In 2024’s Speak No Evil, Ben, Louise, and their daughter Agnes meet a British couple on vacation and decide to stay with them for a week, yet the red flags began long before their cursed English getaway. Speak No Evil is a horror remake, based on a Danish film from 2022 of the same name. Starring James McAvoy and Mackenzie Davis, the 2024 film is intense, uncomfortable, and at times frustrating to watch. Audiences must sit back and watch as Ben and Louise ignore all the signs that their new friends are actually sadistic serial killers.
Yet, the red flags are what makes Speak No Evil so enjoyable. The horror film piles up Paddy and Ciara’s questionable actions, yet always gives Ben and Louise a reason to stay. Usually, it is pure politeness that convinces the Americans to remain in harm’s way. In this way, Speak No Evil makes its grandest point: don’t ignore the red flags just to be nice. Once Louise starts listening to her gut, that is when the movie truly gets under way. However, there are a number of warnings that Ben and Louise miss before coming to their senses.
The British Couple Has More Money Than They Should
One subtle red flag that Ben and Louise miss when they arrive at Paddy and Ciara’s home in Devon is that the couple’s home is perhaps too large for their means. The big reason why Ben and Louise miss this is that Paddy tells them that he is a doctor while they are in Italy. Many doctors make quite a lot of money, so the Americans never really question Paddy and Ciara’s sprawling country estate. However, there are a few holes in Paddy’s story.
Paddy and Ciara actually get their money from killing well-off families they meet on vacation.
Although Paddy claims to be a doctor, he lives so far from the rest of society that this doesn’t quite make sense. If there was an emergency, it would take him quite a while to get to the hospital. Furthermore, Paddy never discusses his “profession.” He claims to be a doctor, but doesn’t seem preoccupied with his work at all. If he was truly making so much money, he would likely be more invested in it. He might even be on call, depending on his field. Thus, his incredible home and his so-called job don’t exactly line up.
9 Ant’s Bedroom
Ant Is Not A Beloved Child
On the topic of Paddy and Ciara’s house, Ant’s bedroom is another huge red flag that Louise overlooks. When Louise and Agnes first see Ant’s attic bedroom, it is clear that neither of them are impressed with the space. It is small, dim, and lacks any sort of decoration one would expect from a child. Agnes doesn’t seem thrilled to be staying there, yet Louise ignores this. If anything, she probably labels it as her daughter’s anxiety. In reality, she should have looked closer.
What Ant’s bedroom shows early on in the movie is that he is not the loved child that Paddy and Ciara make him out to be. Though the rest of their home is lushly furnished, they force their son into a tiny attic room with no comforts or colors. Right off the bat, this shows how much Paddy and Ciara don’t cherish their “son.” If Louise had clocked this detail, she may have caught onto their schemes more quickly.
8 Paddy Convincing Ben & Louise To Let Him Drive Agnes On The Vespa
Paddy Is A Master Manipulator
Yet another small but integral red flag that occurred in Italy is when Paddy convinces Ben and Louise to let him drive Agnes around on the Vespa. From the beginning, it is fairly clear that Ben and Louise are loving and perhaps slightly overprotective parents. They are defensive of their anxious daughter. Therefore, when she shows interest in the Vespa, they are concerned about her safety, especially since Paddy is essentially a stranger. What is really troubling, though, is how Paddy persuades them.
Though the Vespa ride is pretty uneventful, the part of this situation that is most worrisome is Paddy. In just a few words, he convinces Ben and Louise that him taking Agnes on a ride would not be a bad thing. In reality, the couple have every reason to say no: it’s dangerous, there’s no helmet, and Paddy is a stranger. Yet, by downplaying the situation and putting on a charming smile, Paddy is able to manipulate Ben and Louise easily. They are completely blind to his ulterior motives.
7 Paddy Messing With The Danish Couple
Paddy Can Be Mean
One red flag that is disguised as something fun is Paddy’s bullying of the Danish couple. While on vacation in Italy, both Ben and Louise and Paddy and Ciara dislike a Danish couple who loves to drone on about their cooking class. To avoid spending any more time with the Danes, Paddy singles them out by making crude jokes at them. The Danish couple are clearly uncomfortable and stay away for the rest of the vacation. Though this is framed to be funny, it is actually sort of volatile.
Paddy’s inappropriate jokes show that he isn’t afraid to embarrass or harass others. Because Ben and Louise dislike the Danes, they aren’t too concerned about their feelings. However, from a different perspective, Paddy’s actions are somewhat cruel and unusual. There were definitely easier ways to stay away from the Danish couple, yet Paddy chose to actively target them. This gives an early glimpse at his true nature.
6 Paddy & Ciara’s “Intimate” Moment At Dinner
Paddy & Ciara Thrive On Discomfort
A similar situation to the Danish couple is Paddy and Ciara’s “intimate” moment at dinner. While they are enjoying a romantic dinner with Ben and Louise, Paddy and Ciara pretend to do a sexual act beneath the table. It is a moment that is wildly uncomfortable for both Ben and Louise, and for the audience. However, Paddy and Ciara laugh it off as a joke, forcing Ben and Louise to pretend nothing bad actually happened. Yet, this moment is telling.
While pretending to be intimate in front of others could be embarrassing, for Paddy and Ciara it is an act of dominance.
