The horror of not being able to stand up for yourself
‘Cringe’ humour is nothing new. We’ve been enduring and enjoying it for decades with T.V. shows like The Office and Peep Show. But cringe horror is another story. I’m talking about purposefully cringe-inducing horror—not unintentionally embarrassing or comedic horror movies.
I’m honestly not even sure if there’s been another movie outside of Speak No Evil that’s attempted something like this (let me know if you can think of one—apart from the original Danish version of the film, which I’m looking forward to watching someday).
What am I even talking about, though? What is ‘cringe horror’? I’m talking about horror that is hard to watch, not for the ghosts or gore or scares or dark hallways, but for the social situations. Get Out debatably comes close, but because the situations are pretty non-threatening before the other shoe drops, I’d argue that it skews closer to a comedy for most of its ‘cringy’ scenes.
There is horror lurking behind every scene of Speak No Evil, but instead of exploring it in the way horror movies usually would—a haunting score, startling sound effects, glimpses of the unknown—this movie does it by crafting the perfect social situation from hell and pushing its characters to the brink of what it means to exist in polite society.
James, (Mc)Ahoy!
When Ben (Scoot McNairy) and Louise (Mackenzie Davis), an American couple with marital issues, are invited to spend a weekend at a farmhouse owned by their new English friends Paddy (James McAvoy) and Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), they take them up on the offer. But as Paddy and Ciara push Ben and Louise’s boundaries, they discover that leaving is harder than it seems.
James McAvoy has had a relatively quiet few years recently, and I know I can’t be the only one glad to see his big mug up on a movie poster again. I think he’s a big reason for the buzz around the movie, and I’m happy to report that he is as excellent as ever in Speak No Evil. His gregarious demeanour is just barely coating something darker beneath the surface, and his performance walks the tightrope of being intimidating without giving anything away perfectly.
Mackenzie Davis as Louise is also doing an incredible job of selling her discomfort around Paddy and her protectiveness for her daughter, Agnes (Alix West Lefler) without veering into ‘hysterical, nagging wife’ territory. She gets some moments that had me pumping my fist, too. In many ways though, Scoot McNairy as Ben is Paddy’s true counterpart.
Be A Man
On paper, Ben is a bit of a loser. Indeed, it’s pretty hard to root for him at the beginning. His lack of a job and seeming inability to take control and responsibility for his own life is at odds with his strange insistence for his daughter, who suffers anxiety, to give up her stuffed rabbit. Oh, and his wife was sexting another man.
Paddy’s supreme confidence is obviously appealing to him, and while the movie is overtly tackling themes around boundaries, taking control of your life, and speaking up, there’s also a rich subtext here that broaches the intricacies of masculinity and the patriarchy.
Ben isn’t a bad guy, but his confidence in himself has been shaken multiple times to the point where he’s eager to put himself and his family in an unknown situation so that he can catch a glimpse of what it might be like to be a ‘real’ man like Paddy.
Of course, again and again it’s Louise who’s getting things done and making choices while Ben laments his ineffectiveness. It’s easy to see how things would go easier for them if Ben wasn’t buckling under societal pressures and forcing his wife to pick up the slack.
Hear Yes Good
As a horror movie, Speak No Evil avoids falling for too many tired topes, but there are a few instances of ‘horror movie character logic’ that are frustrating to endure. The movie generally does such a good job of feeling real to these characters and situations that the moments where you find yourself rolling your eyes at a dumb decision are extra annoying. I’m also not sure I was convinced by one of the younger actors either, but I’m not docking many points for that.
This also feels like the kind of movie that nitpickers will have a field day with. If you’re the kind of person that gets hung up on minor leaps in logic for the sake of the plot, you might find some of Speak No Evil frustrating—but there’s nothing egregious that took me out of the moment.
Overall, Speak No Evil is a confident and unique horror/thriller that forces its audience to wallow in uncomfortable situations and an intimidating atmosphere, all without showing a single thing on the screen that might be considered threatening, all of which is centred by some incredible performances.
Speak No Evil is designed to provoke some intense emotional reactions from the audience, but don’t let that put you off catching what I think might be one of the best movies of the year.
***
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