After befriending a British couple with a mute son, Americans Ben and Louise accept an unusual invitation to bring their daughter for a weekend at an idyllic country estate. Yet when they discover their hosts are hiding sinister motives, Ben and Louise fear their family may be pawns in a disturbing plot. Led by James McAvoy as a charismatic man masking unspeakable darkness, a dream holiday warps into an unnerving nightmare in this shocking thriller from Blumhouse, producers of The Black Phone.
For in-depth thoughts on Speak No Evil (2024), please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Speak No Evil arrives on Blu-Ray courtesy of Universal Studios Home Entertainment with a great AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. The movie attempts to trick you at first by hiding its dark and sinister nature behind truly lush and gorgeous environments while the families are on vacation. There are numerous opportunities for vibrant colors to pop off the screen with the natural majesty of the world never failing to impress. The film has a natural palette that accurately showcases elements of the clothing and production design. Skin tones appear natural across the entire cast with even the most minor facial details on display.
When the movie goes into darker territory, both literally and figuratively, the strong black levels are a major benefit as they allow for a robust amount of detail in shadows. The bright highlights during the day do not succumb to any blooming in this presentation. There are no serious instances of aliasing or compression artifacts detectable here. The level of detail in this presentation remains as powerful as ever, as all of the subtle aspects of the costumes and production design are razor-sharp. This Blu-Ray is first-rate as Universal continues its steady work releasing fetching transfers.
Audio Quality
The Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track is terrifically engaging, and it never comes up short when delivering something truly impressive. The soundscape on display here is multifaceted with a nuanced design from beginning to end. This film is very conversation-driven, but the film knows when to come alive with thrills that dig deep. All of the effects have a nice sense of direction within the mix with noises in the house getting under your skin.
The soundtrack and score are significant without being too overbearing to the competing elements. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear with none of the information feeling lost to parallel elements. The movie uses environmental sounds to perfect effect, and the track retains strong detail even in the more chaotic developments. The track delivers on every level. Optional English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles are provided.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Writer/Director James Watkins delivers a sturdy commentary track in which he discusses creating the look of the film through vintage lenses, the motivations for certain developments in the film, directing his performers, and more.
- Nuclear Family: A nine-minute piece in which the cast and creative team discuss the motivations behind bringing this story to the screen again, finding the right performers for these characters, the differences between the two families, and more.
- A Horrifying Crescendo: A nearly six-minute look at the psychological horror unleashed in this story and how it builds to the memorable final act.
- The Farmhouse of Horrors: A four-minute exploration of the farmhouse and how the creative team ratcheted up the unsettling nature of it through the production design and other flourishes.
Final Thoughts
Speak No Evil had a major uphill battle for anyone who had seen the original version of the film from a mere two years ago. American remakes are largely lazy and unnecessary, but, thankfully, this one at least attempts to bring something new to the table. There is still the excruciating sense of dread throughout the film, but you are not left feeling as emotionally devastated as in the original film. The thematic impact is slightly dulled, but this new version is still a very entertaining look at the foibles of human nature. Plus, you get a fierce James McAvoy performance that is one of his best to date, which is saying something for him. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray with a top-notch A/V presentation and a decent selection of special features. While we would advocate to also seek out the original version, this remake holds its own. Recommended
Speak No Evil is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
