★★★★
Speak No Evil may just be another shameless Hollywood remake of an acclaimed (and recent) Danish film, but it still makes for an insanely tense time at the movies! It’s absolutely bonkers — the film is surprisingly funny while also being terrifying at the same time. It starts off as a comedy, slips into suspense, before finally becoming an all-out thriller. This is a psychological thriller that lies in wait for its audience, slowly building the skin-prickling sense that something is terribly amiss. I haven’t seen the original Danish film from 2022 (it's top of my list to go watch next), but from what I have heard director James Watkins has effortlessly captured the dreadful seance of the original while maintaining his own spin on the material. The film is an incredible example of how to effectively build tension and suspense throughout an entire film, and because of this, it demands to be seen with a crowd! All four lead performances are aces but for me, this is easily one of James McAvoy’s best performances. A physically intimidating combustion of charm and rage that you can’t take your eyes off of. It’s a ferocious performance reminiscent of his role in Split. Harnessing sick suspense from the glimmer in James McAvoy's eye, Speak No Evil is the rare remake that hushes up concerns of "been there, done that." For those who don’t already know, this is not a jump scare horror film but its commentary on human behaviour and how far we’ll go to maintain politeness is just as uncomfortably disturbing. Speak No Evil eventually goes full-on with the familiar horror movie blood-spattering, but the social satire in that well-executed build-up is the real strength of the film.
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