Acclaimed Horror Thriller ‘Speak No Evil’ Leaves Streaming May 1

While most American remakes of non-English horror films keep the story intact, there’s one film made in Europe that proved to be too much for American audiences. The 2022 original import, which leaves streaming in just a few days, delivers viewers a disturbingly bleak tale that gets under the skin and lingers.

What happens to the perfect family from Denmark in Speak No Evil is enough to make you re-evaluate new friendships or cancel vacation plans. The film, currently sitting at 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, is available to stream for free on Tubi until May 1. Even though the horror selection on the free platform is huge, we can’t think of a better pick to indulge in a scary movie that doesn’t need ghosts or demons to make you turn on the lights.

If You’re Planning a European Vacation, Don’t Watch ‘Speak No Evil’

Speak No Evil follows a Danish family on vacation in Italy who make friends with another family from the Netherlands. Bjørn, Louise and their daughter Agnes seamlessly connect with Patrick and Karin, who also have a son named Abel. After saying goodbye, Bjørn and Louise receive an invitation to spend a few days in the countryside at the Dutch couple’s ranch. Surely, nothing could go wrong, right?

At first, everything feels natural. The families – and their children – get along. However, when Patrick begins exhibiting bizarre behavior toward them, Bjørn and Louise start having second thoughts. Maybe they should have stayed home. Needless to say, things take a very, very dark turn.

‘Speak No Evil’ Was Too Much for American Audiences

The film was released in Europe in 2022, and it premiered for American audiences at the Sundance Film Festival that year. After Shudder and IFC acquired it for theatrical distribution and streaming, Speak No Evil gained buzz within the horror community as an extremely distressing watch that defies horror conventions. Even though it has a humorous tone, nothing in the film comes across as funny. No one was smiling when they left the theater.

Some time later, Jason Blum got the rights to remake Speak No Evil. With the support of the Blumhouse label, Eden Lake director James Watkins (the visionary behind the upcoming DC Comics horror thriller Clayface) wrote and directed the film for American audiences in an English-language reimagining. The film starred James McAvoy, Scoot McNairy, Aisling Franciosi, and Mackensie Davis, and landed in theaters in September 2024.

Viewers were familiar with the story, and while the remake seemed unnecessary at first, McAvoy’s performance as the villain stood out from the moment the trailer premiered, promising a more unhinged version of the monster in the original. However, the big question was whether Blum would dare to include the original ending.

Ultimately, it was decided that American viewers wouldn’t connect with the horrific outcome of Bjørn and Louise’s dreamy vacation in the Dutch countryside. Hollywood wouldn’t be able to handle so much cruelty, and the remake drastically toned down the third act. Although it still has a gripping ending, the 2024 version didn’t make as strong of an impact. But was this re-imagining a failure? Not at all.

McAvoy’s depiction of a multilayered villain was enough to get audiences to theaters, and Speak No Evil grossed more than $77 million. While the $15 million production exceeded Blumhouse’s microbudget model, the box office performance was still strong enough to make a profit. The critical reception was quite positive as well, with the remake also earning an 83% score on Rotten Tomatoes.