SPEAK NO EVIL

Denmark, 2022, 97 minutes, Colour.

Morten Burian, Sidsel Siem Koch,Fedja van Huet, Karina Smulders.

Directed by Christian Taldrup.

Here is a thriller which begins quite genially, very cheery, a family on holidays in Italy, a chance encounter with another family, friendly, sharing the Italian countryside, food, and an invitation from the Dutch family to the Danish family to visit them for a holiday.

And the invitation comes. And the Danish family decide to travel to Holland. A touch of eeriness as they arrive at the Dutch house in the dark but is one immediately welcomed, the couple, and their little son who is almost mute.

The first part of the film, the situation is quite genial, the hosts welcoming, the Danish couple enjoying the change, but soon intimations that there may be some difficulties, especially when the little girl is given a bed on the floor in the same room as the boy. She then begs to come in with her parents each night.

There are tensions with food, the mother being vegetarian though eating fish, an accumulation of snide remarks and criticisms. A friend coming in and cooking meat and the mother being forced to taste it. But there are outings, conversations, the children possibly getting on well together – though the boy opens his mouth and shows the father that his tongue has been cut.

This becomes too much for the mother, she persuades her husband to go home in the night, the plan thwarted because of the little girl’s bunny which she has left behind, and their return.

Some recriminations but the hosts reaching out again. The wariness comes to a head when the two children do a dance and the boy’s father is severe, reprimanding his son, making him dance again, physically violent towards him.

Eventually, the couple decide to leave, especially after the father wanders upstairs in the night and sees a room full of photos of children and parents.

There is a dire Scandinavian ending, no hope. The little girl is abducted, her parents taken to the beach, stripped, assaulted, stoned, their being left for dead – and the little girl becoming a sister to the young boy, mute. No explanations are given, just the fact of the couple exploiting unwary couples, taking their children and living off their finances.

Writer-director, James Watkins, adapted this screenplay and directed an English language version (although the original is mainly in English for discussions between the two couples, some Danish between the mother and father and daughter), this time the British and American couple, the British, played by James McAvoy and Aisling Franciosa, the American couple by Mackenzie Davis and Scoot McNairy. In fact, Watkins has amplified the original screenplay, has brought in more sinister suggestions like the role of the cook, a greater focus on the mute boy. And, a completely different ending, the Scandinavian ending probably too severe and dark for most audiences, but the substitution of quite an effective confrontation all round, especially the final focus on the mute boy.

1. The title, the silences about the activities of the Dutch couple, the removal of their little boy’s tongue, his speaking no evil, the finale, the death of the parents, their daughter losing her tongue?
2. The plausibility of the plot, the pleasant holiday in Italy, shared experiences, pleasant couples, the two children? Invitations to visit? Danish couple, the invitation, their discussions, advice, the decision to go?
3. The arrival, in the dark, the welcome, the home, the interiors, the little boy, mute? Accommodation, the bed on the floor for Agnes? Her wanting to sleep with her parents? The cheeriness of the hosts?
4. The hospitality, the meals, the difficulties with the mother and her being vegetarian, eating fish, the host and his snide criticisms? Forced to taste the meat with the visiting cook? The later going to the restaurant, drinking, the dancing, the mother feeling uncomfortable, the return home, wanting to turn down the loud music in the car? The aftermath, the sexual encounter, the consequences?
5. The decision to leave, in the night, the daughter wanting her bunny toy, the return, the reaction of the hosts, persuasive, the wife staying and working in the garden, the husband, the frank talk with his host, his disappointment in life, repressed, being taken on to the top of the cliff, their scream and shouting and relief?
6. The crisis, the children dancing, the host and his treatment of his son, reprimands, violent touch? The reaction of the couple?
7. The decision to leave, the husband and his hesitation in giving reasons, the wife and her outbursts and all the reasons?
8. Leaving, the drive, stranded, the husband going through the woods and the water, returning, his wife and daughter disappeared?
9. The buildup to the final confrontation, the daughter taken, mute, with the boy? The couple, ordered to strip, the violence, down the cliff, the stoning, their pose in death?
10. The film not explaining the motivations of the host couple, the photos in the room, the living off the proceeds of trapping parents and disposing of them, taking the children? A portrait of unrelenting malice? Ordinary people being victims?