The plot follows two families (mother, father, child) who meet on vacation in Italy. Louise, Ben, and their pre-teen daughter Agnes are invited by the free-spirited Paddy and Ciara and their young son Ant — a seemingly perfect group — for a visit to their house in the English countryside. When they arrive, they start to notice the seemingly unimportant but increasingly disturbing manners of the host family.
Once their habits cannot be ignored anymore, the visiting family flee in the middle of the night, yet have to circle back for a precious keepsake, which marks the beginning of the most gruesome event of their lives, ending in tragedy.
The 2024 version, directed by horror filmmaker and screenwriter James Watkins, doesn’t try to hide the fact that the plot is not the same as the original. You anticipate a big plot twist quite early on, which finally happens around halfway through the movie.
From then on, it goes downhill. Very quickly, what could be a compelling new perspective on a draining yet unforgettable psychological thriller turns into a cliched horror movie – unrealistic with an unsatisfying end.
The acting of James McAvoy as Paddy was the only truly impressive and moving aspect of the production. Ciara, his partner-in-crime, played by Aisling Franciosi, seemed a bit more shallow.
Yet even she was still more impressive than the visiting couple. Louise’s character (Mackenzie Davis) seemed stiff and unnatural, and Ben (Scoot McNairy), while more relaxed, lacked depth, which made the movie that much less impactful.
The acting in the Danish original, conversely, felt in-depth and captivating. The actors’ incredible portrayal of human emotion through just their expressions and body language was mesmerising.
As mentioned earlier, the end was simply unrealistic and strongly exaggerated. While the first half of the movie stays true to its origins and remains quiet, filled with creepy music creating an eerie, uncanny atmosphere, the ending’s events were hectic, rushed, and adrenaline-fuelled.
