Summary

• The English remake of Speak No Evil risks losing the original's terrifying element of miscommunication between European families.
• Big names like James McAvoy in the remake may attract viewers, but the psychological aspect may not add much to the original story.
• The new setting of a British country estate in the remake may offer new cultural dynamics, but the original's impact from the language barrier may be lost.

The remake of Speak No Evil starring James McAvoy is risky because of one crucial element from the Danish original. The film sees James McAvoy return to horror, and is released only a couple of years after the 2022 horror movie of the same name. The positively reviewed original Speak No Evil was a foreign language film, but an English remake takes away some of the original film's most terrifying and effective elements.

The original Speak No Evil is about a Danish and Dutch family who meet on holiday. The Dutch family invites the Danish family to visit them, communicating in their respective languages in private. Because of this, the language barrier is an important part of the film's story. An English language remake can provide new perspectives, but a huge part of what made the original so good may now get lost by removing the aspect that relied on private communication.

The Original Speak No Evil Was Barely Foreign Language To Begin With

A Lot Of Speak No Evil Is Spoken In English, Enhancing The Terror

Speak No Evil might be a foreign language film, but while Danish and Dutch are spoken, the film is largely in English. This is because the two European families don't understand each other's language. The film also doesn't provide subtitles for the Dutch family, which engages the viewer in the horror of what it feels like to be far away from home, and not understand your hosts. These are effective and important parts of Speak No Evil that cannot be replicated in a remake that focuses on an American and British family.

It is not unusual for a film to be remade purely to make a film that is entirely in English with a well-known cast. Michael Haneke directed a shot-for-shot English remake of his Austrian film Funny Games and cast Naomi Watts and Tim Roth to push the film to world-wide audiences, making language and cast the only variations between the two films. Speak No Evil seems to be taking a similar approach, with McAvoy bringing some star power to the story. However, while Funny Games did not rely on its language for impact, Speak No Evil uses miscommunication as a tool for ratcheting up tension – something that will be lost if everyone speaks English.

Could James McAvoy's Speak No Evil Remake Still Succeed?

Does A Big-Name Actor Like James McAvoy Bring In An Audience?

Given that the original film is also quite new, it is unclear what a Speak No Evil remake might add. The story is largely the same as its original, although the new Speak No Evil will allegedly be more psychological, according to comments made by the director. However, big names like James McAvoy and Mackenzie Davis could be enough of a draw to ensure viewers at the very least get to see the story Speak No Evil's original movie intended to tell. The film could still succeed as audiences might find the marketing and casting of the film appealing, especially if they're unfamiliar with the original.

... the new film may take an opportunity here to explore cultural differences and dynamics between American and British people, even if language is less of an issue this time.

It will also be interesting to see how the remake's new setting will change the movie's atmosphere and cultural references, now that a British country estate has replaced the Dutch country house. Speak No Evil is about cultural differences between Danish and Dutch people, and literally not speaking the same language puts more of a divide between those families. At the same time, the new film may take an opportunity here to explore cultural differences and dynamics between American and British people, even if language is less of an issue this time.

Despite the Speak No Evil remake not feeling necessary, it could lead a whole new audience to head to the cinema to discover it. The appeal of known actors and the chance to have it be set in a whole new location could update the original film a bit. However, the fact the original Speak No Evil has some foreign language in it does not mean that it should not have been enjoyed.