Following its successful NYC premiere at the DGA Theater, we have compiled some of the very best first reactions toward Blumhouse’s newest psychological horror, Speak No Evil, starring James McAvoy in the lead. The X-Men: First Class fame plays another sinister character in this James Watkins directional project, Paddy. He’s a charming doctor turned farmer who hides something. The movie follows an American couple who visit his farmhouse and uncover his dark side. Alongside him, we see talents like Aisling Franciosi as Ciara (Paddy’s wife), Mackenzie Davis (Louise Dalton, and Scoot McNairy (Ben Dalton).
Critics have praised the flick’s slow-burn pace which works in its favour. But it’s none other than McAvoy who steals the show. He is undoubtedly good at playing deranged and psychotic characters. And he gives a raw and extremely twisted performance in the movie. Though, Paddy is quite different from his multiple-personality character in M. Night Shyamalan’s Split, and its follow-up, Glass. However, the film has received some criticism for its predictable finale. It also stays true to its source material, the original 2022 Danish movie of the same name.
At present, Speak No Evil has a ‘fresh’ critic score of 86% based on 37 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.
Discussing Film has praised the James McAvoy starrer in its following review:
Critical Overlord declared Speak No Evil Blumhouse’s only win for 2024.
#SpeakNoEvil is Blumhouse's only W of the year. A gnarly thriller that can be just as funny as it is terrifying. The unsettling pacing keeps you on edge. Every moment is engaging/nerve-wracking, but its themes could have been better explored. James McAvoy steals the show with his… pic.twitter.com/bBNWOWOjBB
— CriticalOverlord (@CriticalOverlo3) September 10, 2024
According to The Hollywood Handle, the film “does not fall into the group of remakes that merely copy the source material.”
“‘SPEAK NO EVIL’ does not fall into the group of remakes that merely copy the source material. James Watkins delivers a chilling, tense film that brings his own vision to this story…”
— The Hollywood Handle (@HollywoodHandle) September 10, 2024
Read our review below: https://t.co/81sf9iMHNx
Matt Neglia from Critics Choice praised the ensemble and pointed out the film’s ability to remain as haunting and intense as its source material.
SPEAK NO EVIL is just as unsettling as the original for about two thirds of its runtime. Didn’t leave me with as much of a sickening feeling as the first film did by the end but it was just different enough to still leave a haunting impression. The whole ensemble is fantastic but… pic.twitter.com/sNGWIcZIm4
— Matt Neglia (@NextBestPicture) August 29, 2024
Independent Film called the movie “a terrifying surprise.”
A beefed-up James McAvoy makes Speak No Evil a terrifying surprise – review https://t.co/zFyKcgQkLt
— Independent Film (@TheIndyFilm) September 10, 2024
Blumhouse’s Speak No Evil will arrive in theatres across the globe on September 13. Stay tuned for more updates.