THANKS TO SURFSHARK for helping me rewatch the original! Go to surfshark.com/jedi for 4 extra months of Surfshark. ALSO: not suggesting Nordic people would just.. end up in murder situations, most would probably be like me and politely avoid the situation entirely, just going what the director said about it being an exaggerated/heightened version of the concept
25:44 often in Europe if you inherited a shotgun from an uncle for example or found one in an old house you bought, that doesn't mean you have a hunting l/shooting license. NO LICENSE NO AMMO. So people who can't be bothered with ANNUAL LICENSE FEES, TESTS AND PSYCH EVALS fill their empty buckshot rounds with pebbles or even more frequently with salt. The Tesla is not bulletproof.... the story is set in Europe where deadly weapons (outside of knives) are hard to come by , the exception is places like Kosovo Croatia because there was an armed conflict there in the 90s.
As a severely conflict-avoidant person, the original movie especially made me want to start asserting myself more. I don't wanna victim-blame, but the family was specifically chosen for their horrible fate because they were so passive and conflict-avoidant (reflected in the whole "Why are you doing this? "Because you let me" exchange). Definitely felt like a kick in the butt for me to be more assertive, even though this exact situation won't happen irl lol
You can do it!!! I believe in you. Stand up for yourself and others, even if you’re uncomfortable, even if your voice shakes ❤ I find that it’s really only hard in the moment, but after the fact I never regret speaking up for myself - however I do always regret the times I held my tongue… 😢
As a Dane the original definitely hit very close to home in how it was pointing out the propensity for us Scandinavians/Nordic people to be passive, quiet and generally very conflict-avoidant to the point of it even being detrimental to our own well-being at times (although obviously it was exaggerated for satire's sake).
It did the same for me! A week after I saw it a strange man started following me while I was shopping so I went to the ladies and when I came out he was just standing there and I remembered the line about "because you let us" and I just started yelling at him to leave me alone and he ran away!😂
I also feel like it’s common in situations like that for the woman to be like: “this guy has creepy vibes, I don’t trust this” and the men be like “nah that’s fine, you’re being ridiculous” and then you’re stuck trying to explain that very hard to grasp feeling and now you’re doubting yourself. I’d say that’s a very western thing to happen and kinda the vibe I get from Louise in the beginning.
@lnt305 exactly. Moreover women's gut feelings are terrible. I can tell pretty instantly whether a dude is good or not. But women often confuse that same uneasy feeling that an angry violent man gives with the unease of attraction.
@@jgreen2015 no, we're not gonna do this, you're not gonna get to claim women's gut feelings are terrible because men are nice to YOU, obviously it's different circumstances
@sherbertfirework9301 except that's not what I said What I said as a guy I can tell instantly when I meet a guy who is bad news. Nothing about guys being nice to me lmao 🤣 F- Must try harder
I saw somewhere that McAvoy said that he drew inspiration from the andrewtates of the world (and points for keeping up with weird shits like that when you're a parent of a teen boy IRL), and I can see that.
I think I saw an interview recently where he said that was just a rumor but also gave a sorta "if the shoe fits" response to the rumor existing. EDIT: I found the clip again and yeah, he says he never specifically actually said Tate was the inspo but again "if the shoes fits" (although he doesn't specifically use that phrase)
Im pretty sure he has come out and said that the quote had been take out of context and he was just meaning the role had him explre toxic masculinity and had nothing to do with the real life figures
Honestly though, it was nice seeing some realistically smart horror protagonists. Not only the wife having the bleach as a weapon, but wearing gloves while using it. I see too many horror protags who are all of a sudden are masters at handling knives or guns by default. they aren't super human, they are normal. plus, you know, James McAvoy being an amazing actor as usual. I fell into the trap of really liking his character at the beginning. I probably would have fallen into his trap too!
Thankfully I have the flavor of social anxiety that evaporates as soon as someone else is getting anxious, then I can suddenly be vocal and active for them in a way I cant do for myself
Ditto. If I'm ever kidnapped or held hostage or whatever, I hope there's someone else taken with me because then I'll get us out. If it's just me, the most I could probably muster would be to ask for some cheese before they kill me.
Pretty much same! And it applies to all my anxiety. I'm the panicky type who is constantly in a fight or flight (more like freeze or fawn) state, but if I'm with someone who seems to also be anxious or uncomfortable, I turn into full mom-friend mode. Everyone will be fed, encouraged, on time and happy, while if I'm alone, I'm the person who would rather starve than decide what to eat because what if...
i’ll never understand why my social anxiety works this way lmao i thought i was crazy, i cant usually talk when im on my own but when im around people i have no problem ordering stuff for them or talking to people. so weird
As someone who can relate, this has given me a brilliant idea! If I'm alone and someone is crossing my boundaries and making me anxious, I'll just pretend that I'm watching it happen to someone I'm with and stand up for them. Sure, that creates the possibility that I'll get flustered and say something like "Hey, she said no!" when defending myself, but coming across as unhinged would be all the more effective a deterrent. :D
As a Norwegian, I can't even begin to describe how well the original portray certain Scandinavian flaws and stereotypes - the overdone politeness, beta-dads, passivity in the face of danger, the act of thinking "we must be the real problem...", etc. It felt like an existential crisis! 😆
It’s something about those performances in the OG from the villain couple. So nuanced and unnerving at the same time. Especially when they’re in the car at the end and the female villain kept saying “you will let go” in such a deep cold voice.
Amanda, You forgot to mention most painful aspect of originals last scene: she is holding the bunny - the only reason why they've returned, sealing their fates.
For some reason, my mind is trying to make more out of the fact that in the original the line was "Because you let ME" vs. the remake going "Because you let US".
Which is interesting because the remake also tries to make Ciara the complicit victim - that she got pulled in so young and it's all she knows now, but she still doesn't REALLY want to be here - whereas in the original the wife is equally as involved and cold so 'because you let us' makes more sense in that version honestly? I dunno probably just to NOT make it seem like Patrick's the only one doing anything, that he's the driving force but they're both doing it?
@AmandaTheJedi I thought the original said "...let ME." Okay, I scrolled back to rewatch that part, and he does say let me. I'm confused about you writing the wife was equally involved since it's me and not us in the original. Unless I'm reading your reply wrong.
@@WobblesWattles my guess is that she meant that, even tho they said "bc you let ME" in the og version, bc the wife was so involved and seemed to be on the same playing field as the husband, the quote from the remake "bc you let US" would make more sense in the og
my take is both paddys believe they are a classical patriarch and its specifically framed in response to the dads question to emphasize their thematic failure as equivalent patriarchs to protect their families, but bc the remakes wife is a groomed victim, and british paddy is a different flavour of predator and manipulator 'us' reminds her of her culpability and pits them(specifically the mom who has more of a spine) against her further so he maintains control of the situation while she is armed and could turn against him. same way he convinces mike to get fully on board. the originals line feels more intimate, personal to the dad, and he doesnt need to maintain control of the situation bc his wife was equally on board and the parents had already limply handed him the reigns and they knew it, so much horrible stuff past the point of hostage situation had already happened, which imo is why its a softer delivery that hits harder for the audience, but the remake does a good job of depicting a very real kind of monster in addition to a very real kind of coward.
@@Daedalussi that makes sense. A lot of the ending did seem to take place more between the two men since he didn't tell his wife, so she had no clue until it was too late. The "me" delivery in that regard would be extremely personal.
There’s a horrifying moment where you realise Karin is trying to mother Agnes when she only speaks to her in Dutch, setting the table, chewing her food. It’s more than just overstepping parenting, she tries to assimilate her through language. Harrowing.
4:40 As someone who has evaporated in the middle of the night leaving only a sticky note for actual friends. I am glad to know that my social anxiety would help to keep me safe from this, hopefully.
@@rosiejl2798 oh, I get it! Sorry, English is not my first language! We actually called them post-its where I'm from (if that is the type of note I'm assuming they mean).
It sounds like there is also a commentary on how easy it is to say what you would do in these horrible situations until you’re actually in one. It’s really easy to say we’d die trying to save ourselves instead of letting ourselves be killed, but in that state of fear and helplessness, sometimes the path of least resistance is the only one that gives hope that you might survive long enough to get out. You never know what you would do until you’re in the middle of an impossible situation. So we can judge the families for choices they made, but if you really think about those situations outside of the movie, you can see how easy it would be repeat similar behaviors out of nothing but pure fear and helplessness.
I liked how awkward the parents were while trying to survive. They weren't great at shooting, they fumbled around, they were panicking about what to do in a realistic way
Well it is easy for me because I don’t vacation in remote woods. I’m not white, gotta be cautious of how I’m perceived, gotta make sure I’m not hated on sight
it really is very hard to do this things, and do them on command. movies give us weird expectations. most "role model" type people IRL are products of survivorship - they take 100 soldiers that get in combat and promote the 1 guy that performs, or the lead first responder was a newbie during the last hurricane, and while we know that in our heads we under-think it on a visceral level, how rare some of this stuff actually is. I thought the movie did a good job of walking the line between making them realistic but not SO helpless or clueless that you start to root against them...there's this part where they almost get away and get manipulated into turning around that was such a real moral test I sincerely didn't know what I would do.
