Speak No Evil

How good is Blumhouse's newest film?

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The Good: What this film does such a great job at doing is actually making you feel anxiety as a movie watcher. I watch way too many movies, and a lot of movies like this (1) don’t actually do a great job at making the audience feel anxious and nervous for the characters and (2) are extremely predictable. Based on trailers for the movie I would say that most people would know the general direction of where the movie is heading. Despite that, this movie was able to deliver. It was not knowing the when, how, or why that really caused me to feel that tension and have my heart pounding. By the end you will be just as curious as I was to how the characters are going to escape.

Another reason I think that tension was able to build as much as it did was due to James McAvoy and his performance as Paddy. He is able to embody this man who appears nice on the outside but is very haunted internally, showing his true colors every once and a while. I know the script given to him allowed him to take the strides necessary to embody this character, but he is able to execute everything on another level. I was in awe of his work.

Additionally, during the movie, things were done or words said that broke traditional social norms, whether it be criticizing another parent’s child in front of the parents, openly disagreeing with someone at a group dinner and continually wanting to discuss the topic, or being a little too honest about your opinions. All of this really created an environment in the movie that made both the characters and us as an audience uncomfortable in a way where you couldn’t tell if it was intentional/manipulative or just carelessness. Having this occur throughout the course of the movie always was a wonderful addition, helping confuse characters and significantly increasing the tension.

The Meh: Throughout the course of the movie there is a gradual understanding the characters get (and us as the audience) about the situation at hand. This buildup was enjoyable to watch, but a little long, especially in comparison to the ending and how the film resolves as a whole. The ending was incredible and very intense, but it felt short. If the writers could have found a way to make the ending scene just a few minutes longer, it could have taken the anxiety and tension that had been building for the whole movie and made it crescendo throughout the ending.

During the course of the movie there are hints of how Ciara (Aisling Franciosi’s Character) got involved with her husband’s (Paddy’s) shenanigans. There was wasted potential to not dive deeper into her past. (Not trying to get into spoilers) If the film could have found a way to rope in her story even more at the end, it could have allowed the story to resonate on a personal level even more and to bring the tension and anxiety up even more at the climax of the film.

Overall: This is a great thriller, and there’s not a lot of gore, which was greatly appreciated. James McAvoy amazed me, and you truly feel the anxiety and uncomfortableness of the other characters on screen. I just wish the ending would have been stretched out a little more so the anxiety and uncomfortableness could have been stretched to their limits. This is definitely one of the best Blumhouse films I’ve ever seen.

Rating: 4/5