For a movie I didn’t particularly enjoy, I have a lot to say about it. As for the title, it is because I kept referring to this movie as Talk to Me– from when I asked the lady in the ticket booth until I started googling “James McAvoy Talk to Me”. This anecdote may be construed as embarrassing, but I will instead say that it’s because the title Speak no Evil didn’t resonate with me. I’m not dumb- it’s everyone else’s fault!
Monkey See
I am currently in an undisclosed location, and was planning on watching local-language Buckingham Murders, but couldn’t find an appropriate time. I settled for Speak no Evil, and oh BOY do I feel like I settled.
Ok, so if you’ve seen the trailers, and apparently everyone has, there’s not much else to the film. It’s exactly as stated. This is a big deal, because if this movie intended to be as unpresumptuous as it ended up being, then there was no point in throwing any intrigue in the previews. No surprises- ever. At all. Except for the movie dweebs (more on that later).
Is that a good thing? A bad thing? That there was nothing surprising or unexpected? That what we expected was what we got? That the movie was as predictable as it ended up being? I mean. I’m sure there’s someone who wants that. Not me. I’m prissy. I wanted originality.
Sure, the first half of the film ramps up tension and creepiness, and it’s pretty fun to see. It was predictably creepy, in that the antagonists did the weirdest thing you could imagine in any given scenario. Screaming kid? McAvoy says it’s normal. Someone’s a vegetarian? Kill your pet goose and feed it to them. Predictable. Tense, yes. If you enjoy that, fine. In my opinion though, that tension needs to build to something that’s worth the tension. If the film remains predictable until the very last moment, then it’s a cheat. You’ve been cheated. Conned. You told the story to yourself, and you learned nothing.
Monkey Learn
Speaking of learning, I have a habit of being irritated when movies have nothing to say or teach- or worse- claim they have something worthy of saying, but never really conclude their thesis, or have the ability to wrap that thesis with the plot of the film to culminate both points. This is a big reason why I despised the Keanu Reeves and Ana de Armas film Knock Knock. It’s why horror films are so much textbook fun. The horror entity is dealt with when the family tension is resolved.
When we think about what Speak no Evil is about, we can look at a few threads. As the title suggests, it is about communication. According to the point that McAvoy hammers on about, it’s about honesty. According to the plot and actions, the film is about… duty to family? It’s hard to resolve.
Communication makes sense, as the two protagonists, Ben and Louise, are struggling with their marriage. Ben is bad at his feelings, and Louise cheated. So you’d think, logically, that they have to communicate with one another in order to overcome and defeat their enemy. Doesn’t happen. Spoiler. Is it about honesty? Well. Sort of. The film makes a point about Ben and Louise’s slavery to politeness, which is a dishonest veil about their true feelings about their antagonistic hosts. That’s not nearly enough- and again- does not really play a part in the plot or even resolving the plot. Is it about family duty? In that Ben is a shit father and husband and he needs to learn to do better for his family? This last point does hold some merit, but I’ll save it for the epilogue portion of this review, because I just like hearing myself talk (type) and it likely wouldn’t add anything to your decision about whether or not to go see this film.
Monkey Bored
That being said, I don’t despise this film. It’s fine. Time-pass, as the locals say. It doesn’t need to be said, but James McAvoy was stellar in this film. His performance was as unhinged as it was in Split. Louise, played by Mackenzie Davis, was pretty excellent. Her character felt like it was the most protagonist-like. I do think that her growth and changes as a person in this film are the most profound and sympathetic. Having cheated on a defeatist, weak husband, she later declares that her marriage is, indeed, over, when confronting the antagonists. Whether or not this was just a ploy or a moment of honesty is left up to interpretation. That’s pretty rare. I love it when movies leave things up to interpretation to the viewer. Ambiguity is interesting, as it so turns out.
