If there’s one thing horror fans can always count on, it’s American versions of foreign movies. Usually, these remakes make the story easier to understand for a wider audience. However, “Speak No Evil” is a unique example. Most of its original version is already in English.
This means the 2024 Blumhouse remake had to offer something new. It does this by completely changing the movie’s ending.
This new ending changes the tone and the moral message, which weakens the original film’s important social commentary about politeness and acceptance. Even with these changes, the remake remains bloody and intense, keeping some of the tension. So, does anyone survive the chaos caused by James McAvoy’s character?
What Is ‘Speak No Evil’ About?
“Speak No Evil” tells the story of an American couple, Ben (Scoot McNairy) and Louise Dalton (Makenzie Davis), who meet a British couple, Paddy (James McAvoy) and Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), while on vacation in Italy. Their first meeting occurs when Paddy asks if anyone is using the sunlounger with Agnes’ things on it.
Ben moves everything to make room for Paddy, who then drags the sunlounger loudly across the pool area, showing little regard for others. The difference between the polite Americans and the blunt, expressive Paddy and Ciara is noticeable.
The families later have lunch together, and the Daltons’ daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler) gets along well with Paddy and Ciara’s son, Ant (Dan Hough). They mention that Ant has a rare condition causing his tongue to be smaller than usual, making communication difficult.
A few weeks later, back home in London, Paddy invites the Daltons to spend a long weekend at their farmhouse in Devon. Louise is hesitant because they don’t know Paddy and Ciara well.
However, given their marital problems (including Louise’s explicit messages with a father from Agnes’ school), Ben’s job issues, and their dissatisfaction with London life, they accept the invitation to escape to the countryside.
When the Daltons arrive at the farmhouse, the mood is immediately unsettling. James McAvoy’s character, Paddy, shows a sinister joy as he serves the farm’s best goose, prepared specially for their guests. Louise, who is a vegetarian, tries to avoid causing trouble but ends up having to eat the goose when Paddy forcefully feeds it to her.
She discreetly spits it out and hides it. The movie builds tension with the increasingly strange behavior of Ciara and Paddy. From a large stain on their bed to ignoring Ant’s nighttime cries, things start to feel very strange.
Ben reassures Louise that different people have different ways, so they shouldn’t make a fuss. However, this is partly because Ben envies Paddy’s authority and wants to ignore the oddities.
‘Speak No Evil’ Doesn’t Hide Its Sinister Motivations
James McAvoy’s performance is so overtly evil that it almost seems exaggerated. His forcefulness, especially with Ant, turns into violent anger when Ant misbehaves, but he then quickly returns to his eccentric self. These shifts in behavior unsettle both the Daltons and the audience.
Louise becomes uncomfortable with this harsh parenting and tells Ben she wants to leave. But when Ciara invites them to an exclusive restaurant for dinner, they decide to stay. At dinner, Paddy makes jokes about their active sex life, suggesting they are polyamorous.
Despite their discomfort, Ben and Louise say nothing. Ben even pays for the meal when Ciara had said it would be their treat. We also meet Chef Mike (Kris Hichen) here, who will play a role later.
Ant plays a bigger role in the 2024 remake. While the adults are out, he shows Agnes Paddy’s extensive watch collection during a game of hide and seek. The watch has a foreign language inscription, but Agnes doesn’t know what it means. Ant also shows Agnes the scars on his body.
Later that evening, Louise finds Agnes in Paddy and Ciara’s bed. This upsets her, and they decide to leave. But when Agnes realizes she has left her emotional support teddy rabbit, Hoppy, behind, Ben, unable to handle his daughter’s distress, turns the car around.
In the original film, Agnes finds Hoppy as soon as they arrive at the house, which is a heartbreaking moment showing how close they were to escaping. This scene is not in the remake.
Instead, Paddy and Ciara confront Louise and Ben about their sudden departure. They question why they left without saying goodbye. Louise and Ben list the reasons for their discomfort, but Paddy and Ciara exploit the Daltons’ feelings of guilt and present themselves as victims.
