Speak No Evil ( Danish and American Remake )

 

Speak No Evil 2024 is the newest horror-thriller by Blumhouse. Many audiences may not know, but it is actually a remake of a Danish film that came out only two years ago that was released by Shudder. Both the Danish film and the American remake essentially have the same general setup. Speak No Evil revolves around a family who befriends another on a European vacation and decides to visit the new friends at their home later in the year. However, they quickly realize that the family trip is not as pleasant as previously believed and uncover a psychological nightmare. 

I won’t be diving into all the differences between the original and the remake to avoid spoilers, I do however have to give a warning to everyone (particularly for the original), that while both versions are incredibly bleak this story in general is not for the faint of heart. The story of Speak No Evil not only tests our patience by being a slowburn, but if seeing the protagonist(s) or even real life people caught in socially awkward and dire situations because they are too nice or too spineless to avoid the risk of uncomfortability, then Speak No Evil is NOT for you. This story is nothing but cringy encounters and dire situations from beginning to end in both versions, however the American version may be more accessible for some, which we’ll dive into. 

It’s been sometime since we’ve had an American remake of an international film. There are examples such as The Guilty, Let Me In, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (I’ll get more into that one later) all were remade within a couple years of each other for American audiences. I know it’s crappy to remake a foreign feature, the majority of the time it’s just for profit or for the same retelling of a better story. In all honesty, this version is definitely one of the better American remakes. This had a lot more going for it than I had imagined it would (especially because we had to endure the trailer for this every single time we went to the movies, not anymore thankfully). 

Both versions have their pros and cons, so I think both really stand on their own well enough to get their points across about cultural differences, Scandinavian politeness and passivity. As much as the original left me feeling empty by the end, it was a film I respected more than I actually enjoyed watching which definitely was the point. This one is kind of in that same boat but it does feel more cleansed for sure. Although, definitely not as "Americanized” as other remakes we typically get as it does most certainly expand upon aspects that were missing from the original. Unfortunately, this remake still feels as if it was almost strictly made more accessible for certain individuals who can’t handle darker subject matters. I do think the remake does make some clever changes here and there which I did enjoy seeing, sadly it still mostly felt like another Blumhouse production half the time. Though I have to say, this is their best movie this year by far, after so many failures for the last couple years this definitely felt a whole lot less sugar coated than half of the stuff they’ve put out lately (my goodness gracious they really need a new hit already). 

In the end, I’m a bit torn between loving that there’s an attempt at something different, but not loving the ending because it's too cowardly to commit to its own thesis and reduces the film to a predictable (albeit somewhat exciting) chase sequence and it still doesn't sit right with me completely. Maybe if this wasn’t a remake I would feel indifferent, but that’s not the case for this project. I mentioned The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo earlier when discussing remakes (a remake I actually prefer over the original btw), there’s a quote from the remake that always stuck with me that applies perfectly for Speak No Evil, "You knew something was wrong, but you came in out of fear of being rude. People would rather endanger themselves than risk an uncomfortable conversation" to me that is more poignant about the original than the remake. Even though they’re the same disquisition, it’s the original that feels more realized and sharper because of its bitter ending.

While the two differ in some small ways, it is the movie's final minutes where things truly go off the rails. Otherwise, they both follow a family of three who get roped into another trio and then things go badly. Again, I won’t spoil anything in particular, but the original ending for the Danish version is much more sinister, which to me was the entire point of this premise, but for some it will or did make or break the entire thing for them. I personally love films like The Stepford Wives, Rosemary's Baby, and The Vanishing with grim unsatisfying endings that serve as disturbing warnings to the audience. I feel like most American audiences tend to feel like there needs to be this sense of closure and triumph at the end (the bad guys lose or get comeuppance in some form or at the very least a singular main character makes it out ok), hence why remakes/American and English speaking remakes tend to alter the endings. And while there's nothing wrong with wanting that (as it means the audience is invested in the film and cares enough about these characters to want them to make it out) I do love endings where the audience is supposed to be left disturbed or dissatisfied with what happened. So at the end of the day I still prefer the original just because how small yet cold and conspicuous it all felt to the stuff we get here in America.

This version certainly looks more expensive and a bit more polished whereas the original felt more grounded, depraved, and ballsy than anything I’ve seen in the last few years. I would still recommend watching both if the story sounds intriguing enough to you. Whether it’s one separate or both versions you decide to check out is entirely up to you. One more positive I can give this American remake compared to most is James McAvoy’s essential performance! It is not only worth checking out on its own, but it will surely make any audience member urge to find out whatever secret workout routine the man has gone through to look as good as he does in here. McAavoy is a stellar actor and one of the best working today. He always manages to put his entire body into whatever film he steps into. The remake is currently playing in theaters nationwide and the original is available on Shudder. What's everybody’s favorite remake of an International Feature and why? Let us know in the comments down below!

Like Movies.... Follow our monthly Movie Podcast for Free!

By Danny Manna @Cinemanna24