Speak No Evil (, ) is a 2022 psychological horror thriller film directed by Christian Tafdrup from a screenplay he co-wrote with his brother . It is produced by Jacob Jarek and is distributed by Nordisk Film. Filming took place in Denmark, the Netherlands and Italy, and most of the film is shot in English, with some scenes in Danish and Dutch. The film centers on Bjørn (Morten Burian) and Louise (Sidsel Siem Koch), a Danish couple who are invited by Patrick (Fedja van Huêt) and Karin (Karina Smulders), a Dutch couple, to their country house for a weekend holiday; the hosts soon begin to test the limits of their guests as the situation escalates.
Speak No Evil premiered in the Midnight section at the 38th Sundance Film Festival on 22 January 2022. It was theatrically released in Denmark on 17 March 2022 and in the Netherlands on 21 July.
Plot
During their vacation in Tuscany, Bjørn and Louise, a Danish couple, and their daughter Agnes, meet Patrick and Karin, a Dutch couple, and their son Abel, who suffers from congenital aglossia and was born without a tongue. A few weeks later, Bjørn and Louise receive an invitation from the Dutch couple to visit their remote rural house in the Netherlands, which they accept. After eight hours of driving, the family arrives at their destination. During the first two days, Louise feels uncomfortable about the hosts' passive-aggressive behaviors, such as Patrick's ignorance about her vegetarianism, his abusive behavior towards Abel, and Karin's swearing.
The hosts invite their guests out for dinner, but Louise is concerned because the children are not coming and have to stay with Abel's babysitter, Muhajid. Her concerns are exacerbated at the dinner when Patrick challenges her vegetarianism, and the couple drunkenly make out in front of them. After manipulating Bjørn into paying for the dinner, Patrick repeatedly plays loud music while driving under the influence, upsetting Louise. He enters the bathroom while she is taking a shower, and later observes the couple having sex. When Agnes' calls to sleep next to her parents are ignored, Patrick takes her into their bed. After Louise finds Agnes sleeping on the bed next to a naked Patrick, she wakes her husband and the family leaves, only to turn back shortly thereafter, after Agnes realizes that her rabbit doll Ninus is missing.
Back at the house, they are confronted about their sudden departure by the hosts, who now act disappointed. Bjørn fails to be blunt, so Louise enumerates the things that made her uncomfortable. Patrick and Karin eventually convince their guests to stay. The women work in the yard, while the men buy groceries. On their way back, Bjørn and Patrick bond as the former attempts to explain how he often suppresses his emotions, compromising his true self. Patrick takes him to a beach where they practice screaming therapy. Later, when Louise cuts her finger in the kitchen, the couple discover that Patrick lied about being a doctor to impress them and is actually unemployed, as he doesn’t believe in actual work. After the dinner, the children perform a dance that they had practiced together; Patrick treats Abel abusively for his mistakes. He throws a mug, a gift from Bjørn and Louise, at the wall, and the couples argue over the apparent abuse.
That night, Bjørn discovers a cabin behind the house, and finds a collection of empty luggage and cameras inside. The cabin’s walls are covered with photographs of Patrick and Karin with other couples with young children on holidays. They suggest the Dutch couple are serial killers with a pattern of deceiving families in order to murder them and abduct their children. Bjørn realizes that he and his family are the couple's next victims. On his way to collect his family, Bjørn finds Abel's body drowned in the pool. They successfully escape, but Bjørn does not tell his wife about his discovery.