There’s a very specific way to dance to “Cotton Eyed Joe.” At least, if you’re the demented doctor played by James McAvoy in “Speak No Evil.”
McAvoy plays a dad with a dark side in Blumhouse’s remake of the 2022 Danish horror film, a pitch-black comedy of manners about a family that invites two friends to vacation at their idyllic, remote home in the countryside. It turns into a trip from hell when things take an unimaginably sinister turn.
In the newly released creepy and terrifying trailer, McAvoy’s character grows increasingly angry at his children for not performing the catchy folk-inspired “Cotton Eyed Joe” to his liking. Of course, that’s — by far — the least of the problems for the guests of his humble abode. Elsewhere in the footage, McAvoy’s character keeps finding new and creative ways to make sure his guests feel deeply unsettled.
Director James Watkins debuted the trailer at CinemaCon, the annual convention for movie theater owners that’s currently unfolding in Las Vegas. The filmmaker praised the duality of McAvoy, who manages to deliver some pretty terrifying performances in films like “Split” and “Glass” despite his welcoming demeanor in real life.
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“It’s remarkable what a kind, generous, funny, charismatic person my friend James is,” Watkins told the room of theater owners at Caesars Palace. “Because he’s also capable of plumbing into some pretty disturbing depths in his roles.”
McAvoy, who couldn’t be at CinemaCon because of prior commitments, gets to flex that duplicity in “Speak No Evil.” Watkins describes his character by saying, “On one hand, he’s a charming and gregarious friend, host, husband and father. And on the other hand, he’s, well… not that at all.”
“Speak No Evil” was shot in Gloucestershire, England, and Watkins joked that production was “just like summer camp… with a slight deviant edge.”