This movie felt like a dark version of McAvoy's character in Narnia. I watched it with my brothers - one of them subjected to the same abuse as I when we were children. Aside from the last part it was very 'relatable' - McAvoy's character was so reminiscent of our father (charisma, extreme sudden mood swings, wanting to control others while unable to control himself). Movie worked for us - spooked, maybe triggered. However my youngest brother, whom we successfully protected, was almost bored. So I can see how this movie can be polarizing.
My question is why does he look so much like Gerard Butler in this to me? It was weirding me out because I have never seen them having a similar look before!
As someone with a history of childhood trauma and abuse, I unfortunately relate to the idea of letting yourself get into dangerous situations and ignoring red flags for fear of making other people uncomfortable. It sounds ridiculous. But when you are essentially abused into feeling responsible for other people's emotions, and that means never having wants or needs or feelings of your own, it becomes very hard to say no. Saying no, being assertive, or making other people uncomfortable is the emotional equivalent of being tazed lol because every time you did it as a child, you got, what? Abused! You are trained into never paying attention to your body's signals that are telling you you're unsafe because someone else always knows better and there's just constant gaslighting that has trained you to not even notice them anymore. I know this movie doesn't necessarily tackle that specific origin of this behaviour, but I appreciate a horror focusing on that. It's essentially the freeze and fawn of the trauma response (as opposed to the oft talked about fight or flight). And when you're intensely conflict-avoidant specifically because of childhood trauma you couldn't escape (flight) or fight (because you were a child), then appeasing your abuser (and as an adult, basically anyone and everyone) and staying frozen/'playing dead' to minimise harm to you can feel like the *only* option. I'm trying to train myself out of this behaviour for obvious reasons (it's actually dangerous), but it's honestly VERY hard.
wish I'd seen this earlier instead of writing my own comment because yes!! this 100%!! everyone knows about fight or flight but I feel like so few people are aware that there are two (technically three if you count "flop" as separate from "freeze") other trauma responses that are just as likely to happen, what those can actually look like, and, most importantly, that no one gets to choose which one their brain/body do even if that response puts them in more danger. like, as you said, it literally requires retraining your own behavior which to me feels like I'm trying to completely rewire that part of my brain from the ground up and holy fuck is it hard!! thank you for sharing your experiences and wishing you all the best in your recovery, friend!!
@@darkdreamer871 I wish you all the best as well! Yes it's very hard, especially when it seems like certain trauma responses are not only more heard of, but more understood and accepted. Fawn or freeze (or flop) or often times mocked and derided because without context they are understandably frustrating and nonsensical responses to most people. But like most trauma responses, they aren't a choice, and they make sense as a way to survive very particular kinds of trauma. If you're stuck with an abuser/trauma you cannot leave or change, the only thing you can do is try to lessen the abuse by appealing to the source of it, or by making yourself less of a target by being passive and invisible. And it just absolutely sucks that the same trauma responses that helped you survive initially, can now put you in danger. It feels like you have to rewire your brain because that is literally what you are doing. It's incredibly difficult and but completely invisible work. And it's something so many people don't understand and will probably think you're weird for even having to do. It sucks. But I hope you know you're incredibly strong for having survived what you survived and that you're amazing for doing this work at all!
I watched the original a while ago and as a Dutch person it’s really interesting being able to understand what they’re saying and the culture they’re coming from. Choosing a Dutch couple as the killers is another way to engage with the idea of not being open with what you actually want and think, as the Dutch are often seen (brutally) honest, although I think that is somewhat overstated sometimes. I also think that having the aspect of speaking different languages is really interesting and that for non-Dutch speakers it’s nice way to feel alienated from the Dutch couple like the Danish couple does.
I just made a Speak no Evil/Dracula (og) connection. This is reminiscent of lawyer Jonathan not seeing the warning signs not to go, being too polite for his health, being coerced to write letters to cover his disappearance, seeing child murder evidence. (But then very much acting to save his own life)
The British version of Speak No Evil was a fix it fanfic and you can’t convince me otherwise. Also, between this movie and Salem’s Lot, what is up with kid actors this year? They’re great!
That's the case with plenty of US remakes really (Insomnia, Inside, Martyrs, The Vanishing, etc.). I get the feeling Americans don't like bleak and nihilistic endings.
@thehitherto5348 yeah which completely misses the point really lol we remember these original movies for a reason, they haunt you after watching some don't even need to be watched again...their remakes however are too safe to really stick on your head
@@thehitherto5348I think it’s more children suffering that we don’t mesh with (in media, we do fuck all to protect them in real life classrooms). Like anything and everything can happen to the adults, but children being killed, or left in danger is kind of a no-no with American audiences
i love horror that dissects civility bc u can be kind and a clear communicator, you dont need to be 'brutally honest' when you can just be regular honest and have boundaries. if someone, especially strangers, takes any variation of 'no thanks' as rude, i promise they will recover, and if you get further pushback they probably like to push boundaries and then safely extricate yourself from them asap.
I have really bad social anxiety around people (I can barely look people in the eye while out and about) while my fiance is a bit more social than I am. He can have conversations with complete strangers while I stand a few feet away, keeping myself busy with a random object or something to do while he chats, maybe pipe in when it's necessary. This movie (both the original and remake) are my worst nightmare because he would probably would convince me to go to the cottage and I'd relent because I don't want to be rude.
Strange...im opposite. I can speak to complete strangers easy, have no issues talking to people i dont know but when it comes to people i do know( old friends, family ect) i clam up and struggle a little at drumming up conversation.
I'm so glad you've done this comparison, I was hoping you would! I'm obsessed with the original and was so disappointed that they changed it from a psychological horror to more of a physical one. Something that makes the original so horrifying is that the couple had piles of stones next to them in the quarry so that they could fight back, but they didn't even at the end. (Her stack is also bigger than his, which I think is because she would speak up more). So good, and the line 'because you let us' is SO hard hitting, even more so when they let them end it without fighting back EVEN AFTER BEING TOLD IT
@@r.s.4085fawn response may be someone trying to appease or reason with a threat so that they don’t get harmed. A person may be overly agreeable/ passive/ and avoid sharing their real thoughts because they don’t want to anger someone/ the threat.
Ok so little morbid comment - but I lost a good portion of my tongue to tongue cancer and know people who have completely lost their tongue… so movies where people have their tongue cut out and lose the ability to communicate take me out of the fantasy. You can talk without a tongue. It’s less inteligible the more tongue you lose but you can definitely make noise and talk. I know people without a tongue who have done interviews on TV. So yeah… that kid would be able to vocalize and would likely know some English due to the environment he’s in. Anyways that’s my Ted talk. 😅
Interesting. That didn't really register to me. You're right, though, you wouldn't just become mute; speech would just be different. It might have been better if they had somehow communicated that the child had difficulty making himself understood after losing his tongue but then just stopped talking altogether due to the abuse from his parents. Losing speech (consciously or unconsciously) from abuse can happen. Then again, I haven't seen the film and perhaps there is some of that implied. Great insight.
i've always wondered about that trope in movies and shows because like... yeah the tongue is part of how you make words but the vocal chords are still in the throat, logically that means you can still make *some* kind of noise?
To be fair, he is a traumatized kid in an abusive environment. He wouldn't have had the space or time to learn how to speak without a tongue, let alone learn English. The entire reason they did that was to restrict his ability to communicate. The best he could do was with his nonverbal cues.
The reason he’s not talking is not because he doesn’t have a tongue. It’s more because he cut it. The kids are traumatised. The tongue cutting was not a necessary event. It was just something they liked to do. Sort of like a “welcoming ritual” into the “family”. That said, yes movies in general tend to get that wrong.
In the remake though - going with the theme of speaking up before it's too late - the boy is the only character consistently speaking up about what's happening. It's really his story. It starts with him, ends with him, he kills the antagonist, he survives. Because he didn’t stay passive. You could do a meta commentary on that being because children wouldn't have that passive tendency as deeply ingrained on them yet. So think the remake still fits the theme well.
When I first read about the end of the original, I wondered if the American movie would have the nerve to end the same way. I wasn't surprised when they changed it.
Speaking of the remake... I originally though the idea of a version with US protagonists was absurd considering the stereotype of "paranoid Americans not taking shit from strangers", but I think they did a good job adapting that cringy awkwardness outside of a Scandinavian setting, considering the original film is basically a grim Lars von Trier'esque film intended to provoke.
I was a pre-teen hanging out at my Great Aunt's house one lazy summer day, watching KET (the Western Kentucky Public Television Station). The Lottery came on, no context. TRAUMATIZED 😱
I am glad that the kid spoke Danish because I had a DnD game with a player whose character was missing their tongue and we looked up what sounds/ words could be conveyed without a one. (there are a lot) so the extra hurdle to communication of a language barrier was needed.
