How The Ending Of "Speak No Evil" Differs From The Danish Original
**Warning: Spoilers Ahead**
It's common to see international films adapted for American audiences, but how often do they do the original justice? Let's be honest: More times than not, the translation doesn't necessarily land.
A significant part of the reason is that it either deviates too far from the original or not far enough. Not many have succeeded in finding a balance that serves the brilliance of the source material while pushing boundaries creatively.
That said, the highly anticipated Speak No Evil recently hit theatres on September 13, 2024, two years after the original Danish version emerged. While critics and audiences alike have had their share of criticism towards the remake, it manages to differentiate itself from the original. Watch the trailer for the 2022 movie below.
If you haven't familiarized yourself with the plot of the 2024 movie yet, let me give you a brief recap:
During a vacation in Italy, Louise (Mackenzie Davis), Ben Dalton (Scoot McNairy), and their daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler), Americans based in the U.K., befriend British couple Paddy (James McAvoy), Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), and their son, Ant (Dan Hough), who they claim has a small tongue and cannot speak. Back in London, the Daltons face a strain in their relationship as they face romantic and financial hurdles, leading them to accept an invitation to stay at Ciara and Paddy’s remote farmhouse in the countryside.
It's a thrilling watch, with some bits of humor sprinkled in, that will keep you at the edge of your seat, if only to yell at the screen in frustration. However, the movie does provide a refreshing take on the original.
Though the plot remains intact, the tone, pacing, and characters diverge significantly from what Tafdrup initially introduced.
So, what changed?
First and foremost, the most noticeable change is the characters. The cast of the Danish version are Danish and Dutch (though they speak primarily English throughout the movie), which Tafdrup attributed to the social aspects of his film.
Shudder / courtesy Everett Collection, Universal/Blumhouse / Via youtube.com
"Everything I work with is based on awkwardness and that cringe-ness," he explained in an interview with Nordic Watchlist. "It is just a Scandinavian thing. You see, we don’t like to talk about how we are feeling, we try to stay polite and behave nicely, suppressing what we really think."
He continued, "That is very Scandinavian — we are so dictated by social manners and social views. If you compare it just to American or English people, we don’t talk about our feelings so much, we don’t show so much excitement — we just underplay everything. So that creates a lot of awkwardness in social gatherings."
Patrick and Karin prey on the social sensitivity of Bj?rn and Louise, who are not only hesitant to leave because they are trying to fit into the social construct of being polite, but also trying not to offend the couple.
In the 2024 remake, Ben and Louise (originally Bj?rn and Louise in the 2022 movie) are American rather than Danish.
Shudder / Via youtube.com, Universal/Blumhouse
Meanwhile, Paddy and Ciara (originally Patrick and Karin) are British instead of Dutch. Ant's original name in the 2022 movie is Abel.
Shudder / Via youtube.com, Blumhouse/Universal / Via youtube.com
"I looked at it, and I thought, 'Wow, this is…' I mean, it was strong, you know,” Watkins told Games Radar about when he first began thinking of a remake. "It was unrelenting and brutal and brilliant. I started thinking about the themes, the characters, and if I could transpose it all. That was actually key, and my first conversation with them; bringing this into an English world," he continued. The primary setting in the remake changes from a small house in the Netherlands to a countryside farmhouse in England. "It was like, 'Listen, if you want to do this in America and it's New Yorkers go to Virginia, I don't know how to write that. I don't know those people. It's going to be secondhand. It's going to be a bit generic," Watkins added.
Watkins explained the change in nationalities was a critical part of his remake. The original Danish characters were recreated through his lens into liberal Americans with unassertive tendencies and amplified the Dutch couple's unhinged ways through a British reimagination. It becomes a central force of the theme, especially when building off of Tafdrup's original.
"The cliche might be that the Brits are oppressed and the Americans are outspoken, but that's not necessarily been my experience," Watkins explained. "There are lots of Americans, East Coast Americans particularly, who are quite uptight, so I kind of thought, 'Okay, I can do that, then I can lean into lots of things; landscape, mythology, that kind of English humor.' I knew I could explore those themes and dig into them a bit deeper."
Watkins added that his take on the film surrounded the "queasy dramedy of social interaction," which clearly takes its roots from Tafdrup's original concept.
"I suppose, the horror of everyday life and how we all try to negotiate it. There's horror enough in that, you could almost not have the whole underlying story. That fascinated me."
Another key change is the relationship dynamics between Ben and Louise vs. Bj?rn and Louise.
The marriage between Ben and Louise in the American remake is shown with flashes of envy and resentment. The strains in their relationship are rooted in a few factors, one of which is that Ben made the entire family uproot their lives in London. The other is that Ben caught Louise sexting another man — the father of one of Agnes' classmates. Even with counseling, the couple fails to share much intimacy.
The lack of trust also takes form in what appears to be Ben's admiration for uber-alpha-male Paddy, while Louise comes across as much more certain and outspoken.
