"Speak No Evil" stars James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough, and Scoot McNairy. Released on September 13, 2024, the film has a family encountering an unhinged couple and their son during their dream holiday. The film was written and directed by James Watkins, who also directed "Eden Lake", "The Woman in Black", and "Bastille Day". It is a remake of the 2022 Danish film by Christian Tafdrup and Mads Tafdrup. After experiencing Zoe Kravitz's directorial debut, "Blink Twice", I assumed that it would be the end of the "vacation-gone-wrong" scenario as we returned to school. Boy, was I wrong? It turns out that there's another dream vacation that gradually transforms into a fight for survival, and it's not due to the deranged tech billionaire on a private island. Instead, we have James McAvoy causing trouble for a family wanting to spend an ordinary vacation overseas. This latest horror-thriller from Blumhouse seeks to keep the fall frights coming, especially on Halloween. It's also the latest attempt at bringing an international cinematic classic to American territory via a remake, although they could just…you know, bring the original version to our attention. But, you know Hollywood. They love to make money out of "unnecessary" remakes, especially ones of iconic cinematic treasures made in different countries that don't follow its traditional guidelines. Does this vacation of horrors prove this unfortunate theory further, or is it actually another go-to destination during the frightful season? Let's find out. The story centers on the Dalton family, consisting of wife Louise (Davis), husband Ben (McNairy), and preteen daughter Agnes (Lefler), spending their dream holiday overseas. One day, they ran into another couple, Paddy (McAvoy) and Ciara (Franciosi), who invited them to their country house in Devon over the weekend. Everything was going peacefully for the two families, but that all changed gradually when the family started uncovering shocking secrets from the couple. One of them involves their son, Ant (Hough), who was born without a tongue, and the couple's mistreatment of him. The other is their passive-aggressive behaviors, which test the limits of their guests and push their boundaries. As the situation escalates, the Dalton family attempts to survive their nightmarish weekend with their secretive, unhinged hosts. I was unaware of the Danish film of the same name until the announcement of the American remake caught my attention. It was seen as a fantastic and intense social satire displaying the horrors of a misanthropic society. At least, that's what I heard from the reviews it got since its release two years ago. With the release of the remake, I was able to find the time to watch the original at a low price of four dollars and let me tell you. I can definitely see why people were hesitant about the remake. The Danish version was well-crafted regarding the direction and cinematography, but it was also consistently unnerving and intense, with one of the most shocking and depressing endings I've seen in a psychological horror film. So, with Blumhouse taking charge of the American remake, it can be concerning that they'll do something drastic to please those who weren't fond of the original's conclusion. So, that's why I decided not to bother with "Speak No Evil". However, when I discovered that the film was already available to rent on digital, I reversed my decision and checked it out anyway. Since I'm always eager to watch scary movies in October, I couldn't help but add this remake to my list despite my concerns. While it is still playing in theaters, I figured watching it at home was the best choice, especially since I'm still recovering from my cold. After finally watching it, it's safe to say that my concerns have been realized, especially its ending. However, I found myself surprised that they weren't enough to deter my enjoyment of "Speak No Evil". As a remake, the film is understandably unnecessary, but as its own, it's a solidly crafted thriller that favors engrossing tension and discomfort over cheap jump scares. Unsurprisingly, "Speak No Evil" plays off the same narrative beats as the 2022 movie, including some of Paddy and Ciara's unruly behaviors. This is the type of remake that replicates the original's greatest hits to remind audiences how impactful its counterpart was, especially ones from international countries. Even though they're intended as a tribute to the original, some of its sequences can usually be perceived as overly solicitous or lacking originality. "Speak No Evil" is one of those cases, but its direction made it tolerable for me. James Watkins was offered the daunting task of respecting the source material, not just in its storytelling but also the elements within its plot, most notably the suspense and themes. "Speak No Evil" was known for its cautionary tale of politeness and honesty not always being the best solution. While it's always polite to be well-mannered towards people despite their differences, that can only take it so far when those individuals aren't who they seem to be. For the most part, James Watkins has done surprisingly well in respecting the 2022 film regarding its cautionary narrative. Even the suspenseful build-up the original is known for was diverting enough to bypass its familiarity. I would also like to point out that this was a sublimely shot film that portrays its action and wide-angle shots beautifully due to Tim Maurice-Jones's cinematography. I hadn't watched much of Watkins' other works before watching this film, but this one may have convinced me to think otherwise. Sure, it plays off the same way as the 2022 version regarding his screenplay. Still, James Watkins had a suitable way of respecting it through his approach to unnerving tension, frights, and narrative changes to avoid being a straight-up copy and paste of the original film. That is until it got to the third act. In the original version, a family's politeness toward an unhinged couple led them to their doom, resulting in a depressing and terrifying conclusion that emphasizes its social commentary. However, in the remake, Watkins drastically changed its ending into a more traditional one, which was one of my biggest concerns going into the film. It betrayed the distressing tone of the original in favor of catering to American audiences who couldn't handle bold and creative ideas. Heck, even the original film's director and writer, Christian Tafdrup, hated its new ending. Understandably, the remake's ending doesn't exactly do the film justice, but to my surprise, I didn't hate it as much as Tafdrup. Was it tame and conventional compared to the original? Yes, but it provided the usual tension and discomfort from the second act to deliver a pretty entertaining finale. This was one of the moments in a remake that could've derailed its chances of co-existing with its original counterpart. However, its decent execution of the thrills and suspense helped keep it from spiraling into madness. The film's cast also elevated its plot's familiarity through their gripping performances. James McAvoy has provided a solid filmography in his career, not just for playing charismatic heroes but also for displaying his wicked and unhinged side. His performance in M. Night Shyamalan's "Split" was a brilliant example of the latter, portraying a man with multiple personalities with unsettling yet captivating results. "Speak No Evil" had McAvoy delivering his deranged side once more as Paddy, a "father" who isn't as friendly as he seems to be, and the result was unsurprisingly successful. McAvoy is clearly the main reason for the film's diverting thrills, as he offered a balanced blend of charisma and craziness in his performance, evoking an unnerving sense of terror and unease. While not reaching awards-worthy status, it's another testament to McAvoy's undeniable talent in playing both heroes and villains. Mackenzie Davis also did great as a worried mother who has to deal with the couple's behavior and her broken marriage with her husband, played suitably by Scoot McNairy. I would also credit Dan Hough for his performance as the silent Ant, offering compelling motions that speak louder than words. Overall, "Speak No Evil" doesn't leave me speechless with its narrative, but it surprisingly compensates with its entertaining thrills and technical aspects that'll leave most doubters breathless. Considering the gap between the original version and the remake, it's understandably unnecessary, showcasing most of the familiar beats of the 2022 psychological horror classic. However, under the guidance of James Watkins, the remake avoided some of its usual trappings in favor of a devilishly engrossing treat that mostly honors the original's unnerving concept instead of relying heavily on the genre's cheapness, except the ending. For those who haven't seen the original version, this film had enough merits in its cast, cinematography, and direction to deliver a suitable introduction to its dispiriting topic. However, I would still recommend the 2022 version of "Speak No Evil" since it is obviously superior, but only if you can stomach its third act. If not, then I don't mind you checking out the tame yet surprisingly compelling remake. B-
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