This article is filled withSpeak No Evil spoilers.
Fans of the 2022 Danish horror movieSpeak No Evilcringed a little when they learned about an American remake fromBlumhouse.
The latter couple invites the former to visit them at their home for the weekend.
In the Danish version, Bjrn and Louise are Danes while Patrick and Karin are Dutch.
By contrast, the 2024 movie follows Americans Ben and Louise as they visit Brits Paddy and Ciara.
Bjrn and Louise dont leave Patrick and Karin because of politeness.
They dont want to offend their hosts, even when their hosts offend them.
Patrick and Karin sense this unease and use it to play on the sympathies of their intended victims.
They even manage to get Bjrn and Louise to apologize for being offended.
Conversely, the American film leans into gender and political dynamics.
He keys into Bens insecurities, which stem from his inability to find employment and infidelity by Louise.
This revision changes the meaning of the storys big line.
McNairy plays Ben like the exaggerated soft liberal man ridiculed in right-wing media.
He balls himself up and can barely raise his voice above a whisper.
He guilts Louise into staying with him and moving to London, actions that leave her with deep resentment.
In contrast, Ben and Louise dont trust one another.
Davis Louise is more forceful than Kochs, and she makes her reservations known.
Ben wants to be Paddy and might even want to be with Paddy.
The road house scene best illustrates this distinction.
But the Dutch antagonists in the original go no further than dancing and a bit of groping.
In the American version, Ciara gets under the table and pretends(?)
to fellate Paddy, who stares at Ben the entire time.
The younger kids play as more innocent victims, which is a big part of Tafdrups vision.
By aging up the kids, Watkins makes them more active in their resistance against the hosts.
With younger kids, Tafdrup can make his movie more shocking, which feels like his ultimate intention.
As he slowly puts together the threat, Bjrn discovers Abels body floating in Patricks pool.
The associate takes Agnes to another vehicle, while the hosts drive Bjrn and Louise to a quarry.
They just go along with it.
Then Patrick orders them to the bottom of the quarry where he and Karin stone to Danes to death.
In the American version, Agnes learns about the hosts through Ant and then tells her parents.
Tone and Taste
Really, the big difference between the two movies is a matter of tone.
Is that better than the watered-down and sanitized version that fans of the original feared from a remake?
I would tell you, but Ive got no tongue.
(Yes, it is much, much better.)
The Danish Speak No Evil is now streaming on Shudder.
The American Speak No Evil is now in theaters.
