Fri. September 13, 2024
By Jerry Nunn
The development of the new film Speak No Evil has something to say about American storytelling and cinema as compared to other countries. It's a remake of the Danish film Gæsterne from 2022 but contains several startling differences including a less gruesome ending. Writer and director James Watkins takes the original material and makes the piece more palatable to audiences with significant changes.
This tale begins with a couple on vacation who are attempting to reconcile their personal problems and enjoy a trip to Italy with their daughter. They meet a friendly family who invites them to visit their remote farm for a short stay. Things quickly spiral out of control and the less the viewer knows ahead of time about the twists and turns the better.
There's a long build-up of suspense within this unique situation and the skilled players should all be commended for their believability. From top to bottom the cast gives strong performances including the kids and James McAvoy perfectly personifies the pumped-up alpha male known as Paddy.
The characters are well-written and don't fall into traditional traps which sometimes happen with these cat-and-mouse type of games.
At a time in America when many people don't trust strangers and sometimes fear foreigners, this project plays into that paranoia. The timing fits into the upcoming scary season well and producer Jason Blumhouse is on a bloody roll with fright flicks these days.
The title begs for a horror trilogy using the other proverbs of hear and see no evil leaving a wide range of possibilities open. More of a backstory would have added to this tale once the big reveal happens, but this version of a vacation gone wrong still works well.
Go see Speak No Evil in theaters everywhere on September 13, 2024.
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