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The director of the original Speak No Evil film has delivered a damning verdict on the film’s remake.
Christian Tafdrup‘s Danish horror debuted in 2022 and became a cult favourite among fans of the psychological thriller genre.
British director James Watkins’ has adapted the film into a remake starring Scottish actor James McAvoy who plays Paddy, a father of a British family with a dark secret. McAvoy said he based the character on “toxic” influencer Andrew Tate.
The remake switches the nationalities of the families to British and American respectively, with Mackenzie Davis and Scoot McNairy as Louise and Ben Dalton, a couple with a young child who visit the seemingly idyllic estate of Paddy, Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) and their son, Ant, after meeting them while on holiday in Italy.
As well as changing the nationalities, Watkins divided fans by completely changing the ending of the film.
Tafdrup was unimpressed with the final product, hitting out at multiple elements of the movie.
*Spoilers ahead*
“The biggest difference is that he [James Watkins] has rewritten the entire ending,” he told the Danish radio show Kulturen, according to Danish sitedr.dk.
“I don’t know what it is about Americans, but they are brought up for a heroic tale, where the good must win over the bad, and this version of the film cultivates that.”
He added that the changes made to the story make it “less dangerous” and safer than the innovative risks taken in the original movie.
“I found that they have made a wildly entertaining, effective, well-acted version of my original film. But it might not be that dangerous either,” he continued.
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Tafdrup appeared frustrated as he said that the need to reach a satisfying resolution is endemic in American culture.
“When I saw the film yesterday, I could see that they would never succeed with a film where the characters are stoned to death, as they do in our film. These people must fight for their family and defeat the bad guys,” he continued.
“It is a kind of happy ending, and it is so deep in their culture that America must be able to handle it all.”
Reflecting on the reactions of audiences in New York to the film, he said, “People were completely over-enthusiastic and clapped, laughed and whooped. It was like being at a rock concert.”
Meanwhile, reactions to his movie were completely the opposite: “People have left my film traumatized.”
