It’s always exciting for horror fans to hear that a favorite movie is getting an American remake, but inevitably disappointing when it doesn’t meet expectations
If you have a favorite foreign horror movie, there’s a good chance that there’s an American remake. “Speak No Evil” (2024) is no exception. Despite the original Danish film releasing just two years ago, James Watkins has reimagined it with an American lens.
I went to see the remake as a fan of the original. However, I didn’t know if it would hold a candle to its predecessor. For the most part, it was similar and even had improvements. When it came to the ending, the American remake chose a more traditional optimistic ending, contrary to the Danish film’s nihilistic one. I would argue that a more optimistic ending leaves the audience bored and dissatisfied.
“Speak No Evil” (2022) centers around Bjørn, Louise and their daughter Agnes, a Danish family vacationing in Italy. They meet a vibrant Dutch family, Patrick, Karin and their son Abel, a young boy born without a tongue, and can’t speak. The families spend their vacation together growing closer. Ultimately, Patrick invites Bjorn and his family to visit them in their countryside cabin, to which they agree. This is when the politeness of the family is taken advantage of, and things only get worse.
The movie is memorable because it shows that being polite is not always the best. It’s a frustrating film. We watch Louise, the vegetarian wife, be unable to say no when offered meat and the Danish family leaving their child with strangers for the night.
Bjorn, Louise and Agnes’ boundaries are repeatedly ignored and violated, yet they never speak up for themselves or leave. Bjorn and his family would rather be silently uncomfortable than confront them. However, choosing to bite their tongue leads to horrific consequences.
By the time they walk out of the theater, the audience is unsatisfied and perturbed. Unlike its English remake, a person can’t forget this film.
An American remake falling flat is a common thread. The original ending of the U.K. film, “The Descent” (2005), is similar. The U.K. release has a memorable ending that leaves the protagonist in a tragic position. The U.S. release scraps that, again, for a more optimistic ending. This seems to be a theme with American remakes; oftentimes, the American audience only gets crumbs of what the foreign audience gets.
American remakes often have an issue of watering down the movie for its audience’s consumption. For example, the Spanish film about a viral outbreak, “Rec,” is more raw and terrifying than its American counterpart. This found-footage movie got an American remake just a year after its release and despite how similar “Quarantine” is to the original, it is lacking in many parts.
“Rec” is terrifying and claustrophobic. It makes the performances feel authentic and as though their lives are in genuine danger. “Quarantine” takes that away, and reminds you that this is just a movie. The audience can tell this wasn’t shot by a frantic cameraman but by a professional movie director — the actors are well-known in this version, taking away the unfamiliar aspect. It’s a fine movie by itself, but it is not on par with its foreign original, which begs the question: Why make a remake at all?
Nothing is shocking about “Speak No Evil” (2024). Audiences are often overly harsh when it comes to remakes, but it’s movies like these that make it easy to see why. Remakes need to bring something new to the table, rather than just re-enact it with Americans.
Producers need to convince their audience to go to the theaters and watch this movie. At the end of the day, you’re better off just watching the original film.
Audiences have unlimited access to movies outside of America. They can find anything they want with the tap of a button. Hollywood needs to start trusting that American audiences can handle the horror element. Taking away the horror aspect from movies like, “Speak No Evil” (2022), “The Descent” (2005) and “Rec” leaves audiences wanting more and lacking the full experience in comparison to their European counterparts.
When Hollywood respects the films they are remaking, the audience that will watch them. The American movie market needs to trust its audience and stop producing forgettable movies no one asked for. Remakes should be an opportunity to enhance the film that has already been made, not to make a soulless movie only to turn a profit.
Edited by Ava McCluer | amccluer@themaneater.com
Copyedited by Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com
Copyedited by Natalie Kientzy | nkientzy@themaneater.com
Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com