Christian Tafdrup’s Speak No Evil was hands down one of 2022’s most shocking and disturbing horror films. An incredibly crafted tale of absolute dread, it is admittedly not the sort of thing you can recommend to everyone. So when Blumhouse announced an Americanized remake starring James McAvoy and directed by The Woman in Black‘s James Watkins, our curiosity was piqued.
In the original 2022 movie, a Danish family visits a Dutch family they met on a holiday. What was supposed to be an idyllic weekend slowly starts unraveling as the Danes try to stay polite in the face of unpleasantness. Here’s the official synopsis for the remake:
When an American family is invited to spend the weekend at the idyllic country estate of a charming British family they befriended on vacation, what begins as a dream holiday soon warps into a snarled psychological nightmare.
True crime podcast My Favorite Murder famously preaches “Fuck politeness” as one of their catchphrases for survival, and this movie is precisely why. Let’s take a look at the trailer.
“Sometimes it’s ok to think things, but you can’t actually say them.” In some instances, politeness and societal niceties can get you into more trouble than they’re worth.
Maybe sometimes it’s better to offend. If you’re a fan of the original Speak No Evil, you’ll notice lots of familiar scenes here, and so far, it looks like it’s staying pretty true to Tafdrup’s tale. But I suppose we’ll find out in September when we’re anxiety-sweating in the theater all the way to the climax.
Speak No Evil stars Mackenzie Davis (Terminator: Dark Fate, Halt and Catch Fire) and SAG award-winner Scoot McNairy (Argo, A Quiet Place Part II) as American couple Louise and Ben Dalton, who, along with their 11-year-old daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler; The Good Nurse, Riverdale), accept the weekend-holiday invitation of Paddy (McAvoy), his wife Ciara (Aisling Franciosi; Game of Thrones, The Fall) and their furtive, mute son Ant (newcomer Dan Hough).
Originally slated for an August 9 release, Universal previously announced the date was being pushed to a very fitting Friday, September 13 theatrical release.
You can watch Christian Tafdrup’s original Speak No Evil streaming on Shudder and AMC+. For more horror coming down the pipeline, check out our list of all the new horror movies to be released in 2024.
