Hey gang, Valkor here. So, about a month back, I reviewed a film titled “Don’t Breathe”. It was an intense thriller about a bunch of crooks trapped in a house with a blind guy, who had exceptional hearing and mad fighting skills. In short, I loved every minute of it! Recently I ran across another film titled “Don’t Speak”, where I'm starting to see something of a trend. I mean, if I get another film titled something like "Don't Make Any Noise", I get it. However, this new film isn’t as thrilling as the previously mentioned flick. In fact, it lacks any redeeming qualities of what a “good film” should be. Read on, and expect some spoilers.
“Don’t Speak” centers on a group of friends who are out partying on a boat, when suddenly one of them is injured and in need of some serious medical attention. They move towards a coastal village, which seems deserted at first. But soon a couple of villagers make their presence known. And they come with a warning – be quiet, or else! Of course, the group does everything but as they search for the help their friend so desperately needs. But one by one the group is picked off, with little help for the remaining survivors. There’s also an evil looking ghost, with her mouth stitched shut that haunts one of the females in the group; she not only gives a warning but some history to the island. Then there’s Doe (Liliana Cabal), who says she is the daughter of the man who is hunting the group. But is she friend or foe (She’s foe… foe sho’ the evil one in this film). The film doesn’t really end in any way that’s settling. It’s more awkward than anything else; one of the girls is kept alive because she’s pregnant and the baby is meant to replace Doe’s sister, who was killed many years ago. And that’s pretty much it. Talk about weaksauce!
So I’ve sat and watched two films dealing with an antagonist who’ll kill you as soon as he can hear you. But with “Don’t Speak”, the plot isn’t as simple, with something of a twist tossed in that doesn’t really improve much. And I’ll delve into "the why" a bit further with the TOV Breakdown.
The Good:
N/A
The Bad:
I liked the idea of “Don’t Speak”, but everything else beyond that is a total fail. It’s just an overall, flat, uneventful, non-horrific, annoying experience that I hope I'll never have to sit through it again. One of the main issues I had with the film is that the villagers are telling the group to be quiet… and they proceed to make all kinds of noise wherever they went! Great! And it isn’t until the film is near an end that a few of them kind of get it and they remain hushed, but still only one person survives. And yet, by that time I was already done with the film. The acting is terrible and there isn’t one likable character in the bunch – not one! Also, the film is all over the place about who the baddie is supposed to be. So, it turns out that Doe is the killer but all signs point towards it being her father, who has been dead long ago. Yet, the villagers and even the ghost girl kept saying “he”. You would think the ghost chick would know EXACTLY who was doing the killings! And don’t get me started with how she says that the pregnant chick is the one to save everyone. No, I’m not buying it. This movie is bad and those that put together this piece of Schmidt should feel bad.
The Ugly (and laughably bad):
Three members of the group break into the “father’s house” on the hill. The very same house they were not supposed to go into because “he” lives there, but they discover that one of their friends is trapped somewhere inside. But once inside they find a feast, which one of them proceeds to eat. Soon, after digging into some Pâté, he discovers a fingernail… and it’s never talked about again. So that didn’t raise ANY alarms? None whatsoever? Are we just gonna forget that fingernail all together? See. This is why the film sucked!
In the end, I didn’t care for “Don’t Speak” as there’s so much wrong with it and plenty that doesn’t make much sense. Currently, it’s making the festival rounds but should it ever cross your path, just keep right on moving past it. Believe me, it’s not worth it. And out of TOV 5 stars, ‘Don’t Speak” gets a 1.
