A remake of Christian Tafdrup’s tense Danish horror from 2022, this is a psychological slow burner that’s an unnerving watch.
The movie follows an American family, Ben (Scoot McNairy), Louise (Mackenzie Davis), and their daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler) befriends British/Irish family Paddy (James McAvoy), Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) and their son Ant (Dan Hough) whilst on holiday in Italy. Paddy and Ciara are much more extroverted and fun loving than Ben and Louise, who are struggling in their marriage. Living in London and bored, they decide to take up the offer from Paddy and Ciara to join them in rural Devon for a weekend.
Effectively studying the price of manners and not speaking up, the weekend takes a dark turn as Paddy’s true nature starts to reveal itself. Particularly disturbing is his relationship with his son, who cannot speak, complicating matters further.
While the twist is obvious from the start, the top-notch acting from the cast and the well-timed descent into feelings of discomfort and dread make the film highly watchable. There are remnants of Straw Dogs, The Vanishing, or a Black Mirror episode at times. If anyone has watched writer/director James Watkins’ previous effort, Eden Lake (2008), you’ll know what to expect emotionally.
SPEAK NO EVIL is in cinemas from September 13th.
