Speak No Evil - A Commentary On Cultural Politeness
- Viktoria
- Feb 24
- 4 min read
Director: James Watkins
Year of release: 2024
Country of origin: Croatia, Canada, United States
Spoiler status: Light spoiler
Sub-genre: Slow-burn horror
Blumhouse's take on the spine-chilling Shudder Original was a welcome addition to the psychological horror sub-genre when it was released in late 2024. Even though it differs from the source material, mainly in the third act, it still delivers the psychological dread as it was intended. The story follows a family who was invited to the countryside by their new friends they met on vacation. Slowly, but surely, the plot turns darker until the viewer's left clutching the edge of their seat. From visuals and sound cues to McAvoy's masterful portrayal of a deranged individual, this movie has it all. But Speak No Evil isn't just a horror for horror's sake; it also critiques society as it is. It serves as a commentary on cultural politeness, showing that everything has its limits.
If you like horror that makes you feel uncomfortable in the best way possible, this movie will be an enjoyable watch for you.
A Deep Dive Into The Dark
Speak No Evil greets the viewers with some stunning sights. Louise and Ben Dalton, along with their daughter Agnes, decide to take some time off from their everyday, stressful life and enjoy charming Italy for a few days. They have no idea that the beautiful scenery shot in Grožnjan, Croatia, is in harsh contrast to the horrors that await them. It's obvious from the beginning that Louise and Ben have some unresolved issues. They constantly contradict each other while their daughter soaks it all in, and her anxiety gets worse thanks to this not-so-subtle hostility between her parents. This is where the feeling of discomfort is first slipped into the audience's subconscious. Watching the two disagree about almost everything, yet still trying to keep it civil, instills a feeling of second-hand embarrassment that makes the viewer squirm a bit. The director did a great job building dread based on human interactions that diverge from social norms. James Watkins played with the idea of what's culturally acceptable and how far people are willing to go in order to be perceived as polite and accepting. This kind of emotional manipulation, paired with the slow-burn nature of the story, enhances the feeling of unease and gives the audience an experience that will stay with them long after the credits roll. But this isn't the only reason why this horror is so good.
James McAvoy's portrayal of Paddy, a deranged mastermind, was on a whole different level. Audiences across the world are used to seeing him in, so to speak, unique roles. This one was no different. Paddy is a deeply troubled person battling childhood trauma and whatever disorders it brought into his grown-up life. His character starts cheerful and friendly, but slowly all of that fades away, and his madness surfaces. The viewers first see his tendency for aggression in the scene with his son at the swing, and after that, he gets gradually more unraveled. In comparison to Fedja van Huêt, the actor from the original movie, McAvoy actually managed to envisage the essence of a psychopath. But he's not the only one who deserves praise.
Aisling Franciosi, playing Ciara, also did a great job portraying a long-term victim. Even though it wasn't officially confirmed, Ciara stated in one scene that she was also Paddy's victim and was taken when she was Agnes's age. She had bruises on her body, and she admitted to Louise that Paddy has a temper when they are alone. She was groomed from a young age, so she couldn't decide between wanting to be free and wanting to please her captor/husband. Aisling portrayed Ciara's fear and indecisiveness perfectly. And while abuse, trauma, and psychopathy are amongst the more important ideas of the movie, there is much more that hides under the surface.
Using cultural politeness as the base plot for a horror movie is definitely unique. Watching someone do all the wrong things just so the villain wouldn't feel uncomfortable is, in itself, uncomfortable. The audience watches Ben befriend the monster that is Paddy, and even though the signs are crystal clear, somehow the Dalton family keeps on giving him and his wife another chance. The director does a great job at making the audience feel trapped inside that house with the family, with almost no hope of getting out. Every time a character turns a corner, there is a feeling of "this is it, they will die now," but the plot keeps going. McAvoy explained this in an interview as if they were holding a bow and pulling its string, making it as taut as possible and waiting for it to reach its breaking point. And that's exactly how it feels watching this movie. The audience is on the edge of their seat, gripping it tightly and waiting for that sinking feeling in their stomach to ease, but it never does.
Final Verdict
Speak No Evil is a psychological horror masterpiece. It starts slow and subtle, and gradually grows into a roaring fire of madness. Fans are torn between the original and the remake; some say the 2024 version came too early or that it wasn't necessary at all since the Shudder Original was great as it was. Others say that Watkins's movie was necessary to right some wrongs from the 2022 version. My verdict is that the remake took all the best parts of the original and built on them, fixing some obvious plot holes along the way. The story is captivating, the characters are well thought out, and the actors did a great job at portraying them. James Watkins's Speak No Evil deserves the praise it gets from the fans because it did a great job at keeping them on their toes. If you ask me, this one's definitely worth your time.
Rating: 🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️
Speak No Evil gets a 5/5 from me because it's intense and captivating, at times making it feel like the audience is trapped in the story with the characters. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication from the director and the actors to elevate the story to this level. The overall experience was fun and memorable, which means that it deserves the highest rating I can give.
If you want to sneak a peek, you can find the trailer below:
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