The original language division is such a strong device to really draw a line between the cultures. It made it uncomfortable in certain moments, and it was just so relatable. I've moved to Belgium, and spent the first couple of years sitting amongst people who didn't speak English, so I became very shut out from jokes, to the point where I would just assume they were laughing at my expense. Very uncomfortable 😣
ok but this movie is way too fucking real. like, it's so easy to say "I would never let that happen to me" until you're actually in that situation because no one gets to choose their trauma response. sure, maybe you would fight back or flee the situation. or maybe you would freeze and completely shut down, unable to move or think or feel or even really process what's happening to you. or maybe you would fawn and try to placate and ingratiate yourself toward the person hurting you in hopes of protecting yourself from further harm by appeasing them. it's hard to understand until you're actually there but that shit happens all the time (and the kicker is that it gets used as ammunition to blame victims for what happened to us too)
This is exactly why I dislike the American ending. It feeds into the mentality that there’s a correct response to danger and trauma and if you do anything else it’s your own fault “because you let them”.
It doesn't though, because it shows both kinds of responses. Ben is very much on the flight side and Louise is on the fight side. Both of them manage to come up with solutions to save the family. It's not like they survived solely because of fighting.
@@belias360 I think we're talking about different movies here. I was speaking in the context of specifically Bjorn's behavior in the original movie, not what happened in the remake where he's called Ben and they have guns and stuff. sorry, I def forgot to specify that outside of my own brain lol
Swede here, although I have not seen either of the movies. But from this video I'd say that the original is quite spot on for how much people put up with just to be polite. I feel like most people here like to turn the problem back to themselves and try to "be better" in order to avoid awkwardness rather than call someone out or (horror of all horrors) leave the situation all together. As for McAvoy's whole "no one ever tells the truth, we are all too afraid to say what we really think" etc I know at least two dudes like that and can confirm - no one around them calls them out on their bullshit. Personally, I would draw the line if I felt my kid was in danger. That is probably the only thing that would trumph all the other things.
I love when UA-cam starts showing me adds for a new movie that a) sounds rather interesting and b) I’d never watch because I’m too easily frightened. And THEN Amanda comes to the rescue and makes a review ❤
As a dane i might be a bit biased, but I liked the original so much more. As someone who has travelled a lot and met a lot of strangers, it just seems more realistic. I know I am only one person, but the general shyness and resorting to become a doormat for your host just screams typical Scandinavian culture
I appreciate the original so much more for having the balls to GO THERE. I still enjoyed the remake, but it didn’t stick in my brain for days like the original did. You also need to see Soft and Quiet, Amanda! Came out around the same time, I watched them back to back. Talk about a disturbing night 😂
I read an audience review of the original somewhere (I think it was on IMDB) where they essentially said that the message of the film was that the victims died because the guy wasn't 'alpha male' enough, and that it was a message to be 'a strong traditional male'. I mean, quite the take lol
Thanks Amanda for the video. Your take was quite similar to mine. I feel like you really need to watch both to get full enjoyment out of either. It's certainly one of those rare instances where a remake actually enhances the original.
The remake isn't terrible, but the classic on-the-nose, over-the-top American style of writing ruined it for me. They also changed the ending. Can't make American audiences too uncomfortable, I guess.
The original annoyed the f out of me personally so I was really satisfied to see this one,specially how much agency they gave the boy, felt like a second play of a bad ending in a game. Also James McAvoy twink death was impressing lmao
This hits harder to home than though. I was mistreated a lot as a child eventhoug I tryed to get help but the adults that saw or I told just didn't do anything because It wasn't bad enough for them to get them over this passiv behaviour. Thats why this mentality bothers me so much.
the one mistake i can't get past in the original is them going back to get that bunny, i'm pretty sure it happened later in the original than in the remake and enough had happened where i remember just thinking no way would i have ever done that if i were in their position , he didn't need to fight back or speak up, getting them out of there was easiest thing he needed to do and almost did but he couldn't even do that
Couldn't disagree more, the American one was far far less believable that they'd go back considering they made Ben an absolute weirdo about the rabbit anyway In the original they go back because everyone's fine with the bunny being important to the daughter, and Bjorn is clearly in a place to want to "be a man" so he goes back in an effort to fulfill that narrative.
As a pescatarian, I feel called out, lol. I do agree with some of what you said, but my ultimate goal is to get totally animal free I just haven’t succeeded. That being said, I haven’t eaten chicken or beef in ages and my stomach would litterally reject it no matter the circumstances of the source of the meat. So its not really something I can turn off for special circumstances.
Oh I think being a pescatarian is fine! It was just her reasoning at times made it easy for Patrick to get in there and criticize. But yes, she would have gotten viciously ill for eating I imagine.
Pretty sure the shotgun was loaded with rock salt, which leads to a less powerful shot and was commonly used in rural areas in the old days as a deterrent for miscreants and thieves.
I only saw the remake (though I watched another video about the original) and I liked the majority of it. I have mixed feelings about the end, so I've been waiting for your review to see if hearing another perspective can help me process. You skipped over the fakeout with the fox coming around the corner in the last act, which I understand doing for the sake of time, but that part was something that stood out to me because it (along with Ant's cathartic screaming moment after killing Patrick) connects the final moments of the film back to the fox hunt earlier on. Ben wasn't able to kill the fox when they were hunting, so the Movie Formula would usually have him finally be able to kill the "fox" (meaning Patrick this time - a fox is the perfect animal for them to hunt btw because it's a predator turned prey and that's what Patrick is in the end). While I appreciate the departure from formula in that Ben STILL can't do it, and I like that Ant gets his revenge, I'm still iffy about where this leaves us. Because Patrick indicates a few times that his own father was abusive, and he recites that Philip Larkin poem about how your parents fuck you up, and even though he's not Ant's father he has been acting as an abusive father to him for however long. And he looks up at Ant holding the brick, about to kill him, and says "That's my boy." So I am really not sure what they were trying to say about Ant in those final moments, like was that actually a moment of triumph (for lack of a better word) for him? Or is the movie trying to imply that he is going to end up as fucked up by all of this as Patrick was by his own upbringing and follow in Patrick's footsteps? Also as a side note I just don't like how similar "Why are you doing this?"/"Because you let us." is to "Why are you doing this to us?"/"Because you were home." from The Strangers, but that is maybe just a personal problem lol.
I wont lie, i kinda like the remake better. The kids have a bigger role and the girl is aware of the situation but i feel like the quote "were doing this because you let us" fits more with the original film since it felt like the og family had plenty of opportunity to leave but didnt
I did enjoy both movies and I can’t really say if one of them is like, objectively better than the other, but I found the original a lot more memorable. I also actually liked that the couple didn’t have any super specific issues, that they were the „everyman“. It probably also helped that I am someone to whom the American action-person-protagonist fights their way out of the sticky situation type endings to thrillers never rang true. I really am that guy that would completely freeze up, so that’s probably why it was more scary than frustrating to me (rest assured I was plenty frustrated with then but part of me was always whispering „would you fare any better, though“. Not that I would have ever gone there in the first place, I would have ghosted them for sure). All that to say, if you saw the original, definitely also watch the remake, I was a very nice palate cleanser
I feel like a lot of horror movies like the killer pool are more so SCPs than horror movie monsters. The SCP format would fit them so much more because it isn’t stretched out into a full length film
the original movie is such a clear and cutting critique of so much of scandinavian cultural behavior, i do not understand why it needed to be remade in the first place
If the original movie is a commentary on Danish culture, the remake is a commentary on American/British culture, hence the different endings. At least, that’s how I see it.
I’d be interested to know more. From my perspective, as a Brit, it seems to me an unusual choice to have the Americans as the ones who are uncomfortable and slightly afraid to speak up in a social situation, with the Brits as the rude, pushy ones. In my experience, it’s the other way around - Americans are loud and often rude, stomping all over social boundaries while us Brits just sort of nod politely and let them do it. So how do you see it as a commentary on American/British culture?
I’m severely conflict avoidant but in a different way than these people. If I sense conflict coming I’m probably already 100 miles away. I’ll disappear so fast it was like I never existed at all.
As a Dane, I really think you need it to be a Scandinavian family, it really didn't work for me that they were American. I also truly hated the ending in the remake, the original ending makes so much more sense to me, and works way better
Lowkey, it's reminding me of "Funny Games". A family on vacation is pushed to their limits due to a need to abide by unspoken social rules around conflict and confrontation. Except that Speak No Evil deviates at the end to provide a more "American" conclusion that satisfies us more from an emotional standpoint. (also no fourth wall breaks, obvs)
Original: *Pessimistic movie that portrays the cowardice of human nature and how said cowardice leads to you to its inevitable doom* Hollywood: No, we can't have that. We must have a happy ending. Edit: To the people in the comment section who are saying the characters in the original film are portrayed as "too cowardly" and complaining about them not doing anything when they could have, I think that says you have more optimism about human nature than those of us who like the movie do. It's easy to judge the characters from the safety of our home. Its easy to say that we would be braver, but would any of us, if we were put into the same situation behave any differently?
Yeah, except the original’s final act requires the characters to be too cowardly and also far more stupid than any real person ever would be. The Danish couple’s behavior in the ending of the original makes no sense at all. Pessimism is fine. Nonsensical writing in order to deliver that message about pessimism is not.
