Why 'Speak No Evil' remake ending is different from original
James Watkins, director of the Hollywood horror film Speak No Evil, recently revealed his unique process behind making the acclaimed film. The movie is a remake of a 2022 Danish film by Christian Tafdrup. It revolves around a British family who invites an American family to their remote countryside home. However, the seemingly peaceful vacation takes a dark turn as the American family uncovers unsettling truths. The two movies have strikingly different endings. Here's why.
The differences between the two movies
Per Screen Rant, "The original movie concluded with Danish couple Bjørn (Morten Burian) and Louise (Sidsel Siem Koch) stripped naked, being led to a ditch, and stoned to death. Their daughter, Agnes (Liva Forsberg) would have had her tongue removed and have been forced to take on the role of the murderous couple's daughter." "[In the 2024 film] Ben (Scott McNairy) and Louise (Mackenzie Davis) escape with Agnes (Alix West Lefler) and Ant (Dan Hough)." Paddy, the main murderer, dies.
Watkins discusses changes to original film's ending
Watkins told Games Radar+, "They'd [the audience] been through the wringer." "[My film Eden Lake] has a very dark ending, very similar in many ways to Christian's movie, and I just didn't really want to do that again." "I didn't want to rub the audience's face in it again, and I didn't feel like it'd be honest. [I just went by] where the story took me and where the themes and the characters took me."
Watkins wanted to reach a hopeful resolution gradually
Watkins explained, "I felt like, 'Well, there's a dramatic resolution here.' Sure, they get away but it's not like they're not suddenly all at the Christmas table, pulling crackers and eating turkey and smiling and joking, right? I didn't want it to be glib." "You know, if they'd have driven away, and I don't know, 'Eternal Flame' had been playing on the radio, and they'd all been laughing? Yeah, that would be stupid." The film is headlined by James McAvoy.
McAvoy is in favor of new ending
McAvoy told THR, "James was telling a slightly different story, and he was trying to tell something with more hope at the end, even though brutal." "He wanted to discuss social compliance, but he also wanted to tell a story about somebody like Paddy, who's completely objectionable." "And for the audience to watch me and kind of enjoy me as this objectionable character with the worst kind of chauvinistic, un-PC, medieval views, then the movie has to judge Paddy."
