Why Ant Can’t Speak in Speak No Evil 2024

The following contains spoilers for Speak No Evil, currently playing in theaters

Speak no evil‘s revelation about how Ant lost his ability to speak highlights the dark edges of the James McAvoy-led horror film. A remake of a 2022 Danish film of the same name, Speak no evil Focuses on Ben, Louise and their daughter Agnes after they strike up an unexpected friendship with another family on vacation. Accepting an invitation to their remote home in the countryside, Ben and Louise are initially intrigued but wary of Paddy, Ciara and their son Ant. However, as the film progresses, it becomes clear from the largely silent Ant that something is very wrong.

The reason Ant just can not tell the rest of Speak no evilS letters the truth is that He is physically unable toleading to a grim revelation as the film builds to a violent finale. It’s a dark turn that’s reflective of the original film. However, it also helps to set the end of Speak no evilHighlighting the film’s approach to violence in a different manner than the 2022 movie of the same name. Here’s why Ant can’t speak in Speak No Evil, and how the film plays out that revelation.

Paddy and Ciara lie about the reason Ant can’t talk

The lie about Ant is one of the most insidiously effective parts of Paddy’s plan

Paddy and Ciara lie about Ant’s condition Speak no evil are part of their efforts to Lure unsuspecting families into their trap. Initially, Paddy and Ciara present their “son” as someone who has aglossia congenata. Aglossia congenita is an actual congenital disorder where someone is born with either no tongue or a smaller tongue than usual. Paddy and Ciara explain that Ant’s silence is a result of this, because he has trouble with other people. It is initially how Paddy and Ciara can appeal to Ben and Louise, with the four encouraging Ant to play with Agnes.

The lie has multiple layers in the film’s narrativeBeyond preventing Ant to discover the truth about the couple. It endears Paddy and Ciara to Ben and Louise, and Paddy’s apparently accurate knowledge of the condition helps support his claims to be a doctor. Paddy mentions Ant’s condition and the other couple’s reaction to it in the climax after he reveals his true intentions, noting that they must have been so proud of themselves for befriending a couple with a “crippled” child. This is a very integral part of their scheme and with a brutal origin.

Ant can’t speak because Paddy and Ciara cut out his tongue

Audiences don’t see what happened to Mura, but he lets us know exactly what happened

Ant’s inability to speak prevents him from warning others about Paddy and Ciara’s true intentionsWhich is eventually revealed to be a big part of the reason that Paddy and Ciara cut it off in the first place. After finally discovering a way to communicate with Agnes, Ant draws attention to his open mouth and mimes a pair of scissors cutting through it. This is a cruel turn of events and is consistent with the original Danish version of Speak no evil. In the movie, Ant was Abel and went through a similar experience, seemingly for the same reason.

Niha, The original Speak no evil Actually showed one such incident of tongue cuttingAt least not with Ant’s equivalent Abel. The Danish version has a much darker ending, with the villainous couple of Patrick and Karin succeeding in their mission. This includes capturing Agnes and turning her into their new “child,” with the pair even cutting out her tongue during the movie’s climax. Paddy and Ciara threaten to do the same in the 2024 version of Speak no evilBut the more defiant and ultimately cruel triumphant ending of the new film does not go through with it.

Why Paddy & Ciara cut the aunt’s tongue

There are some pretty terrible reasons why Paddy and Ciara did what they did

Paddy and Ciara cut out Ant’s tongue as part of their sadistic plan to lure people to their home and then kill them, with a veritable trophy room of their victims in a hidden cellar. The main reason they cut out the duck’s tongue is to prevent the child from warning future victims. This is something they seemingly did long before they met Antwhose family was simply the last one to meet Paddy and Ciara before Ben and Louise. The attack also has a powerful psychological effect that cements their victory over their victims before dispatching them.

This was more pronounced in the original film (where they actually went through with cutting out Agnes’ tongue), but is indicated in the third act of Speak no evil Through Will Paddy teases Ben and Louise about his plans and why it’s important to calm the children down beforehand. More than anything, Paddy and Ciara’s actions underscore their brutality, making Ant’s eventual bloody revenge all the more narratively satisfying. Speak no evilAnt’s reveal is one of the best examples of the film transforming Paddy and Ciara into true monsters.