Speak No Evil (2024) spoiler free review

Hear no evil. Speak No Evil is a 2024 American psychological horror film written and directed by James Watkins. Jason Blum serves as a producer through his Blumhouse Productions banner and it’s a remake of the 2022 Danish psychological horror film of the same name directed by Christian Tafdrup. The film premiered on September 9, 2024 at the DGA Theater in New York City, and was released on September 13, 2024 in the United States by Universal Pictures.

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.

Film synopsis

The cast includes James McAvoy as Paddy, Mackenzie Davis as Louise Dalton, Aisling Franciosi as Ciara, Alix West Lefler as Agnes Dalton, Dan Hough as Ant, Scoot McNairy as Ben Dalton, Kris Hichen as Mike, and Motaz Mulhees as Muhjid.

My Opinion

Meeting new people on vacation is part of the experience. But appearances can be deceiving. While on vacation in Italy, the Daltons, who recently moved to London from the United States, meet a British couple and their son. Admitting that they don’t even know their neighbors yet, the Daltons accept the couple’s invitation to spend a week with them at their home. What seems like a friendly invitation soon turns into the new family’s biggest nightmare.

Following the same structure and narrative as the original 2022 film, ‘Speak No Evil’ manages to not only justify its existence as a remake but brings with it a new perspective on this story. If you have seen the original film and think you know everything about this story, you are wrong. Both films take their time developing the story and the personal problems of the characters. But once the action begins, they go their separate ways, giving us two possibilities of how this nightmare ends. The original ending is heartbreaking, brutal, and sad while the new ending raises the viewer’s anxiety by concluding in a different, but satisfying way.

This new version takes the risk of modifying the most memorable element of the original film; its ending. Here we have a different conclusion that works and makes this film worth watching. At first it may seem like a copy of the original material, but little by little it moves away without losing the atmosphere of tension and anxiety. James McAvoy’s performance does not disappoint, once again showing his talent for naturally playing this type of character. The rest of the cast is convincing and perfectly conveys the personality and internal battles of their characters.

The most notable differences between the original and the remake are the nationalities of the couples, their names, the country where the story takes place and its ending. Some scenes did not make it into the remake but their absence isn’t noticeable or bothersome.

Can the plot be predictable? A little. Unlike the original, which leaves details implicit, this remake gives more literal explanations from the beginning, making it easy to connect the dots. However, by the end where everything changes, it’s hard to know where the story is going. Those who saw the original might think that the outcome will be the same in the end, they just want to prolong the agony, and it’s not until the credits roll that you can breathe a sigh of relief when you understand that things have indeed turned out differently.

One aspect of this remake that surpasses the original is its plot pace. While the original drags the story out too much, this one feels faster and more engaging without leaving out important story details. This has been the surprise of the year, a remake from which not much was expected has turned out to be one of the best horror offerings of 2024. Blumhouse takes a break from its bad streak with this release.

Is this remake better than the original? In my opinion, both are on the same level and are enjoyable in different ways. There is no right or wrong choice, both work on their own. This remake is now available in theaters while the original is on the Shudder streaming service. A double feature is not for the faint of heart, but it is perfect to enjoy during the Halloween season.