In my opinion, the first movie's ending kinda ruins it for me. Not bc it's not a happy ending, but for how easilly they take the child away. Like: after they take the child the parents do nothing more than to scream and hit the seat in front of them. I was screaming at the screen for them to do something, anything, instead they just accept it and do nothing
I 2nd this. We are so used to "civilisation", I can totally relate to the og "passive" couple(s), who are simple not equipped to deal with outright "barbary", like most of us.
"Drove a Tesla to the deep English country... Where are they gonna charge it?" We're tiny, Amanda! We've got towns and cities everywhere! It only takes 14 hours to drive from the very bottom to the very top of the entirety of Britain. You'd find somewhere to charge it quite easily.
I'm glad you made this because I generally refuse to watch most remakes of horror movies, but this one especially didn't seem to make sense, I don't see much of a purpose for it at all and I wasn't about to shell out money for it.
As a long-time ovo-lacto vegetarian, I gotta say I've found too many people are into interrogating me about my dietary preferences when I don't interrogate them (contrary to the stereotype). I see it as a pretty big red flag for future irritating behaviour.
As a Mom, I liked the remake a lot more because at least the Mom actually did something in this one! In marriages both people should give 100% and since he wasn’t, she sure as heck did to protect her family. 💪💕 Loved it and her doing what needed to be done!
I prefer the remake purely because of the family finally hitting the 'I'm Done ' limit, plus Ant getting his revenge was some good catharsis. But yeah the original being so damned grim in the end was great!
The changes made for the American version kind of justify my opinion that a shot-for-shot remake of Funny Games was so unneeded. Europe (like Korea) is clearly willing to rock with a much bleaker level of horror, so if that's what you're into, maybe get okay with subtitles.
I watched both versions back-to-back. I had the original from the library (actually a loaned copy from another city that is a part of a loaning program) and then watched the remake the following day. I will admit that the original disturbed me with that ending, but I see what the director was trying to go for. I wasn't sure if I was ready for the remake, but then I read up (if spoiled myself a little) that there were some differences. So I went to see it. My verdict? I appreciate both versions for different reasons, but if I have to pick which version I liked better, it would probably be the remake. Okay, before people start going off on me, hear me out. I didn't say that I didn't like the original. In fact, I appreciate what it went for, but there were some issues I had. I appreciated its bleak tone, but even I wasn't sure what to expect, and I found the ending very disturbing and depressing. Yes, that was the point, which was why I appreciated that approach. The remake, on the other hand, I did like that there was a little more characterization for not just the main couple but also the kids. I can't say that I didn't enjoy the climax, either. To top it off, because I am not usually a one-and-done type of guy because I am not against revisiting films, it would be likely that I would watch the remake again rather than the original, at least not for a while. I wouldn't be against watching the remake again in the near future, but the original, it would probably be at least a year before I go through that again.
Sounds a lot like the relationship between 1993’s American remake of The Vanishing and its European original, where the American version changes the ending so it’s rough but survivable while the European version is just horrifically depressing
If the implication of James McAvoy's accent is that their house is in the West Country then it's pretty believable that theyd drive a Tesla out. I don't think you'd ever be more than an hour from the nearest town with a charge point these days - the uk is just too densely populated to be horror-movie-level remote
I totally forgot that the original existed. All I remember was being exasperated the whole time. I experienced the stages of southern mom frustration and anger. Very “so help me god if you don’t get out of that damn house right now”.
I watched the original back in 2022 and after my first viewing it made me mad. I couldn't understand why they let this happen to them but after some thinking i realized that's exactly what the film was meant to portray. Its supposed to make you mad as you said its a cautionary tale. I also liked the fact that they stoned the couple to death because it seems like such a biblical method that i never understood how brutal it can be. I like the new movie as it makes me appreciate the original much more.
the original is better. i think the remake 'americanized' the movie waaay to much. like, this necessity of the "good guys always win" even when they were the biggest dumbasses in the world and had multiple chances of reverting their situation.. the original one ending is way more bleak but realistic! there are bad people in the world, and most of the time, they win! so yeah thats my take
The reason why so many American movies have the "good guys" win is due to our history with the Hay's Code - they literally couldn't lose or the movie wouldn't get made/released. It also had a bunch more rules and is to blame for the US's abysmal record for queer rep in movies. Even though we got rid of it decades ago, its hold over movie and TV show producers & execs is *still* prevalent. Also, bad news, it's making a bit of a comeback 😬
I haven't seen the original. This one worked for me because the depiction of abuse really hit home for me. McAvoy's character was so triggering. I and my brother where constantly jumping in the first part of the movie. As a survivor of childhood abuse I haven't seen the surviving, the fighting back as 'happy' or 'satysfying' - to me it showed, that when you have someone else to protect, to do what you can and then deal with the consequences: fear of being just like the abuser, any hope or warmth vanquished. Depression so deep it leaves you unable to act unless it's life of death situation. Death is easy - I think it's more interesting to show that they are scarred, that nothing will be the same
Ngl I love the American take of having the good guys win 😭 this whole ordeal happening is already statistically insignificant so why not have a happy ending especially for the Norwegian kid that did everything right!!!
THANKS TO SURFSHARK for helping me rewatch the original! Go to surfshark.com/jedi for 4 extra months of Surfshark.
ALSO: not suggesting Nordic people would just.. end up in murder situations, most would probably be like me and politely avoid the situation entirely, just going what the director said about it being an exaggerated/heightened version of the concept
25:44 often in Europe if you inherited a shotgun from an uncle for example or found one in an old house you bought, that doesn't mean you have a hunting l/shooting license. NO LICENSE NO AMMO. So people who can't be bothered with ANNUAL LICENSE FEES, TESTS AND PSYCH EVALS fill their empty buckshot rounds with pebbles or even more frequently with salt. The Tesla is not bulletproof.... the story is set in Europe where deadly weapons (outside of knives) are hard to come by , the exception is places like Kosovo Croatia because there was an armed conflict there in the 90s.
If you ever feel your awkward around people, just remember, your the only authentic person 😄
In both versions, I drew the line at leaving the kid with a stranger because strangers said it was fine. The hell 😅
Yeah that's officially where I was like - nnaaahhhhhh
It seemed like he was the only decent person out of them. I think he probably was just a Syrian refuge
Wait. What.
@@stephengrigg5988 In the original he's the one that cuts out the kids tongue
I'm surprised to see that the stranger wasn't in on it in the remake. But maybe he originally was going to be.
As a severely conflict-avoidant person, the original movie especially made me want to start asserting myself more. I don't wanna victim-blame, but the family was specifically chosen for their horrible fate because they were so passive and conflict-avoidant (reflected in the whole "Why are you doing this? "Because you let me" exchange). Definitely felt like a kick in the butt for me to be more assertive, even though this exact situation won't happen irl lol
Me too! It gave me a well-needed wake up call bec. there is no point to try and "keep the peace" with *ssholes.
You can do it!!! I believe in you. Stand up for yourself and others, even if you’re uncomfortable, even if your voice shakes ❤ I find that it’s really only hard in the moment, but after the fact I never regret speaking up for myself - however I do always regret the times I held my tongue… 😢
I feel you! The movie did the same for me.
As a Dane the original definitely hit very close to home in how it was pointing out the propensity for us Scandinavians/Nordic people to be passive, quiet and generally very conflict-avoidant to the point of it even being detrimental to our own well-being at times (although obviously it was exaggerated for satire's sake).
It did the same for me! A week after I saw it a strange man started following me while I was shopping so I went to the ladies and when I came out he was just standing there and I remembered the line about "because you let us" and I just started yelling at him to leave me alone and he ran away!😂
Midway through I leaned over to my friend and said, "Either these people are murderers, or they want to swing."
My first instincts exactly 😂
Why not both? 🤪
I would totally swing with the husband
It was not that sort of party😢
not or, and
I also feel like it’s common in situations like that for the woman to be like: “this guy has creepy vibes, I don’t trust this” and the men be like “nah that’s fine, you’re being ridiculous” and then you’re stuck trying to explain that very hard to grasp feeling and now you’re doubting yourself. I’d say that’s a very western thing to happen and kinda the vibe I get from Louise in the beginning.
I find the opposite. So many of my female friends getting in relationships with dickheads that I knew from the second I met them they were dickheads
Gut feelings tend to be pretty prejudiced and have been used as justification for loads of discrimination though
@lnt305 exactly. Moreover women's gut feelings are terrible. I can tell pretty instantly whether a dude is good or not. But women often confuse that same uneasy feeling that an angry violent man gives with the unease of attraction.
@@jgreen2015 no, we're not gonna do this, you're not gonna get to claim women's gut feelings are terrible because men are nice to YOU, obviously it's different circumstances
@sherbertfirework9301 except that's not what I said
What I said as a guy I can tell instantly when I meet a guy who is bad news. Nothing about guys being nice to me lmao 🤣
F-
Must try harder
I saw somewhere that McAvoy said that he drew inspiration from the andrewtates of the world (and points for keeping up with weird shits like that when you're a parent of a teen boy IRL), and I can see that.
