Speak No Evil: Stellar Performances

When I saw the trailers for Speak No Evil, I found myself fascinated, especially with James MacAvoy. MacAvoy can be a stellar performer and in the scenes I saw, he appeared to be excellent. But I also wondered if those same trailers were showing all the best scenes, leaving no surprises. After watching the movie, the performances were brilliant with a few surprises and a truly explosive final act.

“Speak No Evil” is a psychological thriller written and directed by James Watkins, a remake of a Danish film of the same name. The film follows a family, Louise Dalton (MacKenzie Davis), husband Ben Dalton (Scoot McNairy) and their daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler). Louise and Ben moved to London for a job for Ben but he’s been made obsolete. While on vacation in Italy to smooth over the issues in their marriage, the Daltons meet charming Patrick (James MacAvoy), his wife Ciara (Aisling Franciosi )and son Ant (Dan Hough). The family are soon invited back to Patrick’s home in West End, England but what starts out as a dream holiday soon warps into a psychological nightmare as Patrick shows signs of violence and secrets emerge about both he and Ciara.

One of the elements that quickly got my attention is how charismatic Patrick (Paddy) is, especially in the opening acts. But that magnetism is also layered with details that give hints to his true nature, such as him pulling a chair over to a different area of the pool, disturbing the other guests or when he gives a ride to Agnes on a motorbike not listening to Louise when she’s clearly uncomfortable with her twelve year old being on the bike. It is the layers to Paddy and Ciara that help add menace to the film. The night that the Daltons arrive to visit Paddy on his farm, he feeds Louise goose. Louise is a staunch vegetarian. Little touches add to the hints to tell the audience that not all as it appears.

That same writing is present with the Daltons as well. Louise capitulating to the visit illustrates that there are issues between the pair. Body language between them reflects that they are not happy. It is soon revealed that Louise had a text relationship where she cheated emotionally on Ben. They also frequently argue over what is best for Agnes. Ben demonstrates an unwillingness to stand up for himself with both Louise and his new friend, Paddy. Agnes also demonstrates that same tension in needing the emotional support of her stuffed rabbit Hoppy and it is her interactions with Ant that lead to the revelation of the truth about Paddy and Ciara.

While most of the story is what is expected from the trailers, it is the level of emotion in the performances that truly shines in this re-make. James MacAvoy is psychotically good, giving a brilliant and layered performance as Paddy, always on the edge of madness and selling the cat and mouse game he plays with Louise and Ben. As Ciara, Aisling Franciosi is also quite excellent, especially in the power dynamics between her character and Paddy. The standout for just sheer emotional power, though, is Dan Hough, playing Ant, who without words, delivers a compelling and powerful performance. Alix West Lefler is also beautiful as Agnes, her portrayal emotional and empathetic. She and Ant are the characters I connected to the most. MacKenzie Davis is excellent as Louise, coming into her power in the final act. Scoot McNairy is perhaps the most bland performance but that delivery feels deliberate and he performs his role well.

The problem with the movie is both in the length of the film and the likeability of its characters. Both Paddy and Ciara are very compelling and charming which works well in adding to the psychological elements of the movie. However, both Louise and Ben are difficult to empathize with. Louise acts in passive-aggressive ways, wanting her husband to argue for her instead of confronting issues herself. Ben is rather spineless even in the last act of the movie. He only takes decisive action once and is frequently complaining. The only characters I truly empathize with are Agnes and Ant. The film takes a long time to set up the cat and mouse game and while that adds to the layers in both the performances and the characters, it does make the film less compelling overall. The final act is explosive and dynamic. I found that just dynamite, with a twist in the ending that was spectacular. It just takes too long to get there.

If you do like psychological thrillers, I think you will find the performances fascinating. James MacAvoy is brilliantly creepy and mad. Dan Hough is powerful and Alix West Lefler is emotional. The other performances are quite good as well. While it does feel too long a movie, the ending is powerful and has a ton of impact. The layers and details of the narrative are compelling as well as the truth about Paddy emerges. The psychological elements and the brilliant performances are what I enjoyed best.

Rating: 4 out of 5 bunnies.