Time: 110 Minutes
Age Rating: R16 – Bloody violence & offensive language
Cast:
James McAvoy as Paddy
Mackenzie Davis as Louise Dalton
Scoot McNairy as Ben Dalton
Aisling Franciosi as Ciara
Alix West Lefler as Agnes Dalton
Dan Hough as Ant
Director: James Watkins

I actually first heard about Speak No Evil when I heard the negative reactions to its announcement. It was an American remake of a Danish psychological thriller of the same name made only 2 years earlier, so most people wrote it off as just another unnecessary horror remake. However, hearing that this new movie was actually pretty good made me decide to check out both of them. I found merit in the original film, but I really didn’t love it. So I was open to the remake and as it turns out, I prefer it more.

I will be making a lot of comparisons between Speak No Evil the remake and Speak No Evil the original film. So for those who haven’t seen the first movie, I’ll just say that this movie is a solid enough psychological thriller despite some frustrations, familiarity and being a little formulaic. Plotwise, 2024’s Speak No Evil is actually very close to the original for the most part, while changing parts of the story in notable ways. As predicted, the movie is definitely more Hollywoodised, but I think your reaction to that all depends on what you thought about the original movie. I appreciated the intentional slow burn of the original, but the remake’s faster pace was appreciated and was overall more entertaining. The tone of the original is more bleak and unpleasant, almost to the point of being obnoxiously overbearing towards the end. While the remake is still dark, things are a lot more playful and fun here. Some of the first movie’s nihilism has been sanded off, and I honestly felt like it could’ve retained some of it. A similarity in both movies is that characters make some dumb decisions (mainly Scoot McNairy) with regards to how much the main family trusts James McAvoy and Aisling Franciosi’s characters despite all the red flags on display. This is no doubt by design as it was trying to make a point about being too polite to strangers, but was nonetheless frustrating. Funnily enough, I’m a little more forgiving towards the more conventional horror movie take in the remake compared to the original, where its attempt was admirable, but was pushing credibility towards the end. However, it is the third act which separates the two versions the most. Compared to the original’s dread filled conclusion, we get a more modern day horror thriller climax. As someone who was personally turned off by the original’s ending, I found myself liking the remake’s last section a lot more.

The acting was the best part of the movie for me. Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy, and Aisling Franciosi are really good, even the two kids are solid in their parts. However, James McAvoy is the standout of the whole film. He is over the top, crazy, and imposing, but also charming, funny and entertaining to watch. It is one of his most memorable performances and I would say that this movie is worth watching even just for him alone.

James Watkins’s direction is solid; the cinematography is great and utilises some good sets and beautiful locations. The tense sequences are also done well, whether it be with the uncomfortable and awkward moments in the first two thirds, or the in your face thrilling scenes towards the end. 

Speak No Evil has its issues, but is a solid remake of the original psychological thriller and the superior version, due to the great performances (especially from James McAvoy), and its entertaining and distinctly different third act. If you loved the original, you’ll probably be disappointed with the changes and the more ‘Hollywoodised’ version. However, if you had mixed to negative feelings about it, this remake might work better for you as it did for me.