I saw that as well! Still not as slimey as them... some how
his emphasis on raw meat/hunting and turbo groomed child bride really added to the realism on that front
I think I saw an interview recently where he said that was just a rumor but also gave a sorta "if the shoe fits" response to the rumor existing. EDIT: I found the clip again and yeah, he says he never specifically actually said Tate was the inspo but again "if the shoes fits" (although he doesn't specifically use that phrase)
He was misquoted but I can see it tbh
Im pretty sure he has come out and said that the quote had been take out of context and he was just meaning the role had him explre toxic masculinity and had nothing to do with the real life figures
Honestly though, it was nice seeing some realistically smart horror protagonists. Not only the wife having the bleach as a weapon, but wearing gloves while using it. I see too many horror protags who are all of a sudden are masters at handling knives or guns by default. they aren't super human, they are normal. plus, you know, James McAvoy being an amazing actor as usual. I fell into the trap of really liking his character at the beginning. I probably would have fallen into his trap too!
It was sulphuric acid. Normal bleach would not have done any damage to his skin, just his eyes at worst.
Thankfully I have the flavor of social anxiety that evaporates as soon as someone else is getting anxious, then I can suddenly be vocal and active for them in a way I cant do for myself
Ditto. If I'm ever kidnapped or held hostage or whatever, I hope there's someone else taken with me because then I'll get us out. If it's just me, the most I could probably muster would be to ask for some cheese before they kill me.
Omg I’ve never heard my social anxiety described so well before! So glad to hear I’m not the only one who reacts this way.
Pretty much same! And it applies to all my anxiety. I'm the panicky type who is constantly in a fight or flight (more like freeze or fawn) state, but if I'm with someone who seems to also be anxious or uncomfortable, I turn into full mom-friend mode. Everyone will be fed, encouraged, on time and happy, while if I'm alone, I'm the person who would rather starve than decide what to eat because what if...
i’ll never understand why my social anxiety works this way lmao i thought i was crazy, i cant usually talk when im on my own but when im around people i have no problem ordering stuff for them or talking to people. so weird
As someone who can relate, this has given me a brilliant idea! If I'm alone and someone is crossing my boundaries and making me anxious, I'll just pretend that I'm watching it happen to someone I'm with and stand up for them.
Sure, that creates the possibility that I'll get flustered and say something like "Hey, she said no!" when defending myself, but coming across as unhinged would be all the more effective a deterrent. :D
As a Norwegian, I can't even begin to describe how well the original portray certain Scandinavian flaws and stereotypes - the overdone politeness, beta-dads, passivity in the face of danger, the act of thinking "we must be the real problem...", etc. It felt like an existential crisis! 😆
Yo Beta-Dads are important imagen an Aplpha Father always going in to rut when smelling Omega Pheromones or an Omega always be having these Heats
@@crasyfujoshi1312they aren’t talking about furry shit bro
@@futuristicgirl14 Conversations can be about more than one thing
What did I just read man. Wtf is wrong with you. You hold society back. @@crasyfujoshi1312
@futuristicgirl14 no, that is furry behavior
It’s something about those performances in the OG from the villain couple. So nuanced and unnerving at the same time. Especially when they’re in the car at the end and the female villain kept saying “you will let go” in such a deep cold voice.
Like a teacher scolding a toddler
@@AmandaTheJedi honestly some Oscar worthy stuff in my opinion.
Omg u noticed that as well?
Before the remake was released,I felt it was a little strange to release one so soon but this review makes me more excited to watch it❤
Know something off topic completely.Can anyone tell why a comment I made under a short showed up in this videos comment section?It scared me😂
Love the speak no evil/the strangers/funny games trifecta of “why are you doing this?” “Because you let me”/ “because you were home”/ “why not?”
Amanda, You forgot to mention most painful aspect of originals last scene: she is holding the bunny - the only reason why they've returned, sealing their fates.
For some reason, my mind is trying to make more out of the fact that in the original the line was "Because you let ME" vs. the remake going "Because you let US".
Which is interesting because the remake also tries to make Ciara the complicit victim - that she got pulled in so young and it's all she knows now, but she still doesn't REALLY want to be here - whereas in the original the wife is equally as involved and cold so 'because you let us' makes more sense in that version honestly?
I dunno probably just to NOT make it seem like Patrick's the only one doing anything, that he's the driving force but they're both doing it?
@AmandaTheJedi I thought the original said "...let ME."
Okay, I scrolled back to rewatch that part, and he does say let me. I'm confused about you writing the wife was equally involved since it's me and not us in the original. Unless I'm reading your reply wrong.
@@WobblesWattles my guess is that she meant that, even tho they said "bc you let ME" in the og version, bc the wife was so involved and seemed to be on the same playing field as the husband, the quote from the remake "bc you let US" would make more sense in the og
my take is both paddys believe they are a classical patriarch and its specifically framed in response to the dads question to emphasize their thematic failure as equivalent patriarchs to protect their families,
but bc the remakes wife is a groomed victim, and british paddy is a different flavour of predator and manipulator 'us' reminds her of her culpability and pits them(specifically the mom who has more of a spine) against her further
so he maintains control of the situation while she is armed and could turn against him. same way he convinces mike to get fully on board.
the originals line feels more intimate, personal to the dad, and he doesnt need to maintain control of the situation bc his wife was equally on board and the parents had already limply handed him the reigns and they knew it,
so much horrible stuff past the point of hostage situation had already happened, which imo is why its a softer delivery that hits harder for the audience, but the remake does a good job of depicting a very real kind of monster in addition to a very real kind of coward.
@@Daedalussi that makes sense. A lot of the ending did seem to take place more between the two men since he didn't tell his wife, so she had no clue until it was too late. The "me" delivery in that regard would be extremely personal.
There’s a horrifying moment where you realise Karin is trying to mother Agnes when she only speaks to her in Dutch, setting the table, chewing her food. It’s more than just overstepping parenting, she tries to assimilate her through language. Harrowing.
4:40 As someone who has evaporated in the middle of the night leaving only a sticky note for actual friends. I am glad to know that my social anxiety would help to keep me safe from this, hopefully.
Why was your note sticky? 😂
@@mariadocarmocandeias2640 post-it notes might by the brand you recognize
@@mariadocarmocandeias2640 It's the name for the type of notepad with the glue top so you can stick notes to various surfaces.
@@mariadocarmocandeias2640 it's another name for post-it notes
@@rosiejl2798 oh, I get it! Sorry, English is not my first language! We actually called them post-its where I'm from (if that is the type of note I'm assuming they mean).
It sounds like there is also a commentary on how easy it is to say what you would do in these horrible situations until you’re actually in one. It’s really easy to say we’d die trying to save ourselves instead of letting ourselves be killed, but in that state of fear and helplessness, sometimes the path of least resistance is the only one that gives hope that you might survive long enough to get out. You never know what you would do until you’re in the middle of an impossible situation. So we can judge the families for choices they made, but if you really think about those situations outside of the movie, you can see how easy it would be repeat similar behaviors out of nothing but pure fear and helplessness.
I liked how awkward the parents were while trying to survive. They weren't great at shooting, they fumbled around, they were panicking about what to do in a realistic way
Well it is easy for me because I don’t vacation in remote woods. I’m not white, gotta be cautious of how I’m perceived, gotta make sure I’m not hated on sight
it really is very hard to do this things, and do them on command. movies give us weird expectations. most "role model" type people IRL are products of survivorship - they take 100 soldiers that get in combat and promote the 1 guy that performs, or the lead first responder was a newbie during the last hurricane, and while we know that in our heads we under-think it on a visceral level, how rare some of this stuff actually is.
I thought the movie did a good job of walking the line between making them realistic but not SO helpless or clueless that you start to root against them...there's this part where they almost get away and get manipulated into turning around that was such a real moral test I sincerely didn't know what I would do.
This movie felt like a dark version of McAvoy's character in Narnia.
I watched it with my brothers - one of them subjected to the same abuse as I when we were children. Aside from the last part it was very 'relatable' - McAvoy's character was so reminiscent of our father (charisma, extreme sudden mood swings, wanting to control others while unable to control himself). Movie worked for us - spooked, maybe triggered. However my youngest brother, whom we successfully protected, was almost bored. So I can see how this movie can be polarizing.
I can't say I loved the movie but I did want to watch James McAvoy acting cuckoo for cocoa puffs and that's what I got so I'm satisfied.
Scream singing peak cocoa
@@AmandaTheJedithat was honestly one of my favorite parts. The unhinged acting reminded me of his role in _Split_ 😂
My question is why does he look so much like Gerard Butler in this to me? It was weirding me out because I have never seen them having a similar look before!
@@morganmcinroy4211 really? I guess the beard and haircut is similar.
@@pusheenqueen519 I think it is also the fact he is more muscular in this than he usually is
As someone with a history of childhood trauma and abuse, I unfortunately relate to the idea of letting yourself get into dangerous situations and ignoring red flags for fear of making other people uncomfortable. It sounds ridiculous. But when you are essentially abused into feeling responsible for other people's emotions, and that means never having wants or needs or feelings of your own, it becomes very hard to say no. Saying no, being assertive, or making other people uncomfortable is the emotional equivalent of being tazed lol because every time you did it as a child, you got, what? Abused!
