SPEAK NO EVIL (2024)

Genre: Thriller
Director: James Watkins
Cast: James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy, Alix West Lefler, Aisling Franciosi, Daniel Hough
Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: UIP
Official Website:

Opening Day: 12 September 2024

Synopsis: When an American family is invited to spend the weekend at the idyllic country estate of a charming British family they befriended on vacation, what begins as a dream holiday soon warps into a snarled psychological nightmare.

Movie Review:

One of the very first roles that James McAvoy played that is still etched in our mind is playing Mr Tumnus in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005). The character is a faun who is only taller than a little girl, and McAvoy brought the fantasy creature to life with his unintimidating frame and wide eyed wonder. Almost 20 years later, the Scottish actor has somehow taken a totally different persona and become a monster in his latest flick. With a dauntingly bulked up physique and a constantly scary glimmer in his eye, McAvoy’s character in this psychological horror movie will send chills down your spine.

McAvoy plays Paddy, the alpha male of a family and has no qualms being the obnoxious and loud man that some people would rather stay away from. He has his wife (Aisling Franciosi) and son Ant (Dan Hough) by his side, and they seem to be leading a carefree life with no life burdens whatsoever.

They make friends with another household during a holiday in Italy. This family is the exact opposite – Ben (Scoot McNairy) recently became unemployed and Louise (Mackenzie Davis) seems to be compromising quite a bit in her life to be with her husband. Their daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler) keeps clinging on to a soft toy, and that it making Ben very uptight. The holiday doesn’t seem to be doing them any good, until Paddy comes along with his wayward charm.

A remake of Christian Tafdrup’s 2022 Danish movie of the same name, this version directed by James Watkins is likely to have people wondering whether a remake is even necessary. This is definitely a wider release distributed by a major studio, with Blumhouse Productions credited as the production company. This means that the Hollywood movie is likely to be seen by more people and there will be a sizeable box office taking.

The other reason why this is a recommended title is obviously McAvoy himself. Geeks will know him as the young Professor X in X-Men: First Class (2011) and the subsequent movies in the superhero series. But what the character that stood out for us was by M Night Shyamalan’s Glass (2019), where he played a man with over 20 different personalities whose body chemistry changes with each personality – it was a maniacally unforgettable performance. This latest starring role further cements the actor as someone who can play a twisted character with ease.

The movie also does a great job at making you relate to the socially awkward situations played out throughout the 110 minute runtime. One sequence sees Paddy fending off a irritating couple by asking Ben and Louise some embarrassing questions, and things become increasingly intense as the two families come together in Paddy’s countryside house in rural England. You can’t tell whether something dangerously violent is going to happen, or if anyone is going to get hurt. When the truth of who Paddy and Louise really are is eventually revealed, and when the movie changes gear to become a psychotically wide ride, you will be holding your breath as McAvoy goes berserk with his character. 

Movie Rating:

(Watch James McAvoy go berserk in his portrayal of a maniac and go along for this wild ride)

Review by John Li