Sin โ๐ฟโs review published on Letterboxd:
Demons, ghosts, zombies, and all sorts of nightmarish creatures that go bump in the night don't actually exist; however, situated within the context of a well-told, well-executed horror flick, I'm able to suspend disbelief and merrily go along for the ride.
In Speak No Evil, there are no supernatural creatures. In it, as Sarte asserted, "Hell is other people." However, the story is written/executed in a way that makes it impossible for me to ever get on board. This is somewhat redolent of Haneke's Funny Games, only the protagonists are given every conceivable opportunity to escape/avoid their circumstances. ๐
What makes this movie agonizing to endure is how unrealistically idiotic the protagonists are. Throughoutโand especially towards the endโthis couple's consistent dedication to being passive, weak ass, oblivious dullards with zero survival instincts and seemingly zero will to live who continuously made outrageously foolish decisions (recklessly endangering their child, which really pisses me off as a dad) made them utterly unrelatable, undeserving of sympathy, and unworthy of even a modicum of emotional investment.
Fam, a half eaten potato would've put up more of a fight. ๐
I only recommend this to people who enjoy pulling out their own hair, get a kick out of screaming at characters on screen, get off on witnessing feeble-minded cowards navigate incredibly awkward situations, and absolutely love being able to predict an ending Stevie Wonder could see coming a mile away and watch it all slowly unfold in the most plodding, frustratingโnay, rage-inducingโway humanly possible. ๐ฎโ๐จ