I don’t want to harp on about this point much, but the adults act really stupidly in this movie. Really, really, really stupidly. So stupid that it almost seems like the film needed to dumb them down to keep the plot from completely unraveling within minutes. In contrast, the two children are exceedingly clever. Like. Really fucking smart and brave. It’s insane to me that the same writers who wrote the dumb parents also wrote, within the same scene, really intelligent children. Ridiculous and frustrating, but acceptable to keep the film intriguing.
Furthermore, there are vestiges of further depth and complexity in this film, and I don’t know where they came from. In the opening scene, McAvoy approaches Ben and Louise where they’re sunbathing, and asks if the third lounger is in use. It technically is, by their daughter, who’s swimming, but Ben lets McAvoy take it anyway, who loudly drags it away. My English teacher would be proud that made the connection here, because the film is literally about McAvoy trying to drag Ben’s daughter away from him, and challenges Ben to do something about it. But who came up with this shit? This is so good? Why isn’t there more of it? I suspect, and as of September 19th, have not yet confirmed, that this scene is leftover from the original, Danish version of this film. I discuss that in the epilogue.
All in all, Speak no Evil is a halfway decent film that’s an acceptable way of killing two hours with mild entertainment and a split-second scene of gore in the climax. I rate Speak no Evil
YMMV
I saw Speak no Evil in theaters, but I expect you can stream it on places soon.
Wondering how my rating system works? Let me explain!
Epilogue – Monkey Do
Ok, so like I said, Speak no Evil is a remake of a Danish film of the same name. I have not yet seen the Danish film, but will make it a point to. Why? Because I like comparing European originals with their Hollywood remakes to see how ‘Americanized’ they’ve become. I suspect, based on internet chatter, that the original may contain all of the depth and complexity that I craved from this film, and was washed away in an effort to appeal to as many people as possible to sell as many tickets as possible. Thanks a lot, Matt Reeves.
The Danish original may render my following fanfiction a moot point, but in a vacuum, I felt that this film was far, far too unoriginal. The male protagonist, Ben, should have had a fall from grace arc. Or, the film should have made it a point to make him really affable and weak, both visually and in situations where he’s faced with a choice. If we went with the former route, Ben would admire McAvoy’s brutish and abusive, yet macho and masculine, acts, and mimicked him when faced with Ben’s own life and family. This would have culminated in a film where Ben wrangles his family with an iron fist, and clashes with McAvoy for dominance, ultimately cementing Ben as yet another abusive man who couldn’t find a healthier way to behave with his family. If Ben were to be redeemed, then his actions in the climax should have been far more direct in proving that he’s learned and grown to be a better person.
That’s just the patriarchal view of things though. I think that the most compelling drama could and should have been between the two mothers. Louise’s character is set up for the biggest redemption arc, and has the post potential for growth. She begins at a very low point; being isolated from her friends and family, having sacrificed her career for her thankless husband, and having cheated on a husband as an act of reclaiming agency over her life. Louise has a perfect foil in Ciara, McAvoy’s wife. Ciara is a complete afterthought in the film, in that she is essentially a sexual and emotional prop for McAvoy, up until the ending, where we’re left with another uncharacteristic point of ambiguity: was she a victim as well?
That’s a really, really good question! Ciara is a really interesting character! The film implies that she lost a child, and that may have pushed her into this psychotic, murderous hobby. Her idea of motherhood is warped, and her role as a wife is very different to Louise’s. Ciara is sexual and sexy, adventurous, and… we stop there. We should have kept going. Ciara should have been all that which gives rise to Louise’s insecurities and fears. She should have embodied all that Louise wanted to be, or felt she should have been. And when faced with her life and husband, having accused Ben of just being afraid of admitting defeat in fighting for his marriage, it would have actually been her projecting her own fears. Her climactic declaration that her marriage with Ben is over could have been a true decision, borne of Louise realizing that she does not want to be Ben’s sexy toy homemaker, and that Louise is capable of, and deserves, a better partner and a better life. Is this just feminist hodge-podge? Maybe! Does the original Danish film discuss Louise and Ciara more? Hopefully! I’ll let you know!
85scenes Reviews 