After the release of the original film in 2022 directed by Christian Tafdrup, the exciting horror “Speak no Evil” now aims to broaden its audience with the American remake directed by James Watkins , boasting among its protagonists the British star James McAvoy, remembered above all for the role of the young Charles Xavier in the film series “X-Men” and, no less, for his previous experience in high-voltage cinema with the terrifying “Split”.
Officially premiered at the Toronto Film Festival 2024, the film is receiving very positive reviews on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes , with an appreciation percentage of over 80%. In the shoes of an American family who ends up in the grip of a couple of friends with ambiguous and suspicious intentions, we will witness an escalation of horror that from the pleasure of a relaxing vacation will lead to a relentless escape. On the work of adaptation carried out to maintain adherence to the original work without depriving itself of a good dose of originality, the director spoke to the microphones of GamesRadar + reflecting on the different characterization of some characters compared to the European counterpart, in addition to the importance of making them appear as credible and human as possible.
In that sense, she said: "It was really important for James McAvoy and Aisling Franciosi. The more real they are as people... the more they're not just villains. So yeah, they have this toxic love and he's a narcissist and abusive and all that. I think that probably affected her in some ways, but she's also complicit. There can be two real things at the same time."
Going into the details of Paddy's character, with a particular focus on the experiences that lead people to assume absurd and contradictory behaviors, he elaborated by saying: "It's part of their scam, I guess. When Paddy is making fire and fantastic things, then you think: yes, I would like to have a friend like that. Then, obviously there are totally unacceptable sides."
Asked about the film's release, James McAvoy gave his thoughts on the title to Total Film magazine. In particular, the star admitted that he probably , and the reason seems clear: "I had heard about the original, but I hadn't seen the trailer and I certainly hadn't seen the film. And I'm happy about that, because I don't know if I would have accepted the role if I had: I don't want to compare myself to what other people have done. ." On the reasons that would have convinced him to take the part, he added: "I really liked the fact that there was this good couple, with the kind of relationship and love that was so grey and depressing, and not something you would wish on your worst enemy. Then there's this bad couple, who have the kind of love that you can only dream of and that you desperately want to have, who seem so capable of generating happiness and joy in their lives. Having them sit down and have a couple chat was a brilliant way to build tension. That’s what made me think: this could be really fun.”
