Speak No Evil is, like many classics in the great horror canon, a biting social commentary, this time satirising the etiquette of polite social interaction. In that regard, you might think of it like a Seinfeldian Horror! As Director James Watkins and actor Scoot McNairy tell it, it was these aspects of sending up polite society that initially attracted them to the script.

Light spoilers ahead

Speak No Evil is Blumhouse’s newest thriller, about a somewhat dysfunctional American family unit (including Scoot McNairy’s character Ben), meeting what appears to be the ideal family; Patty, a traditionally masculine, funny, affable guy who hunts and lives off the land, his lovely wife Ciara, and their son Ant. When Ben’s family is invited back to Patty’s house in the secluded countryside, they realise that this idyllic family may not be everything they seem.

“I was fascinated by the theme of what Christian [Tafdrup] started to explore in the Danish version, about social interaction, and how we all struggle with it, and setting boundaries. What are those boundaries, what is polite behaviour, and how can it inhibit us, when do we call people out? All those sorts of themes about the anxiety of everyday interaction, the horror of everyday life, I thought that was really, really interesting.”

L to R: Agnes Dalton (Alix West Lefler), Ben Dalton (Scoot McNairy), and Louise Dalton (Mackenzie Davis) in ‘Speak No Evil’, directed by James Watkins

McNairy had similar reasons for jumping at the script.

“The uncomfortability of it all, I think we all kind of feel it in society now, we’re hesitant to say when something’s bothering us, or we may back off of it a little bit. The idea of playing on that and taking it to such an… not even an absurd place, a real place, that’s depicted in the film, and to toe that line, that part was what appealed to me, asking, ‘Where is the limit? Where is the bar that you won’t just say something?’ I loved it, I haven’t seen a film that really dives into those themes, and as an actor, it was really fun to come in and play that subtlety and uncomfortability.”

If anyone’s seen really any sitcom ever, there is certainly something terrifying about being trapped in an awkward social moment. When, if ever, can you opt out of a situation you’d rather not be in? Watkins also introduced an additional element of cultural clash to this idea, building on the original’s foundation to create something new. 

“In some ways, there are bits of Christian’s movies, and bits of Ricky Gervais’ The Office, it’s that awkwardness of social interaction. I wanted to explore that through the prism of British people and Americans, and by doing that it changes the DNA of it, and it becomes a movie that plays in a different key. That was my first conversation with Blumhouse, ‘Can I set this in the UK?’ Because then I can make it about people I know, and I can put a bit of my gritty British dirty footprint on it, and give it some of my reality and some of that English humour.”

And there certainly is a lot of that English humour, because what you might have noticed is, Speak No Evil is a comedy. Getting to the core of filmic discussion, Watkins articulated why horror and comedy go hand in hand so well.

L to R: Alix West Lefler (as Agnes Dalton), Mackenzie Davis (as Louise Dalton), Scoot McNairy (as Ben Dalton), Director James Watkins and Aisling Franciosi (as Ciara) on the set of ‘Speak No Evil’

“The more dark you get, the more light you need, you need that contrast. Also the way you create horror and thrills, is similar to comedy, they share a lot of aspects. When you tell a joke, there’s a setup and a payoff. Same with horror, you build tension, and release tension. They kind of mirror each other structurally, and there’s a purity that comedy and horror both share, in cinema experiences, because you can really know if your film is working. If you make a comedy, you go and see it with an audience, are people laughing? If they’re not laughing, you’re in a lot of trouble. With horror, it’s the same, there’s a very visceral reaction, are they leaning in, are they scared? I love that, I love the communication of cinema and the audience. It’s not the size of the screen, it’s the size of the audience. People should go to the cinema!”

For McNairy, comedy was at the heart of the experience too.

“We shot it like a comedy sometimes! Even in a drama, you need light moments, you need moments to break from the intensity. I feel like in horror there’s a lot of intensity, so comedy always plays well in a horror or thriller, because you need to relieve that tension once in a while in order to build it up again. So I almost feel like comedy is a necessity, and that’s why you see it recurring in the genre.”

Speak No Evil may be pushing the edge of realism (what with the murder) but it does speak to some universal experiences, like being stuck with someone you’re not vibing with, but you just can’t rip that conversational band-aid off. So is Watkins’ film based on any experience in particular?

“Undoubtedly. Many times. Whether in a work or social context, I’ve been in a conversation where someone is behaving badly, they’re saying things that aren’t acceptable, and you’re going, “Oh, can I? Should I?’ And you get home and then you’re like, ‘Oh, I should have said!’ at 2 in the morning.”

McNairy concurs: “That part of it has similarities between me and the character Ben, but my bar is a lot lower than Ben’s. That being said, I do feel the same pressure of society to be polite and nice, and this film pushes that so much further, my breaking point would have been so much sooner than Ben’s. There are times in real life though when you’re struggling through it, a dinner or barbeque or whatever, and you hang in there as long as you can.” 

L to R: Ant (Dan Hough), Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), and Paddy (James McAvoy) in Speak No Evil, directed by James Watkins

And speaking of being inspired by, we asked McNairy which, if any, characters he drew inspiration from for Ben.

“I strictly drew inspiration from Paddy, and trying to be more like him, and take on his train of thought, his ideology, everything about him. For me, Ben feels like, if he can be more like Paddy, more boisterous, more confident, then all of his insecurities and the problems with his wife and daughter will all be fixed. What’s great about Ben and what was a lot of fun while playing him was, the further he goes to try and be more like Paddy, the more and more he discovers that Paddy is not who he says he is. You can see it coming to a head and eventually intersecting, and playing into that aspect made Ben a very fun and dynamic character.”

And finally, they told us why horror fans should be really excited to see Speak No Evil.

“It’s a ride,” according to Watkins, “it’s a real white-knuckle rollercoaster, it’s incredibly intense, I’ve seen it with audiences, you’re gonna have a blast in the cinema, you’re gonna laugh, you’re gonna cry, you’re gonna scream, and it’s about something! It’s about real life and the horrors of that, so you can go talk about it afterwards, and have fun and enjoy it!”

And according to McNairy, “If you like horror films, then you like Blumhouse, and if you like Blumhouse, then you like psychological thrillers, and if you like psychological thrillers, this one will leave you mind-bent, uncomfortable, sweating when you get out, and will provoke a lot of discussion. I think that makes great viewing for not only horror fans, but cinema in general.”

‘Speak No Evil’ is in cinemas September 12

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