Speak No Evil is a frustrating movie. Our main couple are Americans in Italy on vacation, and they meet a British couple, whom they quickly befriend, they both have one child and the children that also get along well, and eventually the Americans are invited back to the British couple’s house for a weekend. Following this is almost an hour of buildup, awkward comments, building aggression, then all hell breaks loose.
First off, the movie’s half an hour too long, this is a straightforward plot and you’ll probably have seen something similar. The main couple come off like idiots, and the way the movie’s shot can get confusing. Throughout the ending, you can’t tell where characters are in relation to each other, or other important elements like the potential getaway car, all this works against the trapped feeling that is vital for these kinds of movies.
There are definitely things that work well. The use of social conventions to keep the couple in the trap. Several times there is such a clear red flag, and they know they need to leave right now, but are guilted into staying. Also there’s a lot of cringe humor, which is welcome in a horror movie, especially one that’s going to take two hours. And the performances are pretty good throughout.
The best part of this movie is James McAvoy’s performance as the villain. He is magic. At times he’s funny and charming, and then on a dime he switches to oddly menacing, and then to straight terrifying. His weird brand of masculinity and his overflowing emotion keep you on your toes. Much of the movie rests on this role, and I think it would be very easy to overact. His subtlety, especially early in the movie, not only foreshadows some of the later scary moments excellently, but also lures you into wanting to understand him better.
Kas – 6.5
Kat – 7