HOLLYWOOD—A good thriller knows how to build tension, but at the same time something has to happen to where the tension doesn’t explode in the last 40 minutes of the show. That is what I felt with the American remake of the Danish flick “Speak No Evil.” Yes, there has been so much chatter about this thriller starring Jason McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis and Scott McNairy.
This movie is indeed a slow burn. We are first introduced to members of the Dalton family who are vacating overseas. The family is headed by Ben (McNairy), who is a bit of a docile character. He might be the man of the family, but he doesn’t exude that energy or confidence often. His wife, Louise (Davis) tends to take those reigns. Ben likes to be hush hush, while Louise speaks her mind and she never apologizes for it.
They have a daughter, Agnes (Alix West Lefler) who has a strange affinity for a stuffed animal that happens to be her safety net, and she is like almost 13. Not to mention she sleeps in her parent’s bed if she gets scared at night. Yeah, yeah, that is just odd and crazy. All is going well for the family until they meet Paddy (McAvoy) and his wife Ciara (Aisling Franciosi). Paddy is very charming and brings a levity to many situations. His charm grabs Louise and Ben’s attention so much to the point that they take Paddy up on his offer to spend some time in his neck of the woods.
Sorry, I wouldn’t be staying at the house of someone I just met a few weeks ago. If anything, I would have to know someone for years to even consider that. You can absolutely make the argument that McAvoy is the saving grace for the slow burn of the movie. While a good hour of the movie you are just waiting and waiting for things to happen, as a spectator you are captivated by this character. You know something is off with him, but you can never take your eyes off of him because you don’t know what he will do next and it is intriguing to watch and see what unfolds.
We’ve seen McAvoy play dark characters before, just watch “Split,” but he takes things to a new level this time around. His rage is visceral and you feel the threat level building as the movie moves along. The characters can sense the danger, but they do stupid things to place themselves back in that danger like going back to get a stuffed animal. Um, no, you’ll get another one.
Paddy and Ciara share a son, Ant, who is non-verbal, but as things unfold we discover something sinister may have transpired to Ant and he could be held against his will. When things are finally revealed about the strangeness of Paddy and his wife, the mayhem erupts and it is so much fun to watch. It is visceral, an edge of your seat, screaming, yelling at the screen until the shocking conclusion.
As a viewer you do have to be patient with this flick because unfortunately for a good hour nothing of substantial magnitude happens and its very easy to lose interest. However, if you’re patient the movie, “Speak No Evil” delivers and it’s a damn fun ride.
