MOVIE NEWS – For about a year now, movie fans have been pondering whether it’s worth quickly making an American version of a splendid Danish horror film. The answer has finally come: yes.

The film Speak No Evil turned out shockingly good, scoring 88 percent on the RottenTomatoes review site. One reason for its success, according to critics, is the excellent cast, particularly James McAvoy in the leading role. Another reason is that the new version has been skillfully fine-tuned. It is not as shockingly brutal as the Danish original, but this has actually benefitted the original message.

Speak No Evil attempts to unsettle the audience on two levels, and it succeeds: it is both a biting social satire and a psychological horror. According to critics, Blumhouse Studio’s new version masterfully strikes a chord, maintaining tension and entertainment throughout while never forgetting the messages conveyed by the original work.

An American couple with young children befriends an exceedingly polite English family during their holiday, who then invite them to their home. At the remote estate, it soon becomes clear that there is something much more troubling about their hosts than their new friends could have ever imagined.

“Not even a Hollywood makeover could remove the fangs of the utterly nihilistic Danish horror, largely thanks to James McAvoy,” praises one critic with a mild mixed metaphor. “James McAvoy is a true host from hell,” writes Empire magazine. “This remake turns one of the most depressing films of the decade into a filthy entertaining thriller, which does not hit as relentlessly as the Danish original, but never once feels like another watered-down Hollywood lemonade” – rejoices a critic on RottenTomatoes. “Speak No Evil is a powerful reminder of how terrifying the English can be when portrayed by James McAvoy,” jokes another. “The muscular James McAvoy is a refreshingly chilling surprise, and it is mainly thanks to him that Speak No Evil, though less raw, can be just as disturbing as the Danish original” – writes a reviewer from The Independent. “McAvoy is nightmarishly brilliant in the lead role, and the film itself masterfully twists the horror/thriller clichés. The audience screams their lungs out alongside the characters, especially during the incredibly tense third act,” wrote critic Tony Mosello.

(Speak No Evil – in local cinemas from this Thursday!)