Ciara explains her decision to bring Agnes into their bed by tearfully recounting the death of their baby daughter. It’s likely that this is just one of the many lies they tell. The 2024 remake of Speak No Evil offers a fresh take on the original by drastically altering its climax.
While the original film is already in English, this new version adds a new ending that shifts the movie’s tone and message, weakening the original’s social commentary on politeness and acceptance. Despite this, the remake remains intense and bloody.
The story follows an American couple, Ben and Louise Dalton, who visit a British couple, Paddy and Ciara, at their farmhouse. The unsettling behavior of their hosts escalates, leading to a disturbing confrontation. The remake also features an expanded role for Ant, adding complexity to the narrative.
Ant Exposes Paddy and Ciara’s Dark Secrets in ‘Speak No Evil’
In the film Speak No Evil, a chilling revelation exposes the dark truth behind Paddy and Ciara. The character Ant leads Agnes to a hidden cellar filled with disturbing mementos from past families. Among the items are postcards, luggage, phones, and soft toys, painting a grim picture of the situation.
Ant then shows Agnes a photo book featuring Paddy and Ciara with various couples at their farm. A shocking discovery is made when Ant points out a child in one photo, who appears in another photo with a new family, suggesting that Paddy and Ciara lure families to their home, kill the parents, and abduct the children.
Each child replaces the previous one, implying that once a new family is targeted, the previous child is murdered. Ant warns Agnes that she is the next target for their “child” scheme.
Ant further reveals the personal tragedy of his own family. He shows Agnes a photo of himself with his tongue out, disproving the claim that he had a disease.
The photo also shows his father wearing a watch now in Paddy’s possession, proving Paddy’s collection is made up of trophies from his victims. Ant mimes that Paddy and Ciara cut out his tongue to prevent him from disclosing the truth. This explains Ant’s strange behavior and lack of affection toward his “parents.”
How Does ‘Speak No Evil’ End?
When Agnes discloses the truth to her parents, they use her supposed first period as an excuse to leave. As they are leaving, Paddy throws Ant into a lake, revealing he cannot swim. The Daltons rush to save him but are quickly captured by Paddy and Ciara.
When Ben questions why they are doing this, Paddy responds, “Because you let us.” Louise, having hidden a box cutter, uses it to injure Paddy, allowing the family to make a desperate escape.
Ciara pleads for rescue, claiming she was one of Paddy’s early victims, but her truthfulness is unclear. Later scenes of Paddy’s abuse towards Ciara suggest she might be telling the truth.
Just as the Daltons seem to be escaping, Chef Mike arrives and blocks their path. They retreat into the house and barricade themselves. The situation escalates into a tense home invasion, with the antagonists closing in. Despite their dire circumstances, the Daltons, especially Louise, fight back fiercely.
The chef is killed, Ciara is thrown off the roof, and Paddy, who is drugged with his own tranquilizer, is stoned to death by Ant. This ending, much more brutal than the original film, offers a violent and fitting conclusion for Paddy. The surviving members of the Dalton family, deeply traumatized, drive away to safety. Agnes hands Hoppy to Ant, who clearly needs comfort.
How Does the Remake Compare to the Original ‘Speak No Evil’ Ending?
The ending of the 2024 remake is a stark contrast to the original Danish film’s conclusion. The Danish version illustrates the extreme consequences of compliance and politeness. Even after Bjørn discovers the truth, he and his family are doomed.
Agnes is violently taken from her mother and has her tongue cut off in front of her parents. The climax is particularly harrowing, as Bjørn and Louise are forced to strip and face a brutal death by stoning in a quarry. The final image is a powerful statement on the number of victims, showing the couple lying surrounded by stones.
The Danish film closes with Patrik and Karin returning to their Italian resort with Agnes, highlighting the relentless brutality and lack of any Hollywood gloss. The 2024 remake, while offering a more hopeful ending, misses the raw, gut-wrenching reality presented in the original.