Just like with the Danish couple, this scene proves how far Paddy and Ciara are willing to go to make others uncomfortable. While pretending to be intimate in front of others could be embarrassing, for Paddy and Ciara it is an act of dominance. They have all the power in the situation and use it to make their peers feel weird and out of place. Paddy and Ciara use this emotional leverage throughout the movie, and it may just be one of their biggest strengths – and dangers.
5 Ciara’s Attachment To (& Controlling Of) Agnes
Ciara Is Staking Her Claim
A rather shocking moment of manipulation in Speak No Evil is when Ciara reveals that she and Paddy had a daughter who died. This sob story makes Ben and Louise lose most of their anger with the couple, and more than that, makes them feel pity. This story ends up explaining a lot of Ciara’s strange behavior, yet audiences know that this isn’t necessarily the case. Ciara is not attached to Agnes because of a lost child, but because this is all part of her game of murder and kidnapping.
One red flag moment between Ciara and Agnes is when Ciara scolds Agnes for chewing with her mouth open. Surprisingly, Louise does not let this slide, and in fact, challenges Ciara. However, when Ciara’s past in the foster care system and her loss of her daughter come back into play, Louise lets it slide. In hindsight, she definitely should not have. Ciara only asserted control over Agnes because she is already planning on taking Agnes as her own. Her controlling nature is much more sinister than it seems.
4 Paddy Making Louise Eat Meat
Paddy Puts Louise On The Spot
A particularly big moment near the beginning of the movie is when Paddy forces Louise to eat meat, despite being a vegetarian. What makes this moment so chilling is the fact that Paddy doesn’t even act especially aggressive about it. Arguably, Louise could have said no or spoken up about her food preferences. However, Paddy makes sure to mention how much trouble he went through to roast this goose for Louise. Thus, she feels like she has to eat it rather than speak up for herself.
Paddy did not force Louise to eat meat, yet he set up an elaborate plan so that she would feel beholden to him.
Once again, this scene shows just how subtly Paddy manipulates his victims. He really doesn’t have to do much to put his victims in the backseat while he steers the metaphorical vehicle. Paddy did not force Louise to eat meat, yet he set up an elaborate plan so that she would feel beholden to him. To Ben and Louise, this seemed like a merely awkward situation, but to Paddy and Ciara, it was a very thoughtful and well-executed plan.
3 Ant’s Strange Behavior (& His Clothes)
Ant Is Neglected By His Parents
A massive red flag that Ben and Louise completely ignore is the strange behavior of Ant throughout the movie. During both vacations, Ant seems to be forlorn and unhappy. Paddy and Ciara explain this by citing Ant’s mute condition, which is that he was born with a shrunken tongue. However, in hindsight, audiences realize it is because Ant is Paddy and Ciara’s victim. Regardless of the explanation, Ben and Louise should have been able to see that Ant did not really belong with his “parents.”
In the 2022
Speak No Evil,
Ant’s character is named Abel. Furthermore, he suffers a more tragic fate than Ant does.
There are countless signs that Ant is being neglected by Paddy and Ciara. Aside from his awful bedroom and his sour demeanor, Ant is always wearing the same clothes. While everyone else changes outfits consistently, Ant remains in the same football sweatshirt for the entire film. This is just another small sign that Paddy and Ciara don’t truly take care of Ant. Ultimately, Ben and Louise dislike how Ant is treated, but never step forward out of sheer politeness.
2 Agnes Sleeping In Paddy & Ciara’s Bed
Agnes Is In Danger
In Speak No Evil, a major turning point for Ben and Louise is when Louise finds Agnes sleeping in Paddy and Ciara’s bed. Louise is horrified and disgusted by this behavior, and is immediately moved to leave Paddy and Ciara’s house. In this way, Louise correctly clocked this as a red flag. However, Louise missed the mark by allowing Ciara’s sob story to distract her. When Ciara claims that the loss of her daughter is the only reason she brought Agnes into her bed, Louise wrongly believes her.
Regardless of why Ciara let Agnes into her bed, Louise should have stood her ground and left then and there.
Louise should not have let politeness or emotion get in the way of her daughter’s safety. Regardless of why Ciara let Agnes into her bed, Louise should have stood her ground and left then and there. This situation could have put Agnes in serious danger, though it may not have been the danger Louise was anticipating. However, Ciara and Paddy’s powers of persuasion were simply too strong, and the Americans end up staying.
1 Paddy & Ant’s Aggressive Relationship
Paddy Is A Violent Person
The biggest red flag to appear in Speak No Evil is Paddy’s relationship with Ant. There are several signs pointing to Ant being neglected by his parents, but the worst scenario of all is how Paddy treats Ant. From the very start, Paddy’s “love” for Ant is shown through aggression. He never just hugs him, but squeezes him. He doesn’t just ruffle his hair, he pushes his fist into him. These actions are subtle, but they hint at the blow-up that came later during Ant and Agnes’ dance.
The red flag that finally gets Louise and Ben to take action is when James McAvoy’s intensifies his performance as Paddy and throws a cup at Ant. Louise finally speaks up and demands to know why Paddy treats his son like that. Paddy’s blow-up is the big signal that he may not be who he portrays himself to be. Yet, by the time Louise and Ben realize this, it is already too late for them to escape scot-free. Ultimately, this leads to the intense and terrifying final act of Speak No Evil.
