Speak No Evil SDCC reactions praise McAvoy, say it holds its own against original

Last Updated on July 29, 2024

Ahead of its September 13th release, Blumhouse Productions’ latest horror entry, Speak No Evil, has screened for a limited audience at the San Diego Comic-Con. So, how does this American remake compare to the 2022 Danish movie of the same name?

Following not one but two screenings at SDCC, reactions to Speak No Evil have been quite strong so far. Our own JimmyO – who actually saw the movie prior to these – was a big fan, writing, “Speak No Evil is an eerie and unsettling nightmare. It may not stray very far from the original – aside from a few spoilers that I won’t mention- it works incredibly well. The cast is especially good, James McAvoy, Scoot McNairy, Aisling Francoisi, and Mackenzie Davis shine.” But let’s check out some other reactions as well:

As you can see, Speak No Evil does something that not every American version can do: stand on its own. A viewing of the original may not be necessary, but perhaps could be worth doing just to see how this version – directed by The Woman in Black’s James Watkins – differs. Check out some of the other positive reviews. (To save you a Google Translate visit, the second one states, in part: “Speak No Evil in the remake version is better than expected. It still creates a tense and uncomfortable atmosphere, but it is far from being called a “total copy”. It has its own identity and is really fun and entertaining.”

I was a bit hesitant on a remake of Speak No Evil, as it did seem like Hollywood was just trying to yank another foreign horror movie to bring to American audiences who might be hesitant to watch a movie with subtitles. And while the Danish original – which we gave a 9/10 out of its Sundance Film Festival premiere – has a lot of fans (myself included), these initial reviews might be indicative of something far more than a lazy cash grab.

What do you think of these reviews of Speak No Evil? Do they nudge you to be more accepting of the remake? Are you a fan of the original? Let us know in the comments section below!