Speak No Evil is a 2024 American horror movie that’s directed and written by James Watkins. It’s a remake of a 2022 Danish film with the same name and stars James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough, and Scoot McNairy. The plot follows an American family who gets invited to a remote farmhouse by a British couple for the weekend, but things get pretty strange when the hosts start testing their limits.

I’m certain that if you’re active on TikTok, you’ve come across numerous advertisements promoting this film. Personally, I welcomed these promotions, as I enjoy discovering new horror films, and I have a deep appreciation for James McAvoy—he’s an exceptionally talented actor.

I haven’t seen the original film, but I was super pumped for this remake because of all the hype. But honestly, I was kind of let down by the ending—it just didn’t do it for me and left me itching for something more solid. The actors really nailed their roles and brought some good depth to their characters, but I felt like there should’ve been more conflicts to raise the stakes and keep things tense. Although the main character makes foolish choices, I found myself relating to their journey because, as a society, we often uphold the expectation of politeness over authenticity. I can tell that Ben wanted to feel seen by appeasing Paddy. Maybe I’ve just watched too many horror films, but I thought it needed more action and those nail-biting moments to really grip the audience. I was also hoping to see more from James McAvoy’s character; it would have been cool to dive deeper into his motivations and struggles throughout the film, which would have made the story way richer. So, while the performances were on point, the film just didn’t meet my expectations when it came to pacing and intensity.