‘Speak No Evil’ Movie Review: James McAvoy Lights Up This Host-From-Hell Shocker

A still from ‘Speak No Evil’

Trailers are really the worst thing, esp Say no evilHaving seen the trailer every Friday since forever, you know James McAvoy’s character is brilliantly stupid. Although the trailer killed that twist, Say no evil So deftly written that one is permanently on the edge of one’s seat, watching as the unsuspecting family is dragged into the throes of terrifying terror.

Adapted from the 2022 Danish film Named Christian Taffdrop (black ending changed), Say no evil An American couple, Ben (Scoot McNairy) and Louise (Mackenzie Davis) embark on a vacation in Tuscany with their daughter Agnes (Alix West Leffler). They meet a charismatic English couple, Paddy (James McAvoy) and Ciara (Aisling Francioci), and their son Ant (Dan Hough), who has a speech impediment.

The two families get on well, and once they return to England, Paddy invites Ben and Louise to spend a weekend with them at their country house in the North Country. Although Lewis has some reservations (those of us who watched the trailer, silently beg him to listen to his gut), they’re whatever.

Louise is uncomfortable on many levels, from forcing Libby to eat goose (killed especially for the occasion, even though Paddy knew she was vegetarian) to the mysterious stains on the bed covers; Ben tries to explain it as a cultural difference.

A still from ‘Speak No Evil’

Paddy reveals himself to be unpredictable with a potentially cruel streak. Paddy forces Ben to pick up the tab after inviting him to his friend Mike’s (Chris Hitchens) restaurant for dinner, and the children’s estranged babysitter Muhjid (Motaz Mulhis) unsettles Ben and Louise.

Ant is desperate to communicate with Agnes, who doesn’t understand at first… and when she finally does, is so shocked that her parents almost don’t believe her. Will they be able to get away from their aggressive charming hosts?

McAvoy is charismatic and mesmerizing as the sinister Paddy, conveying discomfort with a mere twinkle in his eye. Director Watkins, who also wrote the screenplay, hints at the horrors to come and already happened. There is an obsession with showing the best version of yourself for social media and the importance of honesty.

No scenes, frames, sequences or dialogues are robbed that are extraneous. Everything in the film has a reason. Ben and Louise’s backstory is also implied – they’re not just victims of nameless screams.

Cinematographer Tim Morris-Jones creates a visual stunner from the opening scene with his manipulation of multiple light sources, from car headlights, dashboard lights and the reflection of the boy’s face in the rearview mirror to the porch. Farmhouse lighting, masterful.

Say no evil That rare horror film that chills the bones without excessive gore, echoes what Paddy says in another context – a thousand times more than we can imagine. The truth is not said, mate!

Speak No Evil is currently playing in theaters