Speak No Evil is an intense edge-of-your-seat thriller, starring James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy, and Aisling Franciosi. Directed by James Watkins, this American remake of the Dutch film by the same name is a nail-biting experience that might have you squirming in your seat.
While I enjoyed the movie, I couldn’t help but notice it was filled with all the classic horror-thriller tropes that make you question why people in these films always seem to make the worst possible decisions.
I spent a lot of the time wondering how these characters could be so oblivious, moving from one terrible choice to the next. Every time they found themselves in a situation, you can’t help but think how easily it could have been avoided if they had any common sense. It can get a little frustrating because you’re almost screaming at the screen, wishing that the characters can hear you.
That being said, the film has the ability to engage the audience despite the use of these tropes. It’s one of those experiences where you’re both infuriated by the characters’ choices and captivated by what happens next.
It’s that balance of frustration and suspense that actually makes it a fun movie to watch. In the screening I attended, the audience was visibly squirming in their seats, and some people were downright freaking out, espeically once the story shifted into third gear. That’s when the brutality and violence kicked in, ramping the tension into overdrive.
The premise of the film feels simple but ominous: An American family is invited to spend the weekend at the idyllic country estate of a charming British family they befriended on vacation. What starts as a seemingly perfect holiday soon devolves into a snarled psychological nightmare.
McAvoy is crazy as the charismatic alpha-male estate owner, whose hospitality masks something dark and unspeakable. His performance is magnetic, drawing you into his twisted world and making you wonder what’s lurking beneath the surface of every friendly gesture. McNairy and Davis are also great in their roles, but McAvoy’s chilling portrayal dominates the screen.
The film is described as “an intense suspense thriller for our modern age,” and I think that’s an apt description. It plays on modern anxieties about trust, hospitality, and the hidden intentions of others.
And while you’ll undoubtedly find yourself questioning the characters’ intelligence throughout the film, it still manages to deliver that sense of dread and helplessness that’s so essential in a good thriller.
When things get dark, they get really dark, and the payoff, though grim, is satisfying in that gut-wrenching, can’t-look-away kind of way.
Speak No Evil is a suspenseful, if somewhat trope-heavy, thriller. It’s definitely worth a watch if you enjoy films that push you to the edge, even if you’ll spend half the time mentally correcting the characters’ actions.
