Review: Speak No Evil (2024)

Speak No Evil is like being slowly strangled to death with an explosive conclusion. I know some of you out there are into that kind of thing. No judgement. You cheeky little bastards. Ultimately, Speak No Evil is a masterful turn for James McAvoy, who I’ve never seen in a similar role. He skirts the edge of deeply charming, and the absolute fuck is wrong with this guy like no other. The film is not perfect, but it stretches with the spineless couple caught in the crosshairs of this drama. That may be on purpose from McAvoy’s character, but it’s so frustrating at times.

A couple, Ben (played by the awesomely named Scoot McNairy) and his wife Claire (played by Mackenzie Davis from Terminator: Dark Fate), are vacationing away from their home in London. They meet another couple, led by the overly charismatic, not all deeply unsettling and murdery Paddy (played by James McAvoy from X-Men: First Class), who invites them to visit him and his family in the countryside. What could go wrong? This is why I stay at home.

Hopefully, you’ve not seen the full trailer. Like so many trailers, it gives you 80% of the plot with only a few details left here and there. What kept me interested was McAvoy’s captivating performance and the overall feeling of dread that permeates this entire feature. But perhaps that’s what keeps me from giving it a higher score. That and the couple, the ones we’re supposed to root for, are entirely unlikable. Ben is a spineless dolt, and while his wife is much, much braver, she too is not one you root for until the very end, a little. 

You’ll spend the movie wanting to scream at the screen, “Get the fuck out of there!” over and over and over again. But I guess that’s the point, as there’s a beautiful line near the end that ties it all together, which I won’t spoil. It could be that people are sheep, that we hide behind our social media personas in real life and that there is no truth. The truth is a big topic for Paddy; he’ll go to any length to get it from his guests.

Sorry, I’m all over this place. Yes, the film is too long. I think 10-15 minutes shorter would have been able to make the tension work a little bit better. It is still worth it alone for McAvoy. He is simply outstanding here and one of the best villains of 2024, hands down, in fact, of the 2020s so far entirely.

In the end. If someone invites you to the country house and there’s no cell signal? Run. 

You’ve been warned.