Speak No Evil SDCC reactions praise McAvoy, say it holds its own against original

Ahead of its September 13th release, Blumhouse Productions’ latest horror entry, Speak No Evil, has screened for a limited audience at the San Diego Comic-Con. So, how does this American remake compare to the 2022 Danish movie of the same name?

Following not one but two screenings at SDCC, reactions to Speak No Evil have been quite strong so far. Our own JimmyO – who actually saw the movie prior to these – was a big fan, writing, “Speak No Evil is an eerie and unsettling nightmare. It may not stray very far from the original – aside from a few spoilers that I won’t mention- it works incredibly well. The cast is especially good, James McAvoy, Scoot McNairy, Aisling Francoisi, and Mackenzie Davis shine.” But let’s check out some other reactions as well:

#SpeakNoEvil just screened at Comic Con – here’s a reaction from our @JimmytotheO who saw it this week! “Speak No Evil is an eerie and unsettling nightmare. It may not stray very far from the original – aside from a few spoilers that I won’t mention- it works incredibly well. The…

— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) July 27, 2024

The #SpeakNoEvil remake is WAY better than it has any right to be…it's as tense and uncomfortable as the original but is far from a carbon copy…very much doing its own thing and it's REALLY fun. Plus a brilliant, scenery chewing performance from James McAvoy! Big fan. pic.twitter.com/XDOnjrFjV5

— The Evolution Of Horror (@EvolutionPod) July 26, 2024

SPEAK NO EVIL was WTF crazy! More of a crowd-pleaser compared to the original, but I enjoyed it. Nail-biting, funny & twisted AF. James McAvoy delivered another brilliantly sociopathic performance. Go see this movie with tons of people.#SpeakNoEvil #SpeakNoEvilMovie #SDCC pic.twitter.com/nEd9Tdlq2I

— Rama's Screen (@RamasScreen) July 27, 2024

As you can see, Speak No Evil does something that not every American version can do: stand on its own. A viewing of the original may not be necessary, but perhaps could be worth doing just to see how this version – directed by The Woman in Black’s James Watkins – differs. Check out some of the other positive reviews. (To save you a Google Translate visit, the second one states, in part: “Speak No Evil in the remake version is better than expected. It still creates a tense and uncomfortable atmosphere, but it is far from being called a “total copy”. It has its own identity and is really fun and entertaining.”

Got to see a screening of the film @speaknoevil24 starring James McAvoy. Had a lot of fun and liked how the suspense built up throughout the movie. #speaknoevilmovie #sdcc2024 @blumhouse pic.twitter.com/1DNufVJCCs

— Shockey (@LRM_Shockey) July 27, 2024

#SpeakNoEvil #เงียบซ่อนตาย เผยรีวิวแรกของฝั่งนอก ออกมาแล้วว่า (แปลไว้คราวๆ) " Speak No Evil ในเวอร์ชั่น remake มันดีกว่าที่คาดไว้ ยังคงให้บรรยากาศชวนตึงเครียดและอึดอัด แต่ยังห่างไกลจากการเรียกว่า "ก็อปทั้งดุ้น" มันมีความเป็นของตัวเองและสนุกบันเทิงจริงๆ… https://t.co/3MhAQo6WFc

— น้องฟักทองมาดูหนังฮับบบบ nongfXXXckthong (@nongfxckthong) July 27, 2024

I was a bit hesitant on a remake of Speak No Evil, as it did seem like Hollywood was just trying to yank another foreign horror movie to bring to American audiences who might be hesitant to watch a movie with subtitles. And while the Danish original – which we gave a 9/10 out of its Sundance Film Festival premiere – has a lot of fans (myself included), these initial reviews might be indicative of something far more than a lazy cash grab.

What do you think of these reviews of Speak No Evil? Do they nudge you to be more accepting of the remake? Are you a fan of the original? Let us know in the comments section below!

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