Its title may be unpromising, but "Speak No Evil" – a remake of an acclaimed Dutch/Danish film – "turns out to be a brilliantly constructed psychological thriller built around one of James McAvoy's best performances for years", said Matthew Bond in The Mail on Sunday. "You really can't take your eyes off him."
He plays Paddy, an alpha-male Brit who is on holiday in Italy with his partner Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) and son (Dan Hough) when they meet a rich American couple, Ben (Scoot McNairy) and Louise (Mackenzie Davis), and their daughter (Alix West Lefler). The two families hit it off – "sort of" – so when Paddy invites the Americans to visit them at their home in the West Country, they "hesitatingly accept" – a decision they'll come to regret. Director and co-writer James Watkins "ratchets up the tension and mounting menace superbly", and though the last half-hour is on the predictable side, this is "one of the best-made thrillers you'll see all year".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
July 20 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include AI replacing workers, and Donald Trump trying to divert media attention away from the Epstein files
-
5 suspiciously good cartoons about the Epstein filesCartoons Artists take on the relationship between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein
-
A glorious Greek island without the 'swank'The Week Recommends Lesbos doesn't welcome 'hoards' of tourists, but is 'magnificent' and worth exploring
-
Kartoffelsalat (potato salad) recipeThe Week Recommends German dish is fresh, creamy and an ideal summer meal
-
Pals and loved ones always on the move? These are the gifts to give the constant travelers in your life.The Week Recommends The best trip is the one that lives on and on
-
6 peaceful homes near small townsFeature Featuring doors with local topographical maps in Oregon and a 1850s homestead-turned-house in Vermont
-
The best TV shows based on moviesThe Week Recommends A handful of shows avoid derivative storytelling and craft bold narrative expansions
-
Too Much: London-set romantic comedy from Lena DunhamThe Week Recommends Megan Stalter stars as a 'neurotic' New Yorker who falls in love with a Brit
-
Apocalypse in the Tropics: a 'troubling' portrait of modern BrazilThe Week Recommends Petra Costa's sobering documentary examines the rise of right-wing evangelical Christianity in Brazilian politics
-
Murderland: a 'hauntingly compulsive' bookThe Week Recommends Caroline Fraser sets out a 'compelling theory' that toxins were to blame for the 1970s serial killer epidemic
-
The 2025 James Beard Award winnersFeature Featuring a casually elegant restaurant, recipes nearly lost to war, and more