In the original movie, Bj?rn and Louise portray a functional relationship. Though they have their disputes, as any couple does, 2022's Speak No Evil shows the protagonists as having a comparatively loving marriage.
The dynamic also shapes how the couple reacts to the invitation to Paddy and Ciara's countryside farmhouse.
Blumhouse/Universal / Via youtube.com
Ben shows signs of interest initially but isn't keen on making Louise feel pressured to make the trip. And while she's hesitant at first, she eventually advocates that the family visit Paddy, Ciara, and Ant.
Meanwhile, the original film shows Louise's reluctance while Bj?rn grows increasingly intrigued. Eventually, he brings up the topic at dinner with another couple. Putting Louise on the spot, she eventually folds, and they agree to visit Patrick and Karin.
It's not just Louise and Ben who differ from their original characters. The backstory behind Paddy and Ciara also shifts the perception of their relationship.
Perhaps one of the biggest issues related to the original Speak No Evil is that there are several plotholes. For one, there's hardly a backstory to Patrick and Karin's characters (most would agree there's better character development in the 2024 remake). Patrick and Karin are equally unhinged and murderous, whereas Paddy and Ciara have a bit more depth between them. Ciara suggests that she was Paddy's first victim with a trail of hints that seemingly corroborate her claim, even if she remains complicit in the crimes.
Ant plays a crucial role in the movie's big twist.
In Watkins' version, Ant is the one who reveals the truth about the Ciara and Paddy. He steals Paddy's keys and shows Agnes a shed under the chicken coop that holds luggage and personal possessions of other families who've visited the couple. Bj?rn discovers a cabin in the original movie where he finds similar items and realizes that serial killers are housing him and his family, and they will be the next victims.
Interestingly enough, Watkins makes Agnes and Ant a bit older than Tafdrup's film, where these characters are a bit younger.
The employment status of Patrick/Paddy and Karin/Ciara is actually addressed.
As explained by Screen Rant, one of the most confusing aspects of the original movie is that there was never much of an explanation surrounding how Patrick and Karin can afford to have a relatively luxurious lifestyle. In the 2024 version of Speak No Evil, Paddy jokes that he's not a doctor and is unemployed before claiming that he's joking and noting how costly a countryside farmhouse is. However, after Ant reveals who Paddy and Ciara are, the latter holds Louise at gunpoint, demanding that she transfer ￡200,000 from the family's savings account to his.
The changes mentioned above do little to change the movie's first two acts compared to its original, but the endings are completely different.
Blumhouse/Universal / Via youtube.com, Shudder / Via youtube.com
2024's Speak No Evil doesn't end with Ben and Louise's deaths or Agnes's abduction. It's a bit more hopeful than the bleak and nihilistic ending that originally happened in the 2022 version. In Tafdrup's movie, Patrick and Karin stone Bj?en and Louise to death. Agnes has her tongue cut off with scissors, similar to Abel.
The original shows that Patrick drowns Abel in a pool. Bj?rn later discovers the body, causing the family to try and make their escape.
Shudder / Via youtube.com, Universal/Blumhouse / Via youtube.com
In the 2024 version, Paddy tries to drown Ant, who can't swim, but fails after Ben saves him.
Similarly, Agnes has a much different fate in Watkins' rendition.
Instead of Agnes getting kidnapped by Paddy and Karin as the antagonists get away with another heinous crime, she escapes with her parents, and Ant, who leaves with the family.
More significantly, the protagonists come out on top in Watkins' version of Speak No Evil.
The bleak finale of the 2022 movie sees the death of Louise and Bj?rn in a ditch after they try to make a run for it in their vehicle while their daughter ends up kidnapped by Patrick and Karin's babysitter, who is in on the plan. However, Watkins turns the tables. His version ends at the farmhouse, and the family doesn't leave until Paddy and Ciara die. It's a satisfying ending that allows the Daltons to stay together (and alive) and simultaneously rescue Ant.
Specifically, it's Louise and Agnes who deliver the final blows to Paddy and Ciara. Louise kills Ciara by hitting her on the head and prompting her to fall off of a roof to her death. Meanwhile, Agnes injects Paddy with ketamine as he holds her at gunpoint before Ant beats him to death with a brick.
Watkins told SFX Magazine, “I would argue, with my characters and their journey, I’m following through their journey in terms of agency and how they would react. What I’ve taken from Christian’s film is the satire, the exploration of the social rules, and how we react,”
Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection, Shudder / Via youtube.com
Watkins added that he previously made an "incredibly bleak movie before," so he didn't feel compelled to tread similar grounds in Speak No Evil. "You can give people an incredibly tense roller coaster ride that has thematic nourishment and things to take away and talk about in the pub, but it can be fun," he added. "I’ve sat with audiences, and people come out of this absolutely rinsed, like you would on a great roller coaster ride. I wanted to make a film that is tense and has people screaming at the screen."
What do you think of the changes made? Have you seen both versions of Speak No Evil? Share your thoughts in the comments!