.” Through the interactions between the two families, McAvoy gives a commanding performance that doesn’t miss a beat. The rest of the performances are pretty good, helping to escalate a situation that grows increasingly uncomfortable. The story builds more and more tension the longer it goes on. But the film has a surprising amount of well placed humor to alleviate the tension. This works because in a real situation most people would probably try to diffuse a conflict through humor or the changing of a subject.
The film has a lot to say about societal politeness. Through many tense interactions, the American family often ignores red flags that pop up. Their personal boundaries are frequently crossed, oftentimes without being addressed. This builds the conflict throughout the story because the British family clearly has the domineering personalities. While it’s clear who the villains of the story are, there is some gray area in which the British families make some sense. I won’t spoil how this unfolds but the story is very clever in this regard. It is more of a psychological exploration on human nature rather than a truly scary film. I’d argue that this isn’t even a horror film. It is filled with memorable dialogue exchanges and a story that has a lot to say about cultural norms, politeness, personal boundaries, and the ability to ignore warning signs.
Negatives:
Although the film worked as a whole, there are some underwhelming elements that hinder it from being great. The main issue I had with the story was the third act. Throughout the first two acts, there is a nice story unfolding as the American family puts the pieces together. But once the true motivations and secrets are revealed, the third act doesn’t do anything special. It has an odd ebb and flow to it, including some sharp tension filled moments mixed with slower scenes of characters speaking in a quiet room together. The escalation doesn’t build to a finale that is worth the discomfort these families went through. It’s satisfying enough but it could have been so much better. I also thought the arc for the American family wasn’t very strong. Through their marital struggles and inability to bring up their discomfort, their journey feels underwhelming as they don’t change much through this experience. This is especially true for the father, who struggles to assert himself and make decisions that are best for his family. He really doesn’t confront this aspect and largely lets his wife do the heavy lifting, even when it matters most. I wish he would have had better characterization and had his moment to shine.
Conclusion:
“Speak No Evil” is a mostly successful thriller that has more on its mind than frightening audiences. It weaves in some nifty social commentary about humanity and our ability to misread situations while ignoring our instincts. James McAvoy turns in a wonderfully creepy performance, which is worth the price of admission alone. I enjoyed seeing how these families interacted with each other as the tension continued to build. Although the finale could have been better and some of the characterization was mishandled, this is a fun night out at the movies that plays nicely with a crowd.
