‘Speak No Evil” shows us the danger we allow in for the sake of our comfort

By Ben Konuch

“We’ve been pretending it’s normal since we got here. This is so not normal!”

Human beings do something that I find fascinating. I do it, and you probably do it too without even realizing it. It’s our defense mechanism, our ability to be a chameleon in a group. And if you say you don’t, then you’re probably lying to yourself. 

When push comes to shove, people don’t speak up when they’re uncomfortable with something. Sure, if something big enough happens that we feel in danger we might finally voice our discomforts. But when there’s small inconveniences or discomforts, we all have the remarkable tendency to tolerate feeling uncomfortable because we don’t want to risk going against the group. 

When it comes to the small things, we “shut up and take them” and suffer through them for the sake of being “normal.” We don’t want to make waves, we don’t want to look different and we don’t want to be the “bad guy” in a situation. For the sake of our social lives, we suffer a million tiny abuses to save face.

And that is exactly what “Speak No Evil” uses to be so effective at building its tension.

“Speak No Evil” is a 2024 remake of the 2022 Danish film of the same name. This new telling is written and directed by James Watkins and follows an American family on vacation in Italy where they meet the alluring couple Paddy and Ciara (portrayed by James McAvoy and Aisling Francios) and their young son, Ant. When Ant and his parents quickly befriend the American family – Louise, Ben and Agnes – in part due to the kinship of understanding each other in a foreign place, Paddy offers an invitation for the family to visit their farm back in England. 

What should be an innocent invitation turns into a week where nothing is as it seems – and comfort is an illusion – as Louise and Ben realize that the people they are staying with are not who they present themselves to be.

“Speak No Evil” is a thriller unlike any other as its tension comes from a genre of “social anxiety horror.” Rather than making us afraid of a concrete monster or danger, “Speak No Evil” slowly ramps up the feeling of discomfort and unease when we can’t figure out why. 

Paddy and Ciara seem kind and calm in one scene only for Paddy to lose his temper with his son in the next, only for an apology and perfectly acceptable explanation to follow. It’s master manipulation, both of Ben and Louise and us as the audience. We might scream at them to leave the second we feel uncomfortable, but if we actually lived those moments out in our own lives, would we be so bold and self-aware?

Part of what sells the fear – and impact – of “Speak No Evil” is the writing and portrayals of its characters. Very few films lately presented characters that feel so close to real people as “See No Evil.” Each character is nuanced with their own strengths and flaws, and Louise and Ben’s relationship is often painfully imperfect. Ben especially is fascinating as a father who struggles with speaking up and standing up for himself or his family. It’s not just a flaw for character development that magically gets overcome when the plot needs it. Ben, and the rest of the cast, aren’t hallmarks of romance or parenting, they’re people as we are: imperfect, messy, likable, frustrating and earnest all at once.

These characters are written expertly but they’re portrayed even better. James McAvoy as Paddy is one of the most unsettling characters I’ve seen in a recent film, and it’s not because he’s some secret monster or a maniacal serial killer. Paddy is a manipulator in a painfully realistic way, and every word and action from him makes the audience wonder what kind of man he is. Is he a loving father and husband? Is he an abusive parent? Is he a doctor, or a liar? Is he welcoming, or sinister? Are Ben and Louise and Agnes safe, or have they been in danger the second they met their new company?

Dan Hough is the actor who portrays Ant, Paddy and Ciara’s young mute son, and words cannot begin to describe the performance this young actor brings to the film. Without a single word, Ant shows a range of deep and visceral emotions that I’ve seen very few adult actors manage to convey so honestly. His character seems like an innocent caught in a crossfire, yet we’re unsure how or why and whether or not he can be trusted either. 

Perhaps that’s simply the expert manipulations of McAvoy’s Paddy projected onto this young character. Perhaps it’s a result of the film’s meticulous removal of our trust in anyone or anything. And perhaps this kid simply deserves an award for what he’s put into Ant’s haunted stares and frantic messages.

At the end of the film, “Speak No Evil” deviates significantly from its source material, but I don’t think that’s inherently a problem. This film is its own, and while it takes the same vital lessons and fears of its original version, it delivers them to a new audience in a new way. What remains is a thriller that made me uncomfortable with almost every word and action of its antagonists and delivered a modern fable to an audience willing to listen. What do we accommodate without meaning to? What evils will we tolerate because of our discomfort?

When the credits roll, I have to ask which character I’m most like. Am I a Louise, willing to step up and speak out for the sake of others? Am I a Ben, afraid of confrontation and unwilling to take a stand? Or am I an Agnes, inquisitive and asking questions when others are too comfortable with silent differences?

Or, God forbid, am I a Paddy, using others to get what I want because I know, deep down, we as humans want to see no evil and speak no evil even when it threatens to tighten its grip around our necks?

I give “Speak No Evil” a 9/10

“Speak No Evil” is now playing in theaters

Ben Konuch is a senior Strategic Communication student who serves as a writer for Cedars A&E and as their social media lead. He enjoys getting sucked into good stories, playing video games and swing dancing in the rain.

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures