Review by
Eric Hillis
Directed by: James Watkins
Starring: James McAvoy, Aisling Franciosi, Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy
Christian Tafdrup's Speak No Evil is a grim Danish
thriller that gained some global attention for its gruesome and cynical
denouement. It's also an often hilarious satire of Northern European social
mores in the manner of Ruben Östlund and Kristoffer Borgli. The film sees a
Danish family accept an invitation to visit the home of the Dutch family
they met while holidaying in Italy. Over the course of a long weekend the
Danes become increasingly rattled by the behaviour of their Dutch hosts
until things take a violent turn. Tafdrup uses this scenario to mine black
comedy from the culture clash of Nordic reserve and Dutch extravagance. But
while the movie functions very well as a social satire, it falls apart in
its final act when it veers into full-on thriller mode. The joke of the
Danes allowing themselves to be increasingly bullied by their Dutch hosts is
ultimately stretched too far, reaching a point where their actions become
laughable for unintended reasons.
Speak No Evil is so close to being a great movie that it
warrants a remake, a second chance to correct its missteps. Despite the film
being largely in English, it's now gotten an English language remake
courtesy of British writer/director James Watkins. Helmed by the
director of the incredibly unsettling survival thriller
Eden Lake, you expect this remake to deliver on grisly thrills, but Watkins isn't
exactly known for his comedy. It's no surprise then that this remake
jettisons much of the original's satirical elements and is content with
being a rather straightforward thriller. It simultaneously misses the point
of Tafdrup's satire while fixing the nonsensical final act that derailed its
Danish predecessor.
The culture clash element is almost entirely absent here. The Danes and
Dutch have been replaced by Yanks and Brits, two cultures that have been
cross-pollinating each other for so long that there's very little to
distinguish them at this point. This remake could feature two American
families or two British families and it wouldn't make any difference to how
things play out here.
The Americans are Louise (Mackenzie Davis) and Ben (Scoot McNairy) and their 11-year-old daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler). Louise
and Ben are having some initially ambiguous problems with their marriage and
they clash over how to deal with their daughter's anxiety issues, which see
her cling obsessively to a stuffed rabbit (a prop Watkins makes great use
of). While holidaying in Italy they encounter Paddy (James McAvoy)
and Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), a boorish English couple (that the
Americans have very English names and the Brits very Irish names suggests an
early draft may have featured a tasty Anglo-Irish clash that no studio would
greenlight) whose lack of reserve wins over Louise and Ben, who have spent
their holiday being bored to tears by continental stiffs. Plus Agnes seems
to bond with Paddy and Ciara's young son Ant (Dan Hough), who is
unable to speak due to a medical condition.
London-based Louise and Ben are issued an invitation to visit Paddy and
Ciara in their home in the English countryside, and after some initial
reticence they decide it might be a good idea. Louise recalls how much Agnes
enjoyed Ant's company, while Ben hopes the getaway might prove a chance to
save the marriage.
If you've seen the original, what ensues for the next hour or so will prove
very familiar. Paddy and Ciara prod Louise and Ben with micro-aggressions,
like insisting the pescatarian Louise eat a sliver of goose and reprimanding
Agnes in front of her parents. In the original, the Danes' refusal to speak
up against their hosts was largely put down to their reticence to tell
foreigners how to behave in their own country, something the Dutch latched
onto with relish, brushing away any criticisms with a wounded retort of
"That's just how we are here, sorry if it offends you." Part of the joke of
the original was how Denmark and the Netherlands are right next door to one
another and yet the two know very little about how their neighbours actually
live. The US and UK might be separated by an ocean, but thanks to the
dominance of American and British pop culture, there's very little Americans
and Brits don't know about each other. Removing this culture clash aspect
neuters much of the potential for comedy. Some of the original's specific
jokes are carried over but fail to land in this new setting. Ironically, a
joke about stereotypical Dutch stinginess would have made more sense here if
McAvoy had been allowed to use his own Scottish accent rather than the West
Country brogue he's burdened with. The most toe-curlingly awkward moment of
the original, involving an Arab man in the employ of the Dutch family, is
carried over but played in a messy manner that suggests the filmmakers
aren't entirely comfortable including it, which really misses the
point.
It's in the second half, when the comedy is out of the way and we're into
undiluted thriller territory, that this remake comes into its own. The
biggest problem with the original was buying into the idea that parents
would allow their children to be placed in danger, something this remake is
aware of and takes action to correct. Unlike the human doormat Danes of the
original, the Americans here only allow themselves to be pushed so far. Once
it becomes clear that Agnes might be in danger, something snaps and they
step up as parents. The original offered a unique ending, but it was
impossible to swallow. Here we get a far more conventional climax (one that
bears the influence of Straw Dogs), but it's far more believable. Watkins cleverly fills some of the logic
gaps of the original by giving more agency to the child characters, with Ant
playing a much larger role in the narrative than his equivalent in the
Danish film.
The movies that most justify remakes are those centred on characters over
action. Redoing a slasher movie is a largely pointless affair, but seeing a
meaty character drama retold with a new set of actors can prove rewarding,
as is the case here. The new cast is arguably more compelling than the
original, with McAvoy delivering the performance of his life as Paddy.
McAvoy's bulky frame gives him the appearance of Russell Crowe in those few
years before he began modelling himself on Orson Welles, and he's a
terrifying sight when he eventually drops the charm act. Davis and McNairy
are excellent as the bickering couple, generating such palpable unspoken
tension that some of their scenes are genuinely uncomfortable to watch.
Through no fault of her own however, Franciosi struggles to add any
substance to Ciara, the character given a lot less agency here than her
Dutch incarnation.
We now have two versions of this story, neither of which are perfect but
which both have their own strengths and weaknesses. If you want a smart
social satire you can watch the original and if you prefer a straight ahead
psychological thriller you can opt for this remake. Take the first half of
the original and the second half of the remake and you'd have one hell of a
great satrical thriller.
Speak No Evil is on UK/ROI VOD now.
