The era of remakes, sequels and remakes continues, and the latest remake in the horror genre is none other than don't speak evilLed by powerhouse James McAvoy and produced by Blumhouse, don't speak evil It's the American remake of the Danish psychological horror film released just two years earlier. The original film follows a quiet Danish family who agree to visit a more outgoing Dutch family they met on vacation. Throughout their stay, the Danish family is subjected to what can only be described as “friendly-aggressive” behavior from the Dutch family that becomes increasingly unsettling as their visit progresses.
The original Danish film was produced on a relatively small budget of just $3.2 million and grossed $631,249 as it was released theatrically in the Netherlands and Denmark in 2022. The film finally found its home on Shudder in September 2022 after a limited theatrical run in the U.S. In April 2023, Blumhouse announced that it would remake the Danish horror film with McAvoy and Mackenzie Davis starring James Watkins, who directed the 2008 psychological horror film. Lake AdenThe film was announced to be directed and produced by Jason Blum.
As with any remake, the American version of don't speak evil The original film makes changes to the original, especially in the third act. The Danish original is a slow-burning psychological drama that gets more and more disturbing as the film progresses. While the American film made changes, the final act of the original is depressing and disturbing. So, what happens at the end of the original? don't speak evil?
What happens between Dutch and Danish families?
To fully appreciate the impact of the film’s twist ending, we need to understand the strange power dynamic between the Dutch and Danish families. The Dutch family, including husband Patrick (Vidja van Hoyt) and wife Karen (Carina Smulders), are very outgoing characters, despite having a rather quiet son named Abel (Marius Damslev).
Louise (Siddel Sim Koch) and Björn (Morten Burian) are a reserved Danish couple with a young daughter, Agnes (Liva Forsberg). Although initially reluctant to visit a family they met on vacation in Italy, Louise and Björn decide to pack their bags and head to the Dutch family's country cottage in the Netherlands.
Throughout their stay, Louise and Björn's patience is tested by Patrick and Karen's passive-aggressive behavior and the constant mistreatment of their son Abel. Each time the Dutch couple makes the Danish couple uncomfortable enough to want to leave, Patrick and Karen convince them to stay. Even when Louise finds her daughter sleeping in bed with a naked Patrick, she and Björn are once again convinced to stay after Patrick explains that she has been having trouble sleeping, and that he wants her to feel safe.
In their attempt not to appear ungrateful for Patrick and Karen's hospitality, Louise and Björn constantly make ridiculous decisions that ultimately put their entire family at risk. From convincing Louise to eat meat despite being a strict vegetarian to forcing Björn to pay for dinner, the Danish couple allow the Dutch couple to be rude to them in order to avoid being seen as rude.
What did he reveal about the Dutch family?
As the film progresses, it becomes clear that the Dutch couple has something more sinister going on than just passive-aggressive behavior. Abel doesn't talk and always seems reluctant to interact with his parents. After the incident with Agnes and an argument between the parents that results in a cup being thrown at Abel, Louise and Bjorn finally begin to think about actually leaving.
On the night of this argument, Bjorn discovers a shack outside filled with cameras and empty luggage. The walls are lined with photos of Patrick and Karen with other couples with young children, suggesting that the Dutch couple are serial killers and that Bjorn and his family are their next victims. Bjorn then discovers Abel's body drowned at the bottom of a well, confirming his suspicions that the Dutch couple are killers.
If Abel's constant passive-aggressive behavior and treatment of him weren't enough to convince the Danish family to leave, Björn's revelations were. It was the final straw that led Louise and Björn to take their daughter and run away, even though they couldn't even do it right.
Why didn't the Danish family resist?
Louise and Björn are polite, friendly, and respectful people who teach their daughter to be the same. Despite initial reluctance to accept an invitation to visit a family they once met, the Danish family agrees so as not to appear rude or arrogant. It is their dedication to politeness and respect that ultimately puts the family in danger. Their desire to be kind and desperation to avoid conflict override their fight-or-flight instincts and cause them to ignore very obvious red flags.
By the time Louise and Bjorn realize that the Dutch couple are not who they claim to be, they have already missed several opportunities to escape. Even then, they still try to keep the peace and hide any suspicions they have about Patrick and Karen. This could be seen as a survival tactic to keep Patrick and Karen from suspecting that they know something is wrong, but the truth is that Bjorn and Louise do not have the skills to survive.
They are so lacking in common sense when it comes to safety and well-being. They are so concerned with niceties and formalities that they trust their instincts and run away when it seems out of place. It is very frustrating, almost infuriating, to watch these parents constantly make poor decisions and allow another couple to force them to do things they clearly do not want to do.
What does the ending of Speak No Evil actually mean?
Before Louise and Bjorn attempt their final escape, Patrick and Karen are said to be serial killers who have done this to other couples several times before. This is made clear when Bjorn finds Abel's body at the bottom of a well. Earlier in the film, Patrick and Karen briefly explain that Abel was born without a tongue. After Bjorn's discovery, it is also revealed that the Dutch couple cut out his tongue so he could not tell anyone about what his parents were doing.
In a surprising and dark twist, the Danish family discovers that Abel is not their real son, but the son of another couple they met on a previous vacation. Patrick and Karen take fake vacations to talk to young couples and invite them to their home, eventually stealing their children in a vicious circle.
Agnes was their next victim. Björn was beaten and Louise was tied up, so that Karin could cut out Agnes' tongue and kidnap her. Björn and Louise were taken to a remote location where they were ordered to strip naked and walk into a quarry. When they learned their time was up, Björn asked “Why are you doing this to us?”, to which Patrick haughtily replied “Because you let us”, which is the crux of the whole situation. Without even trying to fight for their lives, Björn and Louise were taken to the bottom of the quarry and stoned to death.
Everything in the film is tied up in Patrick’s phrase “because you let us.” At no point do Björn and Louise stand up for themselves or their daughter. They allow Patrick and Karin to trample on them and bully them without consequence. Only once do Björn and Louise attempt to truly challenge their hosts, when they throw a glass at Abel, and yet they immediately back down when it gets awkward. Patrick and Karin have been defying their dedication to social niceties and decorum from the start, and Louise and Björn are quick to step in.
Björn and Louise's behavior is linked to the film's title, which is derived from the Three Wise Monkeys, a Japanese pictorial principle that represents the proverb “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.” Each monkey represents one of the actions.
There are many interpretations of the meaning of the proverb, but the one that refers to people who turn a blind eye to annoying behavior and language is most strikingly relevant to the film. It suggests that those who turn a blind eye are essentially ignoring unwanted behavior or information, which describes our protagonists quite well. Perhaps if Björn and Louise had accepted the reality of their situation, things might have turned out differently for them and for Agnes.
Original version
don't speak evil
Available to stream on Shudder, US Channel
don't speak evil
Now showing in theaters.
