By every measure of psychological horror standards, Christian Tafdrup‘s Speak No Evil (2022) ticks most of the boxes. Speak No Evil‘s brilliant script was co-written by director Tafdrup and his younger brother Mads Tafdrup. The film, a Danish/Dutch movie, premiered in the Midnight section at the 38th Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2022, to rave reviews from audiences and critics.
Although it bombed at the Box Office, it is one of those films that’s a must-watch for psychological horror thriller audiences. Speak No Evil takes a unique spin on horror tropes and predictability. For true horror fans, here’s a comprehensive analysis of the horror of Speak No Evil.
Speak No Evil Plot Summary
The movie begins with two families meeting during a summer vacation in Tuscany. Both families hit it off almost immediately, seemingly enjoying each other’s company. Bjørn and Louise are a Danish couple who have a daughter, Agnes. Patrick and Karin are a Dutch couple with a son, Abel. However, Abel is introduced as having congenital aglossia, making him unable to speak. After the families separated at the end of their vacation, Patrick and Karin invited Bjørn and Louise to visit them in their rural home in the Netherlands. After a long drive from the city, Bjørn, Louise, and Agnes finally make it to Patrick and Karin’s home.
However, things take a turn quickly when Louise begins to get uncomfortable with Patrick and Karin’s attitude. Patrick refuses to acknowledge Louise’s vegetarianism, Karin uses swear words in front of the kids, and Patrick abuses Abel. Patrick soon begins to behave sexually suggestively towards Louise – entering the bathroom while she’s taking a shower and sleeping naked beside Bjørn and Louise’s daughter, Agnes. The latter finally makes Louise demand they leave and return to their home country. However, Patrick and Karin plead with them to stay when they return to the house to pick up Agnes’ forgotten rabbit doll.
After a few days, the real horror begins. Bjørn discovers his family’s pictures in a cabin behind their host’s house, deducing Patrick and Karin are serial killers. Although he manages to drive his family away from the host’s house, they’re caught by Patrick, Karin, and their supposed babysitter, Muhajid. Agnes’ tongue is cut, while Bjørn and Louise are forced to undress and forced down a ditch. Before being stoned to death, Patrick replies to Bjørn’s question of why he’s hurting his family by simply saying, “Because you let me.” Speak No Evil ends with a now mute Agnes playing the role of Patrick and Karin’s daughter on a vacation to lure the couple’s next victims.
The Cast And Characters Of Speak No Evil
Speak No Evil is led by a cast of Danish and Dutch actors. Danish actor Morten Burian played Bjørn, with Sidsel Siem Koch playing his on-screen wife, Louise. Young Danish actress Liva Forsberg made her film debut playing the daughter, Agnes. Dutch stage and film actor Fedja van Huêt played one of the film’s villains, Patrick, with Karina Smulders playing his wife, Karin. Marius Damslev played their mute son, Abel, with congenital aglossia. Tunisian-born French actor Hichem Yacoubi played Patrick and Karin’s babysitter and assistant, Muhajid.
Themes And Symbolism Of Speak No Evil
Speak No Evil stands out for its relatability. Befriending strangers while on vacation isn’t something entirely out of the ordinary. What starts as two families from two nationalities bonding soon spirals into a nightmare. Patrick and Karin have had fulfilling lives as serial killers, with Bjørn, Louise, and Agnes neither being their first or last victims. However, Bjørn and his family’s demise lay on their inability to leave at the first sight of danger.
Patrick and Karin gave off red flags from almost the first day of their arrival. In retrospect, Karin’s welcome speech (“Sorry for the mess; it’s gonna get much worse.”) set the movie’s tone. Bjørn’s inability to be assertive and demand respect, saw Patrick and Karin disrespect them in every possible way. Louise indulges Patrick by tasting his wild boar despite telling him she’s a vegetarian. Also, Bjørn is too polite to voice his displeasure, allowing Patrick and Karin to continue treating them badly.
While it’s difficult to ascertain if Patrick and Karin would have allowed Bjørn and his family to leave unhurt at the beginning of the movie, Patrick blames Bjørn for his fate (“Because you let me.”) before killing him and Louise. As parents, Bjørn and Louise failed to protect Agnes. As adults and a couple, their unassuming attitude and politeness kept them in harm’s way. Driving back to pick up a doll from a home with a supposed pedophile and sexual defiant was their silliest decision. An orphaned, cut-tongued Agnes is left to live as prey to other unsuspecting couples.
Speak No Evil Reception And Reviews
Its underperforming earnings at the Box Office aren’t a good measure of the film’s success. First released at the Sundance Film Festival, it was officially released in Denmark and the Netherlands a few months later. However, audience and critics’ reviews have been well above average. Its plot was so captivating that American production company Blumhouse Productions announced they were working on a remake of the film.
English director James Watkins was hired to direct and provide the screenplay for the American remake, which is scheduled for release on August 9, 2024. Although filming began in May 2023 in Gloucester, England, it was suspended five days before its completion because of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. James McAvoy leads the cast, with Mackenzie Davis and Scoot McNairy confirmed to be part of the cast. Speak No Evil (2022) holds an 84% rating from 96 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer.
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