You are trained into never paying attention to your body's signals that are telling you you're unsafe because someone else always knows better and there's just constant gaslighting that has trained you to not even notice them anymore.
I know this movie doesn't necessarily tackle that specific origin of this behaviour, but I appreciate a horror focusing on that. It's essentially the freeze and fawn of the trauma response (as opposed to the oft talked about fight or flight). And when you're intensely conflict-avoidant specifically because of childhood trauma you couldn't escape (flight) or fight (because you were a child), then appeasing your abuser (and as an adult, basically anyone and everyone) and staying frozen/'playing dead' to minimise harm to you can feel like the *only* option. I'm trying to train myself out of this behaviour for obvious reasons (it's actually dangerous), but it's honestly VERY hard.
I felt this so much. I’ve been in unsafe situations bc I couldn’t say no
Well said!
wish I'd seen this earlier instead of writing my own comment because yes!! this 100%!! everyone knows about fight or flight but I feel like so few people are aware that there are two (technically three if you count "flop" as separate from "freeze") other trauma responses that are just as likely to happen, what those can actually look like, and, most importantly, that no one gets to choose which one their brain/body do even if that response puts them in more danger. like, as you said, it literally requires retraining your own behavior which to me feels like I'm trying to completely rewire that part of my brain from the ground up and holy fuck is it hard!!
thank you for sharing your experiences and wishing you all the best in your recovery, friend!!
@@darkdreamer871 I wish you all the best as well! Yes it's very hard, especially when it seems like certain trauma responses are not only more heard of, but more understood and accepted. Fawn or freeze (or flop) or often times mocked and derided because without context they are understandably frustrating and nonsensical responses to most people. But like most trauma responses, they aren't a choice, and they make sense as a way to survive very particular kinds of trauma. If you're stuck with an abuser/trauma you cannot leave or change, the only thing you can do is try to lessen the abuse by appealing to the source of it, or by making yourself less of a target by being passive and invisible. And it just absolutely sucks that the same trauma responses that helped you survive initially, can now put you in danger.
It feels like you have to rewire your brain because that is literally what you are doing. It's incredibly difficult and but completely invisible work. And it's something so many people don't understand and will probably think you're weird for even having to do. It sucks. But I hope you know you're incredibly strong for having survived what you survived and that you're amazing for doing this work at all!
I watched the original a while ago and as a Dutch person it’s really interesting being able to understand what they’re saying and the culture they’re coming from. Choosing a Dutch couple as the killers is another way to engage with the idea of not being open with what you actually want and think, as the Dutch are often seen (brutally) honest, although I think that is somewhat overstated sometimes.
I also think that having the aspect of speaking different languages is really interesting and that for non-Dutch speakers it’s nice way to feel alienated from the Dutch couple like the Danish couple does.
While I do have a very honest Dutch friend, I didn’t know this was a stereotype 😄
This is a good comment for me to read, because I thought of Danes and Dutch as basically the same.
Is anyone else dying to see Amanda's take on Joker 2?
Totally
I’ve been checking for two days🤣 then I remembered she usually watches a film more than once. I still can’t wait for the notification though!
The sex conversation at dinner would have been my out
Single obviously.
@@thegirlfromruWooow, you for sure are fun at parties🙄
I just made a Speak no Evil/Dracula (og) connection. This is reminiscent of lawyer Jonathan not seeing the warning signs not to go, being too polite for his health, being coerced to write letters to cover his disappearance, seeing child murder evidence. (But then very much acting to save his own life)
The British version of Speak No Evil was a fix it fanfic and you can’t convince me otherwise.
Also, between this movie and Salem’s Lot, what is up with kid actors this year? They’re great!
This is so true! 😂😂😂
That's the case with plenty of US remakes really (Insomnia, Inside, Martyrs, The Vanishing, etc.). I get the feeling Americans don't like bleak and nihilistic endings.
I loved the boy's performance in this movie so much. Hope he continues acting cause i see so much potential there!
@thehitherto5348 yeah which completely misses the point really lol we remember these original movies for a reason, they haunt you after watching some don't even need to be watched again...their remakes however are too safe to really stick on your head
@@thehitherto5348I think it’s more children suffering that we don’t mesh with (in media, we do fuck all to protect them in real life classrooms). Like anything and everything can happen to the adults, but children being killed, or left in danger is kind of a no-no with American audiences
i love horror that dissects civility bc u can be kind and a clear communicator, you dont need to be 'brutally honest' when you can just be regular honest and have boundaries. if someone, especially strangers, takes any variation of 'no thanks' as rude, i promise they will recover, and if you get further pushback they probably like to push boundaries and then safely extricate yourself from them asap.
3:55 Someone please clip out "I once again must remind everyone that I used to be funny." Out of context that's just incredible.
I have really bad social anxiety around people (I can barely look people in the eye while out and about) while my fiance is a bit more social than I am. He can have conversations with complete strangers while I stand a few feet away, keeping myself busy with a random object or something to do while he chats, maybe pipe in when it's necessary. This movie (both the original and remake) are my worst nightmare because he would probably would convince me to go to the cottage and I'd relent because I don't want to be rude.
Strange...im opposite. I can speak to complete strangers easy, have no issues talking to people i dont know but when it comes to people i do know( old friends, family ect) i clam up and struggle a little at drumming up conversation.
I'm so glad you've done this comparison, I was hoping you would! I'm obsessed with the original and was so disappointed that they changed it from a psychological horror to more of a physical one. Something that makes the original so horrifying is that the couple had piles of stones next to them in the quarry so that they could fight back, but they didn't even at the end. (Her stack is also bigger than his, which I think is because she would speak up more). So good, and the line 'because you let us' is SO hard hitting, even more so when they let them end it without fighting back EVEN AFTER BEING TOLD IT
Also I hate the changes they made to Karin/Ciara, let women be evil
Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn. You never know which you'll get.
What's fawn? Like submit?
@@r.s.4085fawn response may be someone trying to appease or reason with a threat so that they don’t get harmed. A person may be overly agreeable/ passive/ and avoid sharing their real thoughts because they don’t want to anger someone/ the threat.
@@spaghettimac63 Cheers! Thanks for answering that.
Or faint
of all the movies to have both Cotton-Eyed Joe and Eternal Flame on the soundtrack, i was not expecting this one
Ok so little morbid comment - but I lost a good portion of my tongue to tongue cancer and know people who have completely lost their tongue… so movies where people have their tongue cut out and lose the ability to communicate take me out of the fantasy. You can talk without a tongue. It’s less inteligible the more tongue you lose but you can definitely make noise and talk. I know people without a tongue who have done interviews on TV. So yeah… that kid would be able to vocalize and would likely know some English due to the environment he’s in. Anyways that’s my Ted talk. 😅
Interesting. That didn't really register to me. You're right, though, you wouldn't just become mute; speech would just be different. It might have been better if they had somehow communicated that the child had difficulty making himself understood after losing his tongue but then just stopped talking altogether due to the abuse from his parents. Losing speech (consciously or unconsciously) from abuse can happen. Then again, I haven't seen the film and perhaps there is some of that implied. Great insight.
i've always wondered about that trope in movies and shows because like... yeah the tongue is part of how you make words but the vocal chords are still in the throat, logically that means you can still make *some* kind of noise?
To be fair, he is a traumatized kid in an abusive environment. He wouldn't have had the space or time to learn how to speak without a tongue, let alone learn English. The entire reason they did that was to restrict his ability to communicate. The best he could do was with his nonverbal cues.
The reason he’s not talking is not because he doesn’t have a tongue. It’s more because he cut it. The kids are traumatised. The tongue cutting was not a necessary event. It was just something they liked to do. Sort of like a “welcoming ritual” into the “family”.
That said, yes movies in general tend to get that wrong.
You did a great job at building up the uncomfortableness throughout the video. I was starting to breathe heavy halfway though 😂
In the remake though - going with the theme of speaking up before it's too late - the boy is the only character consistently speaking up about what's happening. It's really his story. It starts with him, ends with him, he kills the antagonist, he survives. Because he didn’t stay passive. You could do a meta commentary on that being because children wouldn't have that passive tendency as deeply ingrained on them yet. So think the remake still fits the theme well.
When I first read about the end of the original, I wondered if the American movie would have the nerve to end the same way. I wasn't surprised when they changed it.
Same
Same
Speaking of the remake... I originally though the idea of a version with US protagonists was absurd considering the stereotype of "paranoid Americans not taking shit from strangers", but I think they did a good job adapting that cringy awkwardness outside of a Scandinavian setting, considering the original film is basically a grim Lars von Trier'esque film intended to provoke.
Any time anyone mentions a stoning, all I can think of is that horrifying short film The Lottery. A true staple of middle/highschool education.
A horrifying classic
Oh god we read that in middle school, that and one where everyone had to be alike. I still think about both
I was a pre-teen hanging out at my Great Aunt's house one lazy summer day, watching KET (the Western Kentucky Public Television Station). The Lottery came on, no context. TRAUMATIZED 😱
I am glad that the kid spoke Danish because I had a DnD game with a player whose character was missing their tongue and we looked up what sounds/ words could be conveyed without a one. (there are a lot) so the extra hurdle to communication of a language barrier was needed.
