I saw Speak No Evil (2024)

Producer Jason (The Invisible Man 2020) Blum's Speak No Evil, written and directed by James (Eden Lake/The Woman in Black 2012) Watkins, is a retelling of Christian and Mads Tafdrup's effective, 2002, Danish chiller of the same name. The story is reality-entrenched, in the manner of The River Wild, Duel, Deliverance, Southern Comfort, Hunter's Blood, Straw Dogs, The Wicker Man, Midsommar, Race with the Devil, Wrong Turn, House of 1000 Corpses, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes. That means, its circumstances are not far beyond what could happen to anyone in the wrong place at the wrong time.   

In Speak No Evil's case (and this goes for either edition), the emphasis falls on a misjudgment of character, where people thought to be generous and kind turn out to be sadistic and deadly. 

As with the original, the remake introduces us to a family, American in this instance (though stationed in London), on vacation in Tuscany, Italy, that by chance encounters a rural, British family during their sojourn. The Americans consist of Scoot (Monsters) McNairy's Ben Dalton; his wife, Mackenzie (Terminator: Dark Fate) Davis' Louise; and their daughter, Alix West Lefler's Agnes. The rustic family is helmed by James (X-Men/Narnia/Split) McAvoy's Paddy (a professed physician of some sort); his wife, Aisling (The Nightingale) Franciosi's Ciara and their mute boy, Dan Hough's Ant. The latter clan seems friendly enough that the Daltons accept Paddy's invitation to visit their farm. 

This is a ploy, of course, with odd behavior occurring no sooner than the Daltons arrive. Ant is most peculiar, in this respect, a lad who seems desperate to share secrets (yet frightened to do so), while being openly bullied by his dad. Little by little, the degree of Paddy's cruelty builds, as he keeps the full extent of his evil concealed until an explosive reveal.  

To reveal the reveal would spoil the story, unless one has seen the original's perturbing path, but even then, the redux adds a ton of new twists and turns, but the concept's survivalist drive is the same, allowing audiences to see through an unwitting family's eyes. 

As with the Tufdruf version, the performances in the 2024 version are top-notch, but McAvoy is the movie's magnet, balancing his character between hospitable charm and all-out, sneering contempt. His performance, which channels the noxious, slow burn of Fedja van Huet's antagonist, is a Jekyll/Hyde tour de force, where he squeezes the terror for every vindictive drop. 

It's safe to say that both versions of Speak No Evil are solid nail-biters, due to their wrong-turn predicament, but also because we've all been fooled by smiling faces at one time or another. Speak No Evil reminds us to be on guard with strangers, though like the Daltons (and their woeful precursors), too often we arrive at that realization too late. 

An Alternate Reality: I saw Terminator 6

I liked the last "Terminator" to the point that "Genisys" has become my favorite in the saga. It spun a web of alternate-reality fun that (in my humble opinion) can't be beat , with an ending left wide open for endless possibilities and interpretations. 

The latest chapter, "Dark Fate", produced by James Cameron, directed by Tim "Deadpool" Miller and scripted by David Goyer, Justin Rhodes and Billy Ray, performs the same intent, taking the franchise in another zigzagged but gripping direction. But is it the best possible path? I don't know. I'm only glad that this submission didn't rub me the wrong way, for I was certain it would pile on that SJW crap, of which I and so many film buffs have had our fill.  

With that said, I still wouldn't argue with anyone who'd call "Dark Fate" a girlie film, but at least its females are foible-based kick-assers and not infallible Mary Sues. The ladies include Linda Hamilton, reprising her legendary role as Sarah Connor (re-entering the series much like Jamie Lee Curtis returned {again} to "Halloween"), Mackenzie Davis as Grace (a compassionate, cyborg protector) and Natalia Reyes as the amiable, must-be-saved-so-she-may-save-the-world Dani Ramos.

To offset the girl power, there's a relentless, Robert Patrick variant played by Gabriel Luna, who's a real liquefied son of a gun, as he damn well should be. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger is also part of the package (how could he not be?) and once more, he's "old but not obsolete". That means he's sympathetic yet lethal. It's a swell touch which worked well in "Genisys" and gives the new plot a positive pulse, no matter how heavy the gloom. 

Because of the characters' empathetic and sacrificial qualities, "Dark Fate" hits a satisfying mark. It's otherwise jammed with the expected action, glare and redundancy. In regard to the latter, the idea of Judgment Day coming and going time and again has become a bit much, but on the other hand, isn't that time-tripping-of-reality angle the whole point of this franchise? 

No matter if one dares to nitpick it, "Dark Fate" does what it's supposed to do. Sure, it ain't "Blade Runner 2049" (though why should it be?), but more so, it sure ain't the lame "Last Jedi". It's just another faithful-to-the-core chapter in a popular franchise, and I, for one, embraced it without a speck of apology.