Its the same movie….until its not!

When SPEAK NO EVIL came out in 2022, there was a huge talk among the horror community. A film that had it all, moments of social interaction that left you feeling full of cringe, a sense of foreboding dread, a taste of dark humour and then a vicious nasty bite that left a huge scar, long after the credits rolled.

It was loved by those who seen the delightful Danish entry and a strong word of mouth, helped it get more noticed, which of course has led to this, the Americanised remake that has a dazzling James McAvoy centre stage, relishing every scene of unhinged horror. I won’t lie! McAvoy’s Paddy is a captivating watch and for those who have no idea where the plot is heading, will no doubt soak up every ounce of tension it creates, but and yes, you probably sensed a but, for those who basically saw all these events happen only two years ago, will be left massively disappointed at what occurs here,

For a while, it mirrors its original. While on holiday Louise (Mackenzie Davis) and Ben (Scoot McNairy) along with their 12 year old daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler) befriend Paddy and Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) who also have a child of their own Ant (Dan Hough), a young lad whose medical condition stops him from talking. Its their free spirit, most notably Paddy that catches the eye of the more reserved other couple and its during dinner that they invited for a weekend in the English countryside, back at their farm home, anytime they want and despite Louise’s reservations, her and Ben agree…..but as soon as they arrive, it feels like a game has begin.

A simple offering of a taste of a freshly cooked goose starts the unease, leading Ciara to oddly start parenting Agnes, much to the frustration of Louise who looks on at Ben who annoys by ignoring the warning signs that are right in front of him. All this slow-burn is a credit to the remake as its carries the threat well and for the most part I was onboard at what was happening, but then an ill- judged decision that is shared in both film versions regarding a toy rabbit is where both films rapidly spilt into two different paths.

While Christian Tafdrup’s original was a nail-biting, look away horror with scenes that really left you feeling drained at what it had up its sleeve, James Watkins version decides to go all STRAW DOGS on us, with a battle of violence between all where every household item available becomes some sort of weapon, is a huge shock as Watkins himself left a huge memory with the downright dirty climax of EDEN LAKE, which makes this creative decision even the more baffling.

Some will argue that this was the right thing to do as “why offer the same as before?”, but sadly there will be fans who will only ever see this version and that only adds to the frustration, as much like the remakes of MARTYRS and INSIDE, it fails in the most important aspect – and that it doesn’t rattle you, doesn’t leave you needing a cold shower, fails to drag you through a nightmare and worse of all, becoming nothing but forgettable as soon as the final credits have rolled.

Rating: ★★½☆☆