The Daltons try to survive as their dream vacation turns into a psychological nightmare in Speak No Evil, the latest thriller from Blumhouse. In the film, the contrast between the Dalton family and Paddy’s family sets the tone for the insidious horror that simmers and eventually gets unleashed.
The Daltons, an American family struggling with their life in England, have a chance meeting with a British family during a trip to Italy, and get invited to get away from it all on their rustic countryside farmhouse. The Daltons consist of Ben(Scoot McNairy), his wife Louise(Mackenzie Davis), and their daughter Agnes. Ben is stuck in an unfulfilling rut as his career was upended shortly after moving his whole family to London from the United States. He feels emasculated at the prospect of unemployment and not being able to provide for his family.
Louise Dalton, dragged to the opposite side of the ocean into a prospect that went nowhere, feels unhappy and anxious about the future of her family, which carries over to her relationship with her husband and daughter. She finds herself feeling disconnected from Ben, and her anxiety makes her overprotective with Agnes(Alix West Lefler), who feels the tension within the family as well. A smart pre-teen, she manages her tendency to worry with her comfort plushy, Hoppy, which Ben feels that she’s too old to be carrying around everywhere.
In contrast, Paddy’s family seems very in tune with their countryside lifestyle, which they offer to share with the Daltons for the weekend. Paddy, a former physician, the unnervingly hypermasculine head of the family. His strong opinions and rejection of modern societal norms, bely a darkness within him, but on the surface he is refreshingly brash. His wife Ciara(Aisling Franciosi) is undoubtedly his better half, with a softer charm and inviting personality. They seem to be a perfect match, and to top it all off is their son Ant(Dan Hough). Mute from a genetic condition, he seems to be shy, but hits it off with Agnes immediately. Paddy’s family seems to be picture perfect, and what the Daltons aspire to be, until the darkness takes hold and the weekend getaway turns into a fight for survival.
It all comes to a head as Speak No Evil is iunleashed in Philippine cinemas on September 11, from Universal Pictures International.
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