Not for children under 12, the film starring James McAvoy is a remake of one of the most disturbing thrillers of recent years.

James McAvoy never shies away from intense roles. After Split by M. Night Shymalan, in which he played a man with 24 personalities, the actor returns to the psychological thriller genre in Eden Lake director James Watkins’ outrageous Speak No Evil. And surprise: the English star manages to be even more terrifying and disturbing in this film.

Produced by Blumhouse Studios – to whom we owe the latest Halloween, but also Invisible Man, Insidious and M3GAN – the feature film follows the meeting of two couples during a trip to Italy. When Louise (Mackenzie Davis), Ben (Scoot McNair) and their daughter are invited to spend a few days with their new friends, nothing goes as planned. Vacation turns into a real nightmare when Paddy (James McAvoy) reveals its true nature.

Speak No Evil is directed by Danish Christian Tafdrup and is slated for a 2022 release. While the main plot lines remain the same, the American version fits more into Hollywood codes and offers an entirely new ending – far less disappointing than the original film, but just as violent.

The actual violence in the film is not what you imagine

Violence, exactly. what is really happening do not speak evil ? Thriller does not spare blood, close-ups of wounds, fingers stuck in doors and blows to the head, but above all it is the subject of a film that crystallizes the suffering of the audience. “It’s a story about social conventions and what we can get from others, but also from society“, James McAvoy explained to AlloCiné.

“Our world comes to an agreement that we are not all going to kill each otherhe continues. This is a contract. We behave like civilized human beings, not like animals. Here we have a family that honors this contract and another that breaks it, burns it, then throws it into the fire.“

physical training

On screen, James McAvoy abandons all semblance of humanity to embrace an animalistic attitude reminiscent of his role in Shyamalan’s film. Is it fun for an actor to play monsters? “I try to be the kind of person who doesn’t compromise, doesn’t give in, and it’s quite nice to be like that for 5 minutes.“

In the last act of the film, the actor impresses with his brutality. To get into position, the star did 30 push-ups a few seconds before the shot. what”Remove the shoulders, thicken the neck and remove the veinsHe details for this guard. I’m 1.70m tall so you need to be able to project yourself.“

Comments collected by Emmanuel Ittier in July 2024.

You can see James Watkins’ Speak No Evil in theaters.