Most horror films are scary in the moment, but they don’t really linger. We’re not going to actually go to sleep and be murdered in our dreams by Freddy Krueger. Movies with more plausible plots are the ones that really stick. When you can place yourself in that realistic situation or think back to a time when something like that could’ve happened to you, that’s when you sink into terror. Now, a disclaimer — a particular group of people might think this film qualifies under that category but for myself, and probably most Black people, Speak No Evil is a wild film that I can confidently say would never happen to me. Let me set the stage so you can see where I’m coming from.
A Danish family is vacationing in Tuscany — Bjørn (Morten Burian), Louise (Sidsel Siem Koch), and their daughter Agnes (Liva Forsberg). While traveling, they meet a Dutch family — Patrick (Fedja van Huêt), Karin (Karina Smulders), and their son Abel (Marius Damslev). The two families enjoy a nice lunch and spend a little time together. Months later, Bjørn checks the mail and sees that Patrick and Karin have sent them an invitation to come and visit for a weekend in the Dutch countryside, where they’ll enjoy food, wine, and long walks.
Initially, Louise thinks, no, thank you. She feels it’s been a while since they’ve spoken to these people, and they barely know them, definitely not well enough to stay at their home. But Bjørn thinks it’ll be fun, utterly naive to the possible stranger danger. They agree that it might be impolite to decline the invitation and decide to drive up to see their new “friends.”
There will be super mild spoilers beyond this point. I promise not to ruin the film for you.
Shortly after their arrival, Patrick and Karin begin to inject subtle discomfort into their house guests with slightly off-kilter behavior. Some of these things they blame on forgetfulness. For example, the first night they arrive, Patrick makes wild boar and insists that Louise taste it, knowing she’s a vegetarian. Even worse, Bjørn encourages Louise to take just a tiny taste to be polite once again. They quickly write it off as an oversight and continue their trip. As the microaggressions increase, you begin to wonder why Bjørn and Louise are still there.
In this horror genre debut film by director Christian Tafdrup, there is no mystery to uncover. The director sets up the story to let the audience know that this will not end well. Even though you may not travel to visit with people you barely know, what is relatable is that uneasy feeling you get when you’re stuck at the mercy of someone else. This feeling is heightened by the swell of the music against the wide open landscape. You may not know what’s going to happen next, but you know something is coming.
One of the most unnerving moments is when Louise wakes Bjørn to leave because she’s downright uncomfortable. They get miles down the road, and their daughter cries because she can’t find her bunny, Ninus. Louise tells her daughter to forget it; the bunny is gone and lives with them now, but weak-willed Bjørn flips a U-turn to return and get it. Once he goes inside, Agnes finds the bunny in the car, so Louise goes in to get Bjørn and finds him trying to explain to Patrick why they are leaving. He then throws his wife under the bus, making her feel even more uncomfortable. After a brief talk, they agree to stay, and they go back into the lion’s den.
Each time the Danish couple experienced an eerie encounter with the Dutch couple, they overlooked it or excused it away to continue with the niceties of the trip. Viewers will probably be quick to place the bulk of the blame on Bjørn’s shoulders. Because of his selfish and desperate need for an escape from his everyday life, he shrugs off his own uneasiness and ignores his wife’s intuition to keep on engaging with these strangers. It’s almost as if he begged for his undoing.
It’s fascinating how the film’s title manifests itself within the story. Bjørn and Louise won’t speak about the evil they witnessed or experienced. Neither of them speaks up when their boundaries are tested. And if they do, they are gaslit into thinking they are of the wrong mindset. Because of this, Patrick and Karin are allowed to escalate, slowly shedding their duplicitous skin, turning from gregarious to monstrous, which drives the film to its conclusion. Their unspoken words ultimately lead them into an inescapable nightmare.
Speak No Evil is a film that poses a simple question — how much discomfort are you willing to endure for the sake of experiencing something different? It shows how not advocating for yourself and allowing someone to erode your boundaries can eventually lead to your own demise. It carries the feasible nature of The Strangers and the demented core of Funny Games. In conclusion, two words of wisdom: people will do what you allow them to, and when you travel, remember to leave your child’s favorite stuffed animal at home.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Speak No Evil is now streaming on Shudder.
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