James McAvoy's sinister host treats his guests to a chilling weekend on his serene countryside estate in the official trailer of Speak No Evil, a remake of the 2022 Danish horror hit Gæsterne, penned by Christian Tafdrup and Mads Tafdrup.
Dropped by Universal Pictures on Thursday, the two-minute-55-second trailer kicks off with an American couple, Louise (played by Scoot McNairy) and Ben Dalton (played by Mackenzie Davis), crossing paths with a delightful British family during a vacation. They meet Paddy (McAvoy), his wife Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) and their mute son Ant (newcomer Daniel Hough).
As the families bond, Paddy invites Louise and Ben to their idyllic country estate for a weekend retreat before he quits his practice as a doctor. However, the secluded setting starts to feel ominous, especially when Paddy pressures vegetarian Louise to try meat. Tensions heighten further as their 11-year-old daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler) grows suspicious of Ant's behavior.
The atmosphere becomes even more unsettling when Louise slashes her hand and Paddy suddenly denies his claim of being a doctor. After thoroughly perplexing them, he reveals that he was only cracking a job. The two children decide to dance to a folk song. But, Paddy gets aggressive when he sees his son’s disappointing performance.
Ant opens his mouth again and again, suggesting that he wishes to tell Louise and Ben something. Things become worse when Louise, Ben and Agnes decide to leave. A few jump scares follow and the trailer ends with Ant performing a mysterious gesture, as though he were trying to indicate that his tongue was severed by someone.
Director James Watkins presented the trailer at CinemaCon, the annual convention for movie theater owners that is currently unfolding in Las Vegas. "Paddy is a charming and gregarious friend, host and father, and on the other hand, he’s not that. At all," said the filmmaker at the event, adding that making the movie "was like summer camp with a slight deviant edge”.
Speak No Evil is slated to hit the screens on September 13.
