The Cabin in the Woods, one of my favorite horror movies of all time, explains that for the characters in a horror movie to be punished they have to choose their fate. They have to decide to ignore the creepy old man at the gas station. They have to decide to leave the marked trail. They have to decide to stay in the countryside house with the creepy family that they just met on holiday. That last one happens in Christian Tafdrup's Danish horror Speak No Evil. Danish couple Louise (Sidsel Siem Koch) and Bjorn (Morten Burian) seal their fate by deciding not to leave when they had their chance. Granted, the couple certainly had so many red flags waved in their face that it'd put Murray Hill finance bros shame.
After returning home from their Tuscan holiday, Louise and Bjorn are surprised to find an invitation from Dutch couple Patrick (Fedja van Huet) and Karin (Karina Smulders), who they met at the same resort, asking them to visit them at their countryside home. Though they don't really have a desire to, the couple decides it would be rude to turn them down. When they arrive, though, a series of increasingly bizarre encounters put the couple on edge — blasting heavy metal while drunk driving, feeding Karin meat even though she's mentioned she's a vegetarian. Being the model guests they are, Louise and particularly Bjorn brush off these happenings. However, after a particularly troubling incident involving Louise and Bjorn's daughter Agnes (Liva Forsberg) the couple is forced to confront their hosts to which Patrick responds, “No one's forcing you to stay.”
Much of Speak No Evil plays like the bleakest comedy of manners like Force Majeure. But director Christian Tafdrup makes it a point to remind you with the screeching score and uneasy tone that this is a horror movie. And when it makes that shift you are both expecting it and completely taken aback realizing that Funny Games might be a more apt comparison. For some, that shift will be too abrupt. For some, the character's decision will be bordering on absurd. But that's the point of the film: to make you uncomfortable. Tafdrup reminds you that sometimes a kindness isn't always just a kindness. You've been warned.
Speak No Evil was acquired by AMC networks' Shudder streaming service. A release date hasn't been announced.
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Maika Monroe has been a bonafide scream queen since she broke out with roles in It Follows and The Guest. Her character-grounded approach to horror makes her the perfect audience surrogate for whatever story she's in. In her return to those genre roots with Chloe Okuno‘s feature directorial debut Watcher she's able to flex those muscles that made her so successful. This time as a recent American transplant in a familiar gaslit woman thriller set in Bucharest, Romania.
Julia's (Monroe) decision to accompany her husband Francis (Karl Glusman) across the globe for work colors much of the background of the movie as Julie, who doesn't know the language, tries to find routine in her new life. However, that routine is thrown off when she glances out of the massive windows that frame the couple's apartment and notices a shadow in one of the windows — watching. She's already been shaking by learning of a recent string of murders in the neighborhood and begins to notice a strange man popping up wherever she goes. Of course, though he's initially supportive Francis brushes it off as a mix of culture shock and an unfamiliar place.
On the other hand, the movie goes to a very familiar place. Despite Okuno's strong direction that effectively ratchets up the tension throughout the movie and makes good use of the city's dour atmosphere and Monroe's performance that subtly portrays a woman on the edge, Watcher never really elevates past its stereotypical thriller roots. You can see nearly every plot point from a mile away — even with its attempts to trick you more than once. Okuno crafted a well-made thriller, but from the second it ends nothing follows you home.
Watcher premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. It is currently seeking U.S. distribution.
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Yorgos Lanthimos has made a career out of his unique brand of deadpan surrealism creating worlds where matter-of-factness is the norm and emotions never control decisions.
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Hey! I'm Karl. You can find me on Twitter here. I'm also a Tomatometer-approved critic.
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