The original language division is such a strong device to really draw a line between the cultures. It made it uncomfortable in certain moments, and it was just so relatable.
I've moved to Belgium, and spent the first couple of years sitting amongst people who didn't speak English, so I became very shut out from jokes, to the point where I would just assume they were laughing at my expense.
Very uncomfortable 😣
ok but this movie is way too fucking real. like, it's so easy to say "I would never let that happen to me" until you're actually in that situation because no one gets to choose their trauma response. sure, maybe you would fight back or flee the situation. or maybe you would freeze and completely shut down, unable to move or think or feel or even really process what's happening to you. or maybe you would fawn and try to placate and ingratiate yourself toward the person hurting you in hopes of protecting yourself from further harm by appeasing them. it's hard to understand until you're actually there but that shit happens all the time (and the kicker is that it gets used as ammunition to blame victims for what happened to us too)
This is exactly why I dislike the American ending. It feeds into the mentality that there’s a correct response to danger and trauma and if you do anything else it’s your own fault “because you let them”.
It doesn't though, because it shows both kinds of responses. Ben is very much on the flight side and Louise is on the fight side. Both of them manage to come up with solutions to save the family. It's not like they survived solely because of fighting.
@@belias360 I think we're talking about different movies here. I was speaking in the context of specifically Bjorn's behavior in the original movie, not what happened in the remake where he's called Ben and they have guns and stuff. sorry, I def forgot to specify that outside of my own brain lol
Swede here, although I have not seen either of the movies. But from this video I'd say that the original is quite spot on for how much people put up with just to be polite. I feel like most people here like to turn the problem back to themselves and try to "be better" in order to avoid awkwardness rather than call someone out or (horror of all horrors) leave the situation all together. As for McAvoy's whole "no one ever tells the truth, we are all too afraid to say what we really think" etc I know at least two dudes like that and can confirm - no one around them calls them out on their bullshit.
Personally, I would draw the line if I felt my kid was in danger. That is probably the only thing that would trumph all the other things.
I love when UA-cam starts showing me adds for a new movie that a) sounds rather interesting and b) I’d never watch because I’m too easily frightened. And THEN Amanda comes to the rescue and makes a review ❤
As a dane i might be a bit biased, but I liked the original so much more. As someone who has travelled a lot and met a lot of strangers, it just seems more realistic. I know I am only one person, but the general shyness and resorting to become a doormat for your host just screams typical Scandinavian culture
I appreciate the original so much more for having the balls to GO THERE. I still enjoyed the remake, but it didn’t stick in my brain for days like the original did. You also need to see Soft and Quiet, Amanda! Came out around the same time, I watched them back to back. Talk about a disturbing night 😂
I read an audience review of the original somewhere (I think it was on IMDB) where they essentially said that the message of the film was that the victims died because the guy wasn't 'alpha male' enough, and that it was a message to be 'a strong traditional male'. I mean, quite the take lol
i am (patiently) asking/waiting for you to cover the substance, that movie was insane in the best way and I cant stop thinking about it!
I feel like both versions of these would give me so much anxiety to watch. Im also a complete pushover so maybe i need to see them...
My notifications just showed The Nightmare of Speak. Thought you were covering some old movies for a hot second
Honestly the presence of Kristen Stewart increases the likelihood of that
That's the Finnish re-remake!
That "because you let us" line is amazingly haunting
Thanks Amanda for the video. Your take was quite similar to mine. I feel like you really need to watch both to get full enjoyment out of either. It's certainly one of those rare instances where a remake actually enhances the original.
Almost everyone has a Ben/Bjorn in their lives, or knows one. Mine is unfortunately my father🤦🏽♀️💀
The remake isn't terrible, but the classic on-the-nose, over-the-top American style of writing ruined it for me. They also changed the ending. Can't make American audiences too uncomfortable, I guess.
The original annoyed the f out of me personally so I was really satisfied to see this one,specially how much agency they gave the boy, felt like a second play of a bad ending in a game. Also James McAvoy twink death was impressing lmao
Remember: twink death, dilf birth
This hits harder to home than though. I was mistreated a lot as a child eventhoug I tryed to get help but the adults that saw or I told just didn't do anything because It wasn't bad enough for them to get them over this passiv behaviour. Thats why this mentality bothers me so much.
the one mistake i can't get past in the original is them going back to get that bunny, i'm pretty sure it happened later in the original than in the remake and enough had happened where i remember just thinking no way would i have ever done that if i were in their position , he didn't need to fight back or speak up, getting them out of there was easiest thing he needed to do and almost did but he couldn't even do that
Couldn't disagree more, the American one was far far less believable that they'd go back considering they made Ben an absolute weirdo about the rabbit anyway
In the original they go back because everyone's fine with the bunny being important to the daughter, and Bjorn is clearly in a place to want to "be a man" so he goes back in an effort to fulfill that narrative.
@@jebbush6657abel was dead by that point so you’re wrong
@@BiggiecheesenessAbel hadn’t been killed by the time they got back to get the bunny for Agnes in the early morning. Abel died later that night.
As a pescatarian, I feel called out, lol. I do agree with some of what you said, but my ultimate goal is to get totally animal free I just haven’t succeeded. That being said, I haven’t eaten chicken or beef in ages and my stomach would litterally reject it no matter the circumstances of the source of the meat. So its not really something I can turn off for special circumstances.
Oh I think being a pescatarian is fine! It was just her reasoning at times made it easy for Patrick to get in there and criticize. But yes, she would have gotten viciously ill for eating I imagine.
The general concept of this film seems like it could make a great thriller novel. So much of it seems like it's happening in the mind.
Pretty sure the shotgun was loaded with rock salt, which leads to a less powerful shot and was commonly used in rural areas in the old days as a deterrent for miscreants and thieves.
Which is another reason they should have just run his ass over. Seriously, why don't characters ever remember that cars are drivable weapons?
I didn’t like the Original film, but I appreciate what the new one was TRYING to do.
I only saw the remake (though I watched another video about the original) and I liked the majority of it. I have mixed feelings about the end, so I've been waiting for your review to see if hearing another perspective can help me process.
You skipped over the fakeout with the fox coming around the corner in the last act, which I understand doing for the sake of time, but that part was something that stood out to me because it (along with Ant's cathartic screaming moment after killing Patrick) connects the final moments of the film back to the fox hunt earlier on. Ben wasn't able to kill the fox when they were hunting, so the Movie Formula would usually have him finally be able to kill the "fox" (meaning Patrick this time - a fox is the perfect animal for them to hunt btw because it's a predator turned prey and that's what Patrick is in the end). While I appreciate the departure from formula in that Ben STILL can't do it, and I like that Ant gets his revenge, I'm still iffy about where this leaves us. Because Patrick indicates a few times that his own father was abusive, and he recites that Philip Larkin poem about how your parents fuck you up, and even though he's not Ant's father he has been acting as an abusive father to him for however long. And he looks up at Ant holding the brick, about to kill him, and says "That's my boy." So I am really not sure what they were trying to say about Ant in those final moments, like was that actually a moment of triumph (for lack of a better word) for him? Or is the movie trying to imply that he is going to end up as fucked up by all of this as Patrick was by his own upbringing and follow in Patrick's footsteps?
Also as a side note I just don't like how similar "Why are you doing this?"/"Because you let us." is to "Why are you doing this to us?"/"Because you were home." from The Strangers, but that is maybe just a personal problem lol.
Scary. Thanks for the comparison, I only saw a short synopsis elsewhere.
I wont lie, i kinda like the remake better. The kids have a bigger role and the girl is aware of the situation but i feel like the quote "were doing this because you let us" fits more with the original film since it felt like the og family had plenty of opportunity to leave but didnt
I like the remake more too.
Please Amanda 😭 when will you do THE SUBSTANCE 😭😭 I’ve seen it twice it’s traumatizing i wanna see it a third time
Once it's on VOD!
@@AmandaTheJedi thank you love you i cant wait!!!!!!!!! AAAAHHHHH
@@AmandaTheJediI’m waiting for this too!
I did enjoy both movies and I can’t really say if one of them is like, objectively better than the other, but I found the original a lot more memorable. I also actually liked that the couple didn’t have any super specific issues, that they were the „everyman“. It probably also helped that I am someone to whom the American action-person-protagonist fights their way out of the sticky situation type endings to thrillers never rang true. I really am that guy that would completely freeze up, so that’s probably why it was more scary than frustrating to me (rest assured I was plenty frustrated with then but part of me was always whispering „would you fare any better, though“. Not that I would have ever gone there in the first place, I would have ghosted them for sure). All that to say, if you saw the original, definitely also watch the remake, I was a very nice palate cleanser
I feel like a lot of horror movies like the killer pool are more so SCPs than horror movie monsters. The SCP format would fit them so much more because it isn’t stretched out into a full length film
McAvoy is one of the greatest actors of this generation, hands down
His range is crazy and the portrayal is always so spot-on
I screamed at the notification. I loved seeing this is theaters, I didn’t know it was remake
the original movie is such a clear and cutting critique of so much of scandinavian cultural behavior, i do not understand why it needed to be remade in the first place
Ant absolutely nailed it! I was rooting for him and no one else 😂
If the original movie is a commentary on Danish culture, the remake is a commentary on American/British culture, hence the different endings.
