James McAvoy's Twisted 2024 Horror Movie Is Stealing The Spotlight On Prime Video

In 2022, Danish filmmaker Christian Tafdrup delivered one of the most disturbing horror films of modern times with "Speak No Evil." Tafdrup, who co-wrote the movie with his brother, Mads, didn't want to rely on gore to upset audiences. In fact, he didn't want to rely on any established tropes of the horror genre in order to achieve his desired effect, instead constructing a truly unique and deeply troubling film that haunted viewers not only for the bleak events contained therein, but for its social commentary. Specifically, Tafdrup wanted to interrogate humanity's widespread aversion to interpersonal conflict and show how a dogged commitment to maintaining a polite social manner can have disastrous consequences.

Of course, the consequences depicted in "Speak No Evil" were a tad more disastrous than any of us will ever experience. One notorious scene actually managed to speak so much evil that it immediately became an unpleasant core memory for anybody who witnessed it. But, the central idea of our often uncontrollable desire to maintain a polite social sphere leading to horrific outcomes was really the most upsetting part of "Speak No Evil."

Then, Hollywood decided that this uniquely effective horror film needed to be almost immediately remade. We've seen how this story plays out a hundred times, and as such hopes weren't exactly high. But when James Watkins' version of "Speak No Evil" arrived in 2024, fans of the original were pleasantly surprised. The Blumhouse-backed remake was actually decent, and some critics even praised it for simultaneously doing the original justice while adding its own twist. It also had a career-best performance from James McAvoy, which is probably the one element of the remake that the original just couldn't match.

Now, less than a year after it was released, the "Speak No Evil" remake is having a bit of a streaming renaissance over on Prime Video, where viewers have managed to send it into the most-watched film charts.

Writing about the original "Speak No Evil" in /Film's best horror movies of 2022 rundown, Chris Evangelista dubbed it "a movie so bleak and cruel that it's bound to infuriate." The remake isn't quite as bleak, which surely helped it succeed when it debuted in theaters in September 2024 and is almost certainly helping its recent Prime Video success. 

Director James Watkins, who also wrote the screenplay, switched the setting from the Netherlands to England, where an American family visits a remote farmhouse at the invitation of its owner, Paddy (James McAvoy). Paddy lives with his wife Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) and son Ant (Dan Hough), and at first seems like a charming host for his new American friends, who he met on vacation. Things quickly take a turn, however, as Paddy becomes increasingly unhinged and turns his guests' trip in to a living nightmare.

Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy, and Alix West Lefler also star in this horror remake which has apparently repeated its initial success, this time over on streaming. "Speak No Evil" hit Prime Video on April 1, 2025 and after ten days appears to finally have made an impact. According to streaming viewership tracker FlixPatrol the movie hit number four on the U.S. Prime Video charts on April 10. That might not be the most spectacular chart debut for a new movie on the service, but this is early days, and "Speak No Evil" could very well go on to have a stellar run on the service — which would be a great development considering some of the films that have risen up the Prime Video rankings in recent months.

Prime Video has some great stuff on offer, from original series such as TV's best action show "Reacher" and stellar video game adaptation "Fallout" to acquired movies such as Zoë Kravitz & Channing Tatum's 2024 thriller, "Blink Twice," which took over the Prime Video Charts back in January. However, the service has also been degrading itself somewhat of late, with a devastatingly average Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon-led romantic comedy and the forgotten Zach Galifianakis and Owen Wilson movie that triumphed on Prime Video in February 2025 despite a 6% Rotten Tomatoes score.

As such, with its 83% Rotten Tomatoes score, it's nice to see "Speak No Evil" rising up the movie charts on the same service. The film was already a box office success in September, bringing in $77.2 million on a $15 million budget, but the fact it also impressed critics makes it a real breath of fresh air on these charts. Whether it can continue its rise remains to be seen, but it is the only new addition to the Prime Video charts in the U.S. Every other movie in the rankings has been there for some time, with "The Magnificent Seven" managing an unbelievable 70 days in the top 10 (according to FlixPatrol). 

Meanwhile, another 2024 success, "Twisters" is in the number one spot, but has been in the charts for 22 days already, so there's everything to play for here. If you feel like being disturbed but not quite shaken to your core, then perhaps it's time to give the American "Speak No Evil" a go, too, and maybe save the original for when you're really ready to go to a dark, McAvoy-less place.