The Scottish actor James McAvoy is able to transform into horrible, disgusting characters with almost effortless ease. This can be best seen in Split (2017) and Filth (2013), where McAvoy can scare you with a single glance. Of course, this kind of talent is a perfect fit for a variety of horror and thriller films.
You can once again admire the actor in the new movie Speak No Evil. However, McAvoy is hardly the only reason to watch the movie. Because if you put aside him and the ideological part, which is really important in the story, the thriller is too slow and mediocre in its main moments.
| Title | Speak No Evil |
| Genre | thriller |
| Director | James Watkins |
| Starring | Mackenzie Davis, James McAvoy, Scoot McNairy, Alix West Lefler, Chris Hitchens, Motaz Malhiz and others |
| Studios | Blumhouse Productions, Universal Pictures |
| Timing | 1 hour 50 minutes |
| Year | 2024 |
| Website | IMDb |
The Americans Louise (Mackenzie Davis) and Ben (Scoot McNairy) moved to London with their daughter Agnes and are now trying to rebuild their lives, but so far they are not very successful. That's why the relationship between the couple is very tense. They try to forget about their problems on vacation in Italy. There, the couple meets Paddy (James McAvoy) and Ciara (Ashling Franchosi), a charismatic and friendly couple, and their son Ant, who hardly speaks due to a congenital speech impediment. They strike up a friendship, and Paddy invites his new friends to his country house. However, what was supposed to be a break from their problems gradually turns into something terrifying. Because Paddy and Ciara's friendliness is just a facade that hides something terrible.
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Still from the movie Speak No Evil[/caption]
Speak No Evil 2024 is actually a remake of the Danish thriller of the same name from 2022. It seems to have a standard plot. One couple meets another and gradually finds out that something is very wrong with their new friends. However, Don't Speak to Evil is not just a thriller, but also a harsh social satire. After all, the film clearly demonstrates where the inability to say "no" and refuse other people leads.
Ben admires his new friend Paddy too much and sees him as a role model. Therefore, he is able to tolerate even the most insolent behavior and offensive jokes towards his family. He even sacrifices the interests of his wife - and all this solely for the sake of not offending anyone and appearing to be better than he really is.
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Still from the movie Speak No Evil[/caption]
You have most certainly encountered this behavior at least once in your life. You may have even practiced it yourself. Excessive politeness and attempts to please other people rarely lead to anything good. Speak No Evil takes this simple idea, which is not obvious to everyone, and twists it to the maximum. Because of this, the thriller structure of the film itself changes and becomes more original. But not necessarily better, that's what's important to understand.
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Still from the movie Speak No Evil[/caption]
All the events of the story could have been avoided if the main characters had found the courage to say what they thought directly and without delay. This is the main idea of the film: a lot of bad things happen to us solely because we have allowed them to happen. Even in a grotesque, thriller form, this thought remains after the screening, stirs something inside the mind and makes you really uncomfortable.
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Still from the movie Speak No Evil[/caption]
But an idea alone, even a good and relevant one, cannot create an interesting movie. The problem with Speak No Evil is that almost nothing important happens for almost the entire running time. And one might think of suspense and slow burner, but the movie doesn't provide an interesting emotional resolution. Even moments that are important to the story feel too artificial and forced. While watching, you physically feel that the plot develops solely at the will of the screenwriters, who seem to have not even tried to make everything look organic.
At the same time, the original Danish version surprised with an ending that stuck in the memory with its cruelty. The remake exchanges it for a standard confrontation between "good" and "bad". Blumhouse Productions, in general, too often takes provocative scripts and stories only to turn them into something softer and more massive. So the final act of Speak No Evil 2024 is standard Hollywood, but not at its best.
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Still from the movie Speak No Evil[/caption]
However, someone will go to the theater to see it solely for James McAvoy. His acting is beyond compliment. The actor is able to convey complex emotions and instant mood changes of his character with just one look and quick facial expressions. But the story reduces even such a charismatic antagonist to something banal, so the viewing experience can be significantly spoiled.
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Still from the movie Speak No Evil[/caption]
Speak No Evil also has beautiful landscapes and cinematography, excellent sound design, and overall technical execution, to which there are no complaints. Even in its worst projects, Blumhouse Productions makes sure that everything meets the standards of modern Hollywood. But this doesn't make the viewing experience any more interesting.
Yes, Speak No Evil explores an interesting topic and says the right things. But as a movie, a complete story and a commercial product, there are questions. After all, people go to movie theaters not to learn moral lessons, but to have a good time. And the latter will not happen to all viewers while watching Don't Speak to Evil.