At least, that’s how I see it.
That's certainly an interesting way to look at it!
I’d be interested to know more. From my perspective, as a Brit, it seems to me an unusual choice to have the Americans as the ones who are uncomfortable and slightly afraid to speak up in a social situation, with the Brits as the rude, pushy ones. In my experience, it’s the other way around - Americans are loud and often rude, stomping all over social boundaries while us Brits just sort of nod politely and let them do it. So how do you see it as a commentary on American/British culture?
@@HerHollyness I thought that too, as an American. Plus, Americans are more likely to have and be familiar with guns as opposed to Brits.
I’m severely conflict avoidant but in a different way than these people. If I sense conflict coming I’m probably already 100 miles away. I’ll disappear so fast it was like I never existed at all.
As a Dane, I really think you need it to be a Scandinavian family, it really didn't work for me that they were American. I also truly hated the ending in the remake, the original ending makes so much more sense to me, and works way better
Lowkey, it's reminding me of "Funny Games". A family on vacation is pushed to their limits due to a need to abide by unspoken social rules around conflict and confrontation. Except that Speak No Evil deviates at the end to provide a more "American" conclusion that satisfies us more from an emotional standpoint. (also no fourth wall breaks, obvs)
I’ve not watched the movie but I’ve been really enjoying the press junkets with James MacAvoy. He’s a great actor.
Original: *Pessimistic movie that portrays the cowardice of human nature and how said cowardice leads to you to its inevitable doom*
Hollywood: No, we can't have that. We must have a happy ending.
Edit: To the people in the comment section who are saying the characters in the original film are portrayed as "too cowardly" and complaining about them not doing anything when they could have, I think that says you have more optimism about human nature than those of us who like the movie do. It's easy to judge the characters from the safety of our home. Its easy to say that we would be braver, but would any of us, if we were put into the same situation behave any differently?
omg exactly
Yeah, except the original’s final act requires the characters to be too cowardly and also far more stupid than any real person ever would be. The Danish couple’s behavior in the ending of the original makes no sense at all.
Pessimism is fine. Nonsensical writing in order to deliver that message about pessimism is not.
In my opinion, the first movie's ending kinda ruins it for me. Not bc it's not a happy ending, but for how easilly they take the child away. Like: after they take the child the parents do nothing more than to scream and hit the seat in front of them. I was screaming at the screen for them to do something, anything, instead they just accept it and do nothing
I❤James M. I Scared The Trailer Looks Wild!🫣😰😵💫🙆🏻♀️🥰🤗🌈💕
I 2nd this. We are so used to "civilisation", I can totally relate to the og "passive" couple(s), who are simple not equipped to deal with outright "barbary", like most of us.
"Drove a Tesla to the deep English country... Where are they gonna charge it?"
We're tiny, Amanda! We've got towns and cities everywhere! It only takes 14 hours to drive from the very bottom to the very top of the entirety of Britain. You'd find somewhere to charge it quite easily.
I'm glad you made this because I generally refuse to watch most remakes of horror movies, but this one especially didn't seem to make sense, I don't see much of a purpose for it at all and I wasn't about to shell out money for it.
Awesome to see Scoot and Mackenzie on screen together again. If ya'll haven't seen Halt and Catch fire, I would highly recommend it.
No lie, I JUST saw a commercial for this movie and I thought “I hope Amanda does a review of this movie”
Here to serve
I live in deep dark south Devon and literally every car park here has at least two charging bays, as long as you have an adaptor you'd be fine. 😉
As a long-time ovo-lacto vegetarian, I gotta say I've found too many people are into interrogating me about my dietary preferences when I don't interrogate them (contrary to the stereotype). I see it as a pretty big red flag for future irritating behaviour.
Awesome review, I love how you made the video. 😄
Great video! Side note I love The Substance reference in the back. Most memorable movie of the year for me
As a Mom, I liked the remake a lot more because at least the Mom actually did something in this one! In marriages both people should give 100% and since he wasn’t, she sure as heck did to protect her family. 💪💕 Loved it and her doing what needed to be done!
Thanks for the rundown, Amanda. Love James McAvoy but my anxiety could never.
I prefer the remake purely because of the family finally hitting the 'I'm Done ' limit, plus Ant getting his revenge was some good catharsis. But yeah the original being so damned grim in the end was great!
Oh hell yeah, been waiting for this
The changes made for the American version kind of justify my opinion that a shot-for-shot remake of Funny Games was so unneeded. Europe (like Korea) is clearly willing to rock with a much bleaker level of horror, so if that's what you're into, maybe get okay with subtitles.
Omg nightingale mention. Broke me. Recommend it to everyone.
I watched both versions back-to-back. I had the original from the library (actually a loaned copy from another city that is a part of a loaning program) and then watched the remake the following day. I will admit that the original disturbed me with that ending, but I see what the director was trying to go for. I wasn't sure if I was ready for the remake, but then I read up (if spoiled myself a little) that there were some differences. So I went to see it. My verdict? I appreciate both versions for different reasons, but if I have to pick which version I liked better, it would probably be the remake.
Okay, before people start going off on me, hear me out. I didn't say that I didn't like the original. In fact, I appreciate what it went for, but there were some issues I had. I appreciated its bleak tone, but even I wasn't sure what to expect, and I found the ending very disturbing and depressing. Yes, that was the point, which was why I appreciated that approach.
The remake, on the other hand, I did like that there was a little more characterization for not just the main couple but also the kids. I can't say that I didn't enjoy the climax, either.
To top it off, because I am not usually a one-and-done type of guy because I am not against revisiting films, it would be likely that I would watch the remake again rather than the original, at least not for a while. I wouldn't be against watching the remake again in the near future, but the original, it would probably be at least a year before I go through that again.
I loved the remake. The original just felt like it was trying to be over the top. Especially with the close up shots.
Love that in the original the cathartic screams turn into the ‘nobody will hear you scream’ when it gets brutal in the end
going on vacation, in this economy? couldnt be me.
Sounds a lot like the relationship between 1993’s American remake of The Vanishing and its European original, where the American version changes the ending so it’s rough but survivable while the European version is just horrifically depressing
If the implication of James McAvoy's accent is that their house is in the West Country then it's pretty believable that theyd drive a Tesla out. I don't think you'd ever be more than an hour from the nearest town with a charge point these days - the uk is just too densely populated to be horror-movie-level remote
I totally forgot that the original existed. All I remember was being exasperated the whole time. I experienced the stages of southern mom frustration and anger. Very “so help me god if you don’t get out of that damn house right now”.
Yeah the American one is so much worse for that. It snapped for me during the bunny scene, the dad didn't even like the bunny, why go back.
If they've clearly done this alot you'd exspect them to be smarter.
The OG is better because of the grim ending
I agree and please make the Haunting of Hill House video? 🥺❤️
I wish it wasn't a remake but like a continuation, all they had to do is switch up the script a bit and change up the characters to make it such.
I watched the original back in 2022 and after my first viewing it made me mad. I couldn't understand why they let this happen to them but after some thinking i realized that's exactly what the film was meant to portray. Its supposed to make you mad as you said its a cautionary tale. I also liked the fact that they stoned the couple to death because it seems like such a biblical method that i never understood how brutal it can be. I like the new movie as it makes me appreciate the original much more.
Absolutely HYPED for the "It's What's Inside" video, I watched it last night and it was a PEAK movie experience. Cannot recommend enough.
the original is better. i think the remake 'americanized' the movie waaay to much. like, this necessity of the "good guys always win" even when they were the biggest dumbasses in the world and had multiple chances of reverting their situation.. the original one ending is way more bleak but realistic! there are bad people in the world, and most of the time, they win! so yeah thats my take
The reason why so many American movies have the "good guys" win is due to our history with the Hay's Code - they literally couldn't lose or the movie wouldn't get made/released. It also had a bunch more rules and is to blame for the US's abysmal record for queer rep in movies. Even though we got rid of it decades ago, its hold over movie and TV show producers & execs is *still* prevalent.
Also, bad news, it's making a bit of a comeback 😬
I haven't seen the original. This one worked for me because the depiction of abuse really hit home for me. McAvoy's character was so triggering. I and my brother where constantly jumping in the first part of the movie. As a survivor of childhood abuse I haven't seen the surviving, the fighting back as 'happy' or 'satysfying' - to me it showed, that when you have someone else to protect, to do what you can and then deal with the consequences: fear of being just like the abuser, any hope or warmth vanquished. Depression so deep it leaves you unable to act unless it's life of death situation. Death is easy - I think it's more interesting to show that they are scarred, that nothing will be the same
Ngl I love the American take of having the good guys win 😭 this whole ordeal happening is already statistically insignificant so why not have a happy ending especially for the Norwegian kid that did everything right!!!