Speak No Evil Review – Delightful Discomfort

Sustaining tension across a nearly two-hour thriller can be tricky, especially if the plot is fairly cut and dry. Speak No Evil manages to shine because of entertaining performances – particularly from James McAvoy – making the film an exhilarating joy to watch. Directed by James Watkins (McMafia), Speak No Evil is a remake of the 2022 Dutch film of the same name. It stars Mackenzie Davis (Black Mirror) and Scoot McNairy (Argo) as Louise and Ben Dalton, a couple who go on vacation with their daughter Agnes, played by Alix West Lefler (The Good Nurse).

While on their vacation, they meet a couple named Paddy and Ciara, played by McAvoy (X-Men: First Class) and Aisling Franciosi (The Nightingale). They have a son named Ant (Dan Hough), who has a condition that makes it extremely difficult for him to talk. After striking up a brief friendship, Paddy invites them to their secluded house in the woods. While staying with them, the Daltons realize that Paddy and Ciara are more eccentric than they thought, slowly uncovering their sinister motives.

Speak No Evil’s Predictable Story

Even if you haven’t seen the trailer – which you can watch above though it gives away a majority of the film’s final act – Speak No Evil is quite predictable. From the moment Paddy is introduced you’re aware that he’s going to be the villain, so you aren’t waiting for a big twist. Instead, McAvoy plays it like a villain from the beginning. He and Ciara are likable but odd. The tension arises from watching how the Daltons find out that they aren’t safe, and from finding out exactly what Paddy and Ciara are doing. Despite being a straightforward and predictable story, it’s thoroughly entertaining.

James McAvoy is brilliant as Paddy, playing the character as charming but scary. His performance is genuinely unsettling, pushed along by some awkward delivery. You know he’s bad but don’t really care because he’s so entertaining to watch. Davis plays uncomfortable extremely well, and her facial expressions complement McAvoy’s antics. She steps it up in the final half-hour, making you root for her. McNairy’s performance is bland in the first half, but his nervous energy cements his character by the end of the movie. Franciosi is good as Ciara, bringing some manic energy. But, she is outshined by McAvoy in most scenes. 

Already an easy laugh when it comes to awkward or uncomfortable moments, I found myself laughing at a fair amount of the dialogue. Even when it isn’t painfully awkward (in the best way), the dialogue is snappy and clever. But, it doesn’t have rhythm, with characters breaking the pace intermittently. Again, this lends itself to the overwhelming feeling of discomfort that Speak No Evil is great at producing. 

That Eerie Feeling

Speak No Evil‘s framing is interesting, and is one of the many ways in which the film succeeds in creating a creepy atmosphere. Many of the shots are framed to make it feel like someone is watching the Daltons as they move about Paddy’s house. Framing shots so that characters are at the edges of the frame makes sequences feel claustrophobic, which makes you think about how isolated the characters are. 

The character dynamics are interesting too. You find out that the Daltons aren’t in the perfect marriage, which makes Paddy’s manipulation all the more fun to watch. Agnes has anxiety issues and can’t go anywhere without her stuffed bunny – which serves as a plot device and informs all three of the Daltons as individual characters. Paddy’s just mysterious, because you can’t be sure that he’s ever telling the truth throughout the entire movie. 

The film’s tension gets some runway because of the amount of humor. If Speak No Evil was constantly creepy, it wouldn’t be as effective. Instead, inserting humorous dialogue or using “Eternal Flame” by The Bangles for comedic effect, breaks up the tension and allows you to surf on that wave of emotion. Speak No Evil isn’t the best of its kind, but it’s a great thriller that will leave you enamored with James McAvoy’s performance. It’s a fun time at the theater with stakes that will get you cheering by the end. 

You can watch Speak No Evil in theaters on September 13, 2024.