MOVIE NEWS – Based on the Danish thriller “The Visit,” the American version “Speak No Evil” has raised many questions: why make the same movie just two years after the original’s release? The truth is, “Speak No Evil” is not the same as Christian Taftdrup’s film.

“It’s interesting that with famous dramas, no one ever questions why they’re repeatedly performed,” said James McAvoy, the lead actor in “Speak No Evil,” to Collider. “Why make another Macbeth when we had one last year? Macbeth has a thousand versions because it can always be interpreted differently. ‘Speak No Evil’ has such rich material that it was worth diving deeper into it.”

The film tells the story of an American family who befriends an English family and gets invited to their countryside estate. Once there, they realize the hosts have sinister intentions, putting their lives in danger.

“In the original, it was Dutch and Danish families; we mixed Americans and English, which results in a different kind of cultural clash,” explained director James Watkins to Collider. “Christian Taftdrup’s film was wonderfully nihilistic, with characters moving towards a brutal end together. Our film is more like a rollercoaster, where our heroes don’t just jump into the abyss. We’ve dug deeper into some themes, the subversive humor is stronger, and there are more thrilling twists.”

James McAvoy has portrayed mentally disturbed characters before, such as the multi-personality serial killer in “Split” and “Glass.” This background gave him some professional foundations, but his character Paddy in “Speak No Evil” is a different kind of deranged. “The wild animal in him gradually comes out,” explained the Scottish actor. “When the Americans meet him, he’s a charming, charismatic figure who loves life, but at the countryside estate, his veneer peels away, revealing his true nature. It’s always a joy for an actor to play such a wide range, from a likable character to a monstrous beast.”
(“Speak No Evil” – Domestic release: September 12, 2024)