The original Speak No Evil director shares his input on the ending changes to the 2024 remake, and the comments are unfavorable. The remake follows a similar premise to the original 2022 movie, where a British couple invites an American family to their countryside, only to see their visit take a sinister turn. There is a drastic change to the Speak No Evil remake’s ending, where the survivors overcome the hosts and leave the cottage alive. It’s a stark contrast to the original’s bleak conclusion, with the visiting Danish couple being stoned to death and the Dutch pair continuing their murderous spree.
While speaking on the Danish radio show Kulturen (via NME), 2022’s Speak No Evil director and co-writer Christian Tafdrup was critical of the ending changes in the 2024 version. The filmmaker particularly noted the American storytelling of good defeating evil, acknowledging the remake could never replicate the bleak ending from the original as it wouldn’t fit the culture. Read his full comment below:
“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. … When I saw the film, 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 [in the U.S. version] must fight for their family and defeat the bad guys […] It is a kind of happy ending, and it is so deep in their culture that America must be able to handle it all.”
He then asserted that the more heroic ending made the 2024 film less tragic than the original. In particular, Tafdrup stated that the audiences who saw the remake “were completely over-enthusiastic and clapped, laughed and whooped. It was like being at a rock concert,” unlike the original where “People left my film traumatized.“
Why Tafdrup’s Ending Criticism For The Speak No Evil Remake Is Important
The Remake Director Had Reasons For Changing The Ending.
Tafdrup’s feedback is important as the cultural differences played a role in changing the remake’s ending. Speak No Evil remake director James Watkins spoke extensively about that decision, describing how the original ending was similarly as bleak as his 2008 film Eden Lake, which is apparently what influenced 2022’s Speak No Evil conclusion. However, the filmmaker was keen on not repeating that and even elaborated how his conversations with the American Speak No Evil cast meant resorting to a more heroic climax.
Honestly, it’s better that the filmmaker made the changes because, if he stuck with the original ending, reactions would have been more scathing as American moviegoers would have found it nonsensical.
As a result, the remake forgoes the traumatic ending, as Watkins defended that Americans are more reactive to dangerous situations. This was particularly the case with Davies’ Louise, who took immediate measures to protect her family against Paddy (James McAvoy) and Ciara (Aisling Franciosi). While the original movie’s focus on compliance came to an extent, the 2022 ending clearly wouldn’t work for the remake due to the cultural differences, which Tafdrup seems to recognize is the problem. Still, Watkins defends that the remake’s ending has its traumatic elements, as characters like Ant (Dan Hough) will be forever scarred.
Our Take On Tafdrup’s Response To Speak No Evil Remake Ending
Audiences Prefer The Remake’s Ending Over The Original.
It’s understandable why Tafdrup is unsatisfied with the changes because the “happy ending” diminishes the traumatic reaction that the original audience experienced. However, I also appreciate that Watkins assessed the logistics of adapting the original and how that would fit with the American and British characters. Honestly, it’s better that the filmmaker made the changes because, if he stuck with the original ending, reactions would have been more scathing as American moviegoers would have found it nonsensical.
The responses are evident from Rotten Tomatoes. While the 2022 version had a mixed score of 56% from audiences, the remake garnered a much more positive reaction with 85%. Thus, while the original director raises the point that the remake loses elements of danger and high stakes, changes to 2024’s Speak No Evil were clearly the right choice since it’s more satisfying for a general audience.
