Speak No Evil (DEN 2022) vs. Speak No Evil (USA 2024)

Content:  In this podcast, we compare the Danish film “Speak No Evil” from 2022 by Christian Tafdrup with the American remake “Speak No Evil” from 2024 by James Watkins.  We highlight the notable differences in storytelling and subject matter: while the original provides a socially critical commentary on the Western middle class and leaves an uneasy feeling, the remake offers a more conventional thriller with a happy ending typical of Hollywood.  We emphasize the almost identical plot in the first hour of both films and then analyze the divergent narrative structures and messages.  The comparison serves as an example of the different approaches of European and American film productions.  Plot:  Speak No Evil (DEN 2022)A Danish family visits a Dutch family in the Netherlands they met on a holiday. What was supposed to be an idyllic weekend slowly starts unraveling as the Danes try to stay polite in the face of unpleasantness.  Speak No Evil (USA 2024)An American family is invited to spend a weekend with a family they met in a lonely British countryside. But as the weekend progresses, the Americans realize that a dark side lies within the British family who invited them.