MOVIE NEWS – An American remake of the Danish horror film Speak No Evil was released just two years after the original premiered. The American version, Speak No Evil, is not a mere copy but an independent creation based on a new concept, while retaining some core themes from the original. The director of the American version, James Watkins, emphasizes that the significant changes in Speak No Evil mainly stem from the new cultural perspective.

“Those who have seen the original film will surely ask why we didn’t keep the horrific ending as it was,” Watkins told SFX magazine. “To this, I can say that I wanted to explore how people from different cultural backgrounds behave and what happens between them when they confront each other, through the actions of the characters. I have mainly brought over the social satire from the original film, which scrutinizes established norms. So while our film is still a horror in some sense, it is more entertaining than the Danish original.”

Watkins made his mark with the deeply unsettling horror film Eden Lake, which also dealt with social issues, and this influenced the final shape of Speak No Evil. “Eden Lake had a shattering impact on the audience, and I didn’t want to hit them with that kind of blow again. I thought it would be better to offer them a rollercoaster ride, a memorable adventure that they could discuss over a drink afterward, if it provoked any thoughts at all. People go to the cinema to have fun, to scream at the screen during the tensest moments, and afterward, they don’t want to stumble home in a doomsday mood.”

Speak No Evil begins with the meeting of two families with small children: a British family invites their new American friends over for a fun weekend after meeting during a holiday in Italy. However, the substitute holiday in England does not turn out to be fun, as it becomes clear that the hosts are not normal, in either the everyday or clinical sense.

(Speak No Evil – domestic release date: September 12, 2024.)