Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
A remake of the 2022 Dutch-Danish film of the same name, ‘Speak No Evil’ follows American couple Louise (Mackenzie Davis) and Ben Dalton (Scoot McNairy) as their getaway turns nightmarish after they accept an invitation to stay at a remote farmhouse in Devon with a British couple they meet in Italy.
Would you really agree to spend a few days at someone’s farmhouse after meeting them on vacation? The original Danish film, written by brothers Christian Tafdrup and Mads Tafdrup, draws from a real-life encounter where one of them was invited by a couple he met while travelling but chose not to go. ‘Speak No Evil’ builds on that idea and asks, what if he had accepted, and how bad could it really get?
James McAvoy leads ‘Speak No Evil’ as Paddy, an energetic, unnerving, and increasingly unbearable British doctor, who the viewer is supposed to believe is ‘charming’ because he laughs too much, rides on a bike without helmet, dances in hotel rooms with his wife Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), and in general seems ‘free-spirited’. The Daltons on the other hand are mostly fretting over things, like their daughter Angnes’ (Alix West Lefler) refusal to go without her stuffed toy Hoppy.
Paddy and Ciara have a mute son called Ant (Dan Hough), who they’re quite weird with, so it won’t be hard for seasoned thriller watchers to guess some part of the mystery. But the biggest problem with ‘Speak No Evil’ is the fact that it’s incredibly slow and doesn’t build enough tension for you to be on the edge of your seat. Neither does the story deliver characters you’d root for.
From the moment the Daltons step into Paddy and Ciara’s farmhouse, they quietly endure their hosts’ passive-aggressive behavior. Louise is vegan, something Paddy is fully aware of, yet he still offers her meat with exaggerated fanfare about how it was once their “prized” possession. Despite this, Louise shows no resistance and takes a bite, simply to be polite.
In that sense, ‘Speak No Evil’ can be read as a satire on modern etiquette and the fear of offending others, suggesting that such restraint can be just as harmful. The Daltons let Paddy and Ciara push them beyond their comfort zones, when they should’ve spoken up and perhaps chosen to walk away. However, the film is unable to explore the idea as a dark comedy; instead, it unfolds at a painfully slow and often frustrating pace.
Only the climactic moments of ‘Speak No Evil’ are quite entertaining, when things get really out of hand and violent, and it’s Louise who steps up to save her family, while husband Ben mostly cowers in confusion and fear. Many viewers might not have the patience to stick around till the good twists roll in. Besides, it’s not even worth the painful pace. But if you’re a fan of moody, slow thrillers, maybe you will enjoy it more than I did.
Watch ‘Speak No Evil’ on Prime Video.
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