Original Speak No Evil Director Reacts to the New Iteration

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Posted in: Movies, Universal | Tagged: christian tafdrup, film, Speak No Evil, Universal Pictures

Original Speak No Evil Director Reacts to the New Iteration

The director and co-writer of the Danish horror film Speak No Evil shares his thoughts on the new American version and its biggest change.

Published Sun, 29 Sep 2024 12:47:08 -0500
by Aedan Juvet
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Article Summary

  • Christian Tafdrup, director of the original Speak No Evil, critiques the American remake's ending and tone.
  • The Danish horror film was noted for its dark, satirical storytelling, unlike the more heroic U.S. version.
  • Tafdrup claims the U.S. remake alters the story for a happier ending, diverging from the original's bleak conclusion.
  • Speak No Evil (2024) by Blumhouse and Universal receives mixed reactions despite positive audience feedback.

The Danish psychological horror film Speak No Evil became a pretty solid hit with genre lovers when it first dropped in 2022 — repeatedly praised for its sinister and somewhat satirical approach to storytelling. However, in a surprising turn of events, Hollywood decided to take a stab at the well-received story, creating the recent 2024 Blumhouse and Universal Pictures remake, which managed to garner a positive reception from critics and audiences. Now, the director (and co-writer) of the original Speak No Evil is sharing his thoughts on the new U.S. version of his story and why he believes it isn't capable of going the distance.

L to R: Agnes Dalton (Alix West Lefler), Louise Dalton (Mackenzie Davis), and Ben Dalton (Scoot McNairy) in Speak No Evil, directed by James Watkins.

The Original Speak No Evil Filmmaker Isn't Exactly Impressed by the New Movie

During an interview with the Danish radio show Kulturen (first reported by NME), Christian Tafdrup, the director of the 2022 film Speak No Evil, expressed his dissatisfaction with the movie and an assessment of American filmmaking tendencies, explaining, "I don't know what it is about Americans, but they are brought up for a heroic tale, where the good must win over the bad, and this version of the film cultivates that… When I saw the film, I could see that they would never succeed with a film where the characters are stoned to death, as they do in our film. These people [in the U.S. version] must fight for their family and defeat the bad guys. It is a kind of happy ending, and it is so deep in their culture that America must be able to handle it all."

All things considered, did you enjoy this interpretation of Speak No Evil, or is this another case where the original is far superior?

The Universal Pictures version of Speak No Evil starring James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough, and Scoot McNairy is in theaters now.

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