Speak No Evil with James McAvoy was almost perfect until this one thing-Alicia Adejobi-Entertainment – Metro

Without beating around the bush, James McAvoy is by far the best thing about Speak No Evil (2024). 

And as someone who had very passionate feelings about the five-star Danish original being remade by Hollywood, that means a lot. 

Known for his truly unhinged performances in films like Split and Glass, McAvoy quite worryingly knows how to nail the psychopathic serial killer role well, but perhaps none have been quite as deranged as his turn as Paddy in the new version of the psychological thriller. 

The Speak No Evil remake, directed by James Watkins, follows one couple – Louise (Mackenzie Davis) and Ben (Scoot McNairy) – who meet another couple – Paddy (McAvoy) and Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) – on holiday and are then invited to spend a weekend at their new friends’ holiday home. However, the weekend begins to take a sinister turn when one couple isn’t quite who they appear to be. 

The premise is generally similar to the Danish film, which was released in 2022 to unprecedented acclaim. Watkins’ new interpretation does well in following the basic premise of the original so that it stays true to its inspiration, but where the remake largely excels is in most of the differences. 

Speak No Evil (2024) feels more like a black comedy than the original ever did with McAvoy quite frankly hilarious thanks to his inappropriate laugh-a-minute one-liners. Paddy always maintains a friendly charm but there’s a lingering sense his true menacing self is always bubbling quite close to the surface, only masked by a flashy smile and a quip. Even the sheer build of Paddy (McAvoy is quite bulked up in this performance) is quite intimidating in itself and, coupled with his spontaneous persona, makes it difficult to tear away from him on-screen. 

James McAvoy is at his unhinged best in Speak No Evil (Picture: Universal Pictures, AP)

A straight-laced family think they’ve met another friendly family – until they spend a weekend together (Picture: Universal Pictures, AP)

Aisling Franciosi is terrifying as a host from hell (Picture: Universal Pictures, AP)

He’s supported by a strong cast who gel pretty well together; his on-screen partner Ciara (Franciosi) is just as unhinged when she’s not being sickly sweet, while Louise and Ben perfectly encapsulate the stereotypical straight-laced couple just fine. 

However, the real standouts are the child actors; Louise and Ben’s daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler) and Paddy and Louise’s son Ant (Dan Hough). Agnes and Ant’s growing bond is endearing to watch but also provides some of the most edge-of-your-seat moments in the film. 

Setting itself apart from the original, it was a pretty smart move to change the location from Europe to the UK where some of the more nuanced jokes feel better placed. 

It can certainly be appreciated that Watkins didn’t just want to make a carbon copy of the Danish film which was already largely in English, but choosing a completely different conclusion to the very harrowing finale of the original unfortunately cheapened what was a pretty neat story. 

Speak No Evil is a remake of the acclaimed 2022 Danish original (Picture: Universal Pictures, AP)

McAvoy is somewhat charming and chilling in equal measure (Picture: Universal Pictures, AP)

The twist in Speak No Evil (2022) was almost perfectly executed and refused to shy away from sugarcoating the outcome for the audience, but the new version didn’t quite nail this aspect after impressively upholding a sense of genuine unease and terror for its duration. The last quarter of the film was fun with decent pacing but the pay-off fell short and actually changed the whole meaning that made the original so good.

It’s a shame because Watkins is known for 2008’s Eden Lake, a film that hits you like a gut punch and holds no bars so to see the Speak No Evil remake lean into such a predictable trope was disappointing. 

A Speak No Evil remake certainly wasn’t needed just two years later but, as far as Hollywood makeovers go, this is a pretty solid effort.

Speak No Evil is out in cinemas now.

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