Any movie about killer kids can be extremely creepy”
by Nav Qateel
In the small town of Superstition, Anna’s 11-year-old daughter Joey is snatched by a creature that crawls out of the ground. When single mother Anna reports her daughter missing, the ineffectual and condescending cop puts Joey down as a runaway. Joey and her stepfather Dale were close and because he and wife Anna had just recently split, she thinks Dale might be behind the girls’ disappearance. With new lover Creighton on toe, Anna confronts a gun-toting Dale, and just as they begin to get into each other’s faces, a burst of light followed by weird visions stops them in their tracks.
That night, the rest of the kids go missing and their hysterical parents begin hunting for them. It’s not long before all the kids return in one large group, carrying the unconscious Joey. After the kids begin attacking and eating people–including their parents–it becomes clear that whatever came back to them might not be their children after all.
Writer-director-editor Roze’s last effort and debut movie from 2009 Deadfall Trail, was met with mixed reactions from indie fans, and was very much your typical low-budget rookie flick. Speak No Evil, on the other hand, does suffer a few wrinkles, owing to inexperience and a lack of budget. However, I for one am confident that director Roze has that spark of talent simply waiting on the right opportunity to allow him to truly shine.
- Speak No Evil
- Written & Directed by
Roze - Cast
Gabrielle Stone, Carl Jensen, Mario Guzman, Olivia Cavender - Release Date
Out Now - Nav’s Grade: B
*****
Aside from a few questionable actions by less than likable characters–Dale being the worst of them–Speak No Evil turned out to be an effective little movie. Having such a short running time of only 71 minutes was a smart move by Roze because too many filmmakers will pad out their movies with needless time-wasting, and instead, the trim Speak No Evil contained only scenes that helped nail the story.
Any movie about killer kids, if done correctly, can be extremely creepy, and on that score Speak No Evil scores big time. There’s a mystery surrounding these children-turned-cannibalistic-monsters and we’re given flashes that hint at why this terror has been visited on the little town of Superstition. Because of the meagre $150 thousand budget, a lot of the effects weren’t as elaborate as I’m sure Roze and his team would’ve liked. But I thought they were handled satisfactorily with the production team spending what little they did have wisely.
I loved the creatures coming out of the ground and that fact that this was achieved using practical effects was a bonus. I actually like CGI and have been dabbling in it for years, but unless you have a multi-million dollar budget to play with, it’s nigh-on impossible to achieve the tactile realism required to truly pull the effect off.
Anna is played by Gabrielle Stone, a talented indie actress who’s showing a lot of promise. Stone was called on to do a lot with her character and she performed the worried mother convincingly, demonstrating a decent range. I believe this is Stone’s first major part, and I see the actress is beginning to get lots of work, and deservedly so if this performance is anything to go by. Stone is also featuring in Roze’s next movie Dead Quiet, another horror, due for release in September of this year.
Playing Anna’s quiet boyfriend Creighton in his debut feature was Carl Jensen. Jensen’s role as Creighton wasn’t exactly taxing but it was the ideal part for a relatively inexperienced actor to take on. The cast each performed well for a low-budget horror, and even the children who were undoubtedly extras, put lots of effort into their roles. Olivia Cavender also managed her debut role with ease.
If you’re looking for a movie that’ll creep you out, and one that contains enough gore to satisfy your bloodlust, then look no further than Speak No Evil. The movie is being self-distributed and you can hire it for a paltry $1.99 here.
