In his digital introduction for Speak No Evil on the movie’s 2022 Sundance Film Festival premiere, director Christian Tafdrup (and co-writer, along with his brother Mads Tafdrup) defined that he got down to make “the most unpleasant experience for an audience ever.” With this grim exploration of social boundaries pushed to absolutely the excessive, they only might have succeeded.

And even in case you don’t head into Speak No Evil with Tafdrup’s warning/apology/enticement ringing in your ears—and lots of who watch it is not going to, although the morbidly curious will get to see it quickly, because it obtained snapped up by horror streamer Shudder nearly immediately—you’ll nonetheless have an inkling that you just’re in for one thing unsettling proper from the start. That appears nearly unimaginable since its early scenes happen on an idyllic household trip in Tuscany, however the first clues are rigorously sprinkled in: the opening shot of a automotive on a darkish street, the menacing music cues that come out of nowhere, the twinge of suspicion {that a} pleasant stranger is perhaps just a bit too pleasant. All this sails over the heads of Danish couple Bjørn (Morten Burian) and Louise (Sidsel Siem Koch), who’re excited after they meet Patrick (Fedja van Huêt) and Karin (Karina Smulders), a pleasant Dutch couple who’re additionally staying on the villa and have a younger son across the identical age as their daughter.

Actually—Bjørn, who’s lurching towards a sad-sack midlife and/or existential disaster primarily based solely on the truth that his snug life is, nicely, boring—is much extra excited concerning the friendship than Louise, and it’s Bjørn who pushes the matter when Patrick and Karin ship them a postcard six months later, inviting them to go to for a weekend. Burian’s quiet however textured efficiency specifically offers Speak No Evil its emotional spine; Bjørn is a person who feels emotionally unfulfilled regardless of having every little thing, and he’s fairly clearly in awe of the charismatic, profitable Patrick. “Perhaps it’s a bit too long to spend with people we barely know,” Louise factors out, however earlier than anybody can say “What’s the worst that can happen?” (and somebody does, as a result of Speak No Evil makes some extent of gleefully leaning into horror tropes), it’s determined the household will make the journey.

The stress’s already constructing by the point the Danes arrive, however—apart from the aforementioned music cues—it’s refined, constructed via passive aggression after which, as soon as Patrick and Karin re-enter the image, some beautifully deployed shows of micro-aggression. Just one instance: on their Italian trip, Louise had a dialogue with the couple about being a vegetarian, which makes it greater than just a little awkward when Patrick proclaims he’s cooked a roast for his or her welcome dinner—and insists Louise attempt the primary piece, which she does, as a result of she’s too gracious to refuse.

Being too good and/or wimpy to talk up, one thing not-so-subtly hinted at by the movie’s title (though there’s one other, extra literal that means to that which we received’t spoil right here) turns into Speak No Evil’s chorus, as Bjørn and notably Louise start to understand their hosts aren’t the breezy, affable, like-minded people they thought they have been after they met on trip. They’re truly type of bizarre and impolite and invasive, they usually’re merciless dad and mom to their son, who’s nearly nonverbal on account of a situation that triggered him to be born with no tongue—or so they are saying.

To reveal extra concerning the plot could be to deprive the viewer of the cringe-inducing torture Speak No Evil ladles out because the impulsive weekend getaway heads right into a downward spiral. As the screws tighten onscreen, it turns into tougher and tougher to not shriek at Bjørn and Louise to cease being so goddamn well mannered as huge pink flags maintain popping up. Though a lot of the film depends on psychological terror relatively than gore, the story does construct to a climax prone to be essentially the most stunning scene in any film this yr, and we are saying that totally realizing it’s nonetheless January. You’ve been warned—however you’re additionally inspired to witness this artfully noticed, exactly crafted, and utterly nasty dive into the depths of human awfulness, in case you dare.

Speak No Evil will arrive on Shudder in some unspecified time in the future in 2022.

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