Jakarta. James McAvoy may look like an ordinary nice guy at first glance, but the 45-year-old Scottish actor has delivered a stunning performance as the crazy vacation friend you will want to avoid at all costs in the well-executed American psychological thriller “Speak No Evil”.

Imagine going on a nice trip to Italy with your family. And you become fast friends with another family. As friendship blossoms, you decide to visit your newfound friend’s house for another holiday. But it turns out these seemingly nice people are murderers and plan on claiming your kids as their own. That pretty much sums up what the Daltons are going through in James Watkins’ “Speak No Evil” -- a vacation-gone-wrong movie and a remake of the 2022 Danish film of the same name.

The Daltons --dad Ben (Scoot McNairy), mom Louise (Mackenzie Davis), and daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler)-- are visiting their new British friend’s remote country home. James McAvoy plays Paddy, the British vacation friend from hell. He is the husband to wife Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) and father to the mute son Ant (Dan Hough).

The overall storyline of “Speak No Evil” is not exactly something new. But it is the neat execution --powered by McAvoy’s incredible acting-- that can keep the audience on the edge of their seat for almost two hours.

The Daltons are in stark contrast to Paddy’s family. The eccentric, extroverted Paddy is the polar opposite of the meek Ben. The families have different parenting styles. While the Daltons struggle with a rocky marriage due to Louise’s infidelity, Paddy and his wife seem to be keeping the flame alive (although there are hints of abuse). Such clashes between the two families are bound to make the vacation painfully awkward.  

I’m sure we have all had our share of awkward home visits. The movie makes the audience put themselves in the Daltons’ shoes. What would you do if you had to spend the weekend with someone like McAvoy’s Paddy, who is almost never without his sinister smile? How would you escape the country house without the hosts knowing? And would you return to the Paddy family to pick up the plushie that your daughter had left?

Even if we take the “guest-killing” part out of the plot, it is still pretty much a bad vacation.

Let’s not forget how Paddy angrily singing The Bangles’ “Eternal Flame” has made this an even more unforgettable trip.

“Speak No Evil” --now out in Indonesian cinemas-- starts off strong, and ends on a high note. Scenes of the Daltons fighting back the Paddy family are intense, while still remaining realistic. And this movie tells you that you might want to think twice before visiting the house of someone whom you have just met.

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