Speak No Evil (Shudder) Review

3 star deeply unsettling holiday horror.

Speak No Evil is a 2022 Danish horror film written and directed by Christian Tafdrup (Awakening, Parents). It is a Shudder Original film available on the Shudder streaming service from 15th September 2022.

“I think it would be a little impolite to decline. We had so much fun with them and they have a boy the same age as Agnes.”

Danish couple Bjørn (Morten Burian – Deadline, Loving Adults) and his wife Louise (Sidsel Siem Koch – Doggy Style, Itsy Bitsy) are enjoying a lovely holiday in Tuscany with their young daughter Agnes (Liva Forsberg – The Chestnut Man). While there, they meet up with a Dutch couple, Patrick (Fedja van Huêt – Character, Loft) and Karin (Karina Smulders – Bride Flight) with whom they get on great. They have a son Abel (Marius Damslev – Becoming Astrid) the same age as Agnes and they seem to have loads in common.

With the holidays over they return to their lives, but to their surprise, they receive an invitation from Patrick and Karin to go and visit them in the Dutch countryside. Louise is unsure, but Bjørn is keen and eventually they decide to make the drive over to see them.

Right from the start, it seems maybe they didn’t have as much in common as they first thought. They insist on Louise trying the roast dinner even though she is vegetarian, con them into apying for a meal, order their daughter around and they don’t seem to have the same boundaries as the Danish couple do. Not wishing to appear rude, they chalk it up to cultural differences, but could there be something else at play here?

“What’s the worst that could happen?”

Speak No Evil is an interesting film. It is very slow, so it’s not for the impatient,but although it takes a while to put its point across, when it does it packs quite a punch.

The acting is very good and the whole thing makes you feel pretty uncomfortable. There were a few aspects I felt could have worked better, the soundtrack seemed to get all dramatic when it wasn’t neccessary, spoiling the atmosphere a bit. There were also quite a few plot holes and although I understand that the point of the film is the consequences of being too passive and meek, the lack of action from the Danish couple is grating in places.

Al that being said, the ending is brutal, unexpected and a stark warning to be very careful who you make friends with on holiday. Despite it’s flaws this is a compelling story and well worth a watch.

“We had some good days. There’s just some things that make us believe it’s best we go home.”