2022's Danish thriller Speak No Evil left me and others unsettled in the best way with its dark nature, the overall messaging, and the choices that led to the ending. It’s a brilliant horror film that deserved major award recognition at the time, and thus, I was excited and worried about James Watkins' Speak No Evil remake.
Honestly, I was probably more annoyed by the idea of it until learning James McAvoy signed on to star. He's one of my favorite actors and someone I trust to pick enthralling projects. I didn’t know if this would be one of his best performances, but I knew it would be at least a good one, and my faith in the actor proved justifiable, because he delivered another chilling performance. He’s downright terrifying in Speak No Evil.
The Scottish actor’s performance isn’t the only fascinating thing about the English-language Speak No Evil, which makes some major changes from the source material that definitively differentiates the two films. Others may not enjoy the changes, but I liked them, so let's dive in.
Warning Speak No Evil spoilers are ahead! Proceed with caution if you have not watched!
The Dalton Family Fights Back In The Speak No Evil Ending
In the original Speak No Evil, Bjørn (Morten Burian) and his wife Louise (Sidsel Siem Koch) encounter Patrick (Fedja van Huet) again after trying to escape to so-called friend. Things escalate and Karin (Karina Smulders) cuts the tongue from the mouth of Louise and Bjørn’s daughter, Agnes (Liva Forsberg). Louise and Bjørn are then taken to a ditch and stoned to death. We later see Agnes taken in as Karin and Patrick’s new mute child, as they already start looking for her replacement.
Match that up with Patrick and Karin drowning their “son,” Abel (Marius Damslev) in the pool, and it's clear the original Speak No Evil ending is extremely bleak and shows the family basically submissively walking to their deaths. The 2024 Speak No Evil takes the opposite direction.
Louise (Mackenzie Davis), Ben (Scoot McNairy), and Agnes (Alix West Lefler) all fight for survival, and also all contribute to stopping Paddy (James McAvoy) and Ciara (Aisling Franciosi). The film also gives Ant (Dan Hough) justice by allowing him to give Paddy his final death blow.
Even before the Speak No Evil remake premiered, I suspected this version would change the final act. Americans love a happy and hopeful ending, so as bold and brilliant as the remake could have been by skewing closer to the original fate of the main characters, it probably wouldn’t have been as popular a conclusion among typical American viewers.
Additionally, the original Speak No Evil is very atmospheric and creepy. The remake is more of a horror-thriller which often means some major battle scenes happen. We need to see the Dalton family fight their hardest to survive.
As much as I loved the bleak ending of the Danish-Dutch original, I am glad the remake didn’t follow the same path. It made the last act surprising and offered some hope, which, unfortunately, I am a sucker for, but I don’t necessarily think the ending is not without bleakness. It’s another movie with a wild ending, just in a different way than the 2022 film.
The Remake's Ending Changes The Whole Message Of The Original Story
I interpreted the original Speak No Evil to be a film about complacency and not fighting back, with its most chilling and haunting line being: “Because you let me.” Patrick and Karin succeed because Bjørn doesn’t fight them, and also ignores clear signs of danger in the process.
By the time he realizes the other family's true nature, it’s too late. He led his loved ones to their demise and didn’t take any of the many chances he had to save them from this fate.
Ben makes some similar mistakes in the newer version, but still he fights back. The 2022 Speak No Evil seems to be about a man who is too passive and idolizes a monster. The 2024 Speak No Evil is about a survivor who learns to stand up for himself and fight for his family. Ben is who Bjørn should have become in an idealized universe. These simple changes completely divert the films' respective purposes.
The Danish-Dutch Speak No Evil is more of a cautionary tale and a look at the dark side of unchecked power and control. It’s about what people become when you don’t fight against evil. The American version is more of a hero fantasy about a cuckolded hubby who becomes the hero that his family needs and earns their respect.
Speak No Evil Allows Ben And Louise To Become Heroes
Ben isn’t the only one who becomes a hero in Speak No Evil. Louise does as well. In many ways, it feels like she does more to save the family than he's able to, and it helps convince audiences to respect these characters.
The film also breaks the conventional ideas of movie heroes. Louise and Ben are just parents fighting to save their children and themselves, as opposed to having specialized talents.
They’re not a perfect pair, but are still trying to be the best partners and parents possible.
It Shows The Viewers’ Paddy’s True Evilness
James McAvoy made a great decision when he didn’t watch the original film before making Speak No Evil. This choice allowed him to bring his brand of unhinged to Paddy. This character is so intense, from beginning to end, that it’s almost unbelievable that Ben finds him charming. By the end of Speak No Evil, Paddy proves that he is worse than we thought.
Not only has he physically and emotionally abused these children and killed them and their parents, but he likely sexually abused them as well, at least some of them. Ciara claims she was one of the children Paddy stole and became his wife. She was the first stolen child. He took her when she was around twelve (Agnes’s age). At first, it appears that maybe she’s just saying this to manipulate Louise. However, earlier in Speak No Evil, Louise and Ben note how young Ciara is compared to Paddy.
Then when Paddy grabs Agnes, he mentions her taking care of him. With Ciara dead, he wants Agnes to take her place. This basically confirms that he can add being a rapist to his list of many evil deeds. Paddy is a truly evil character, and that’s what makes McAvoy’s performance so captivating. His evil layers peel off the more Speak No Evil continues.
The Ending Changes From Bleak To Hopeful, But Remains Dark
Ant strikes the final blow that kills Paddy. Ben wants to just leave him but Ant needs Paddy dead and beats him with a rock. This is a bleak ending because he has now become a killer. Additionally, Ciara and Paddy have inflicted so much torture and abuse on the boy. We can assume that Ben and Louise may now adopt Ant, but that doesn’t save him from this traumatic experience and how taking a life may haunt him forever.
The ending offers some hope with Agnes finally letting go of her bunny and giving it to Ant. It’s a sweet gesture but doesn’t undo all his pain and suffering. Ant survived but barely.
I enjoyed both versions of Speak No Evil and appreciate that the American one simply didn’t copy the original but altered it to appeal to its target audience. It makes the viewing experience more exciting because you don’t know what happens next.
