The Beginning of Something Truly Terrifying
“Georgie…meet Pennywise…Pennywise…meet Georgie…now we know each other!” The long-anticipated new adaptation of Stephen King’s ‘IT’ suffered a rigorously hellish development process over the past decade, but it’s fair to say that the final product has proved fruitful.
Descending upon a gloomy, bleak landscape of Derry, Maine (the town featured in many of King’s stories), we are introduced to the young main characters, aka ‘The Losers’ Club’. The group of friends succeeds in providing a fresh, naturalistic dynamic that this story demands and the actors work well in keeping the audience well-aware of the fears and horrors that the group faces as the film progresses.
It’s undeniable – and unavoidable – that comparisons will be made to the famous two-part ‘IT’ miniseries from 1990 that featured Tim Curry (The Rocky Horror Picture Show) as Pennywise the Clown. But I’m really impressed with newcomer Bill Skarsgård’s terrifying, viciously confronting portrayal of the murderous clown, reminding us of why we all share some kind of fear or discomfort towards clowns, resurrecting King’s original vision of making this villain someone who can really jump out of the screen and haunt viewers.
The film’s brilliant cinematography must be recognised – its soft, creamy imitation of 1980s vintage film color works perfectly within the context of this story, and the continuing madness of the world crumbling around the characters is complimented wonderfully by the camera work, where one can draw comparisons to the soft, faded look of Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975).
This is a perfect example of a film that has enjoyed a massive, well-strategized marketing campaign, boasting a cult following for many years where its fan base has continued to grow, and it has obviously been talked up a lot prior to its release. Does it live up to its reputation? I think it does. When I think back to the opening scene of the Nightmare on Elm Street remake, where I was instantly horrified and shocked in the first few minutes of the film, I had the exact same feeling during the opening of ‘IT’, where I was engaged, shaken, and deep within the world the director (and of the course the author) has crafted. But what is so discomforting and intriguing about the film is that it actually serves as a coming-of-age film along the lines of Stand by Me, but it is complete with the elements of supernatural horror and a high level of gore.
IT is scary. IT is unnerving. IT is very bloody. IT is one of the best films of the year.