SPEAK NO EVIL

****

Directed by Christian Tafdrup.

Starring Morten Burian, Sidsel Siem Koch, Fedja van Huet, Karina Smulders.

Horror, Denmark, 97 minutes, Certificate 18.

Released in the UK on DVD on 2nd December by Acorn

Now that we can all breathe a sigh of relief that James Watkins UK based remake was a lot better than expected, we can once more submit ourselves to the foreboding and nihilistic pleasures of the original Danish film. Finally gaining a home release, this also provides an excellent opportunity for otherwise curious viewers who may be wondering how the Blumhouse remake stacks up against its predecessor. And just in time for Christmas!

Even on a rewatch an atmosphere of absolute dread drips from the screen the moment Christian Tafdrup’s film starts to the strains of Sune Kolster’s thunderous doom laden score. The hellish trip that the Danish family of Bjorn, Louise and their young daughter Agnes are about to experience at the hands of their over friendly Dutch hosts; the hulking Patrick, Karin and their mute son Abel brings about such a feeling of despair and dread knowing that we as an returning audience already know they are about to experience. Even for the uninitiated this is still an uncomfortable watch, albeit a morbidly fascinating one thanks to Tafdrup’s blackly comic take on polite society running up against pure evil.

That sense of uncomfortable tension slowly ratchets itself up to near unbearable heights as the true nature of Patrick and his family comes to light. While there is still a sense of credibility being stretched with Bjorn and Louise deciding to stay despite the massive warning signs, an aspect that was handled more successfully in the remake, the original still manages to grab its viewers by the throat. The darker than dark conclusion may leave some viewers why they sat through such an unrelenting piece but there is no denying its ability to linger in the mind long after viewing. Comparisons could be drawn to Michael Haneke’s FUNNY GAMES, both the original and the remake, but this does a far more successful job in challenging its audience as it lacks Haneke’s judgmental haranguing.

Lacking the thrill packed conclusion of its remake this is a more banal film that still manages to fascinate more with its presentation of evil hiding in plain sight. Just over two years after its release on SHUDDER, it shines out even more now as one of the most gruelling and unforgiving genre films of this century. The explanation for Patrick and Karin’s sadistic actions comes across in as devastating a manner more than ever due to its brutal simplicity. As a horror film it stands out proudly due to its ruthless and unforgiving nature. As a  comedy of manners taken to the ultimate extreme it works just as well.

A DVD only release, this comes with no special features at all. Still for completists, this is at least an opportunity to stack on the shelf alongside its slick and safe remake. And for the more sadistic minded among you there is no better opportunity to ruin someone’s Christmas by wrapping this up nicely and sticking it under the Christmas tree.

Iain MacLeod