*Originally written September 8th*
"You'll float too"
2017 has been a very strong year for horror so far, with films such as Get Out, Raw and now It. I was never the biggest fan of the 1990 film/mini-series. I only watched it for the first time with year, and I wasn't very swayed by it. It's a mostly very poor and outdated film barely saved by Tim Curry's take on Pennywise. I've also never read the book (Which I will one day, I promise), so I can't comment on the changes.
This adaptation of Stephen King's book however is a massively different beast from the 1990 version. It's not toned down for a TV friendly audience and is allowed to flourish much more as a darker, more violent and overall better product. It's so different from the version that's not as good as your childhood remembers, and it's all the more better for it.
Its opening scene sets the tone for a dark and horrific tone to come. We're living in a darker time now and film has no problem presenting violence against children. This no holds bar approach creates a much more unsettling and frightening tone that is balanced with a surprising amount of heart and humour.
The Losers Club is the centre of the film. It really helps we spend so much time getting to know them. Making their adventure that much more worth investing in. It feels like an horrific mix between Stranger Things and Stand By Me. The Loser Club are also a mix of non-actors and some you might have seen from other things (A Stranger Things actor too no less). They all do a fantastic job. It's unusual we get a film like this led entirely by children where they're all great. There is usually some dodgy and hokey acting, but I gotta say, child performances have come a long way.
While we do get a lot of bonding between The Losers Club, we also learn about what makes them tick. Their fears and what Pennywise can exploit. Each of the characters initial encounters with the Clown perfectly set-up where each character's head is at and establishes their fears and what they need to overcome. These fears often go to some really dark places.
Bill Skarsgard had some very big shoes to fill as Pennywise thanks to Tim Curry's iconic take on the homicidal clown, but he does an amazing job bringing this character to terrifying life for a new generation. Curry's performance is commendably camp now, but Skarsgard goes for fear and he rocks it. His design is horrific and its helped with the more aggressive content this film is allowed to go for. Pennywise truly is a formidable threat for The Losers Club and I loved near enough everything they did with him.
While being a horror film, It is still interested in being a mystery film with an interesting story. We see the kids go through the town's history to find out why the mortality rate for adults and children in Derry is so high. It's this kind of investigative bonding I liked most in the film, there's a genuine mystery and lore behind what and why Pennywise is, and while it's a little short on answers, there was still a compelling story there.
Andy Muschietti's previous film 'Mama' was extremely mediocre to my taste, so I was so happy to see him deliver such a gorgeous and well presented film. There is a ton of iconic iconography introduced here. Some of it directly from the original and some new and horrifying. Muschietti perfectly understands how to extract fear from an audience.
There might have been a few too many jump-scares for my liking, but I much preferred the eery, slow-building scenes that relied on a building score and tension. It's worth noting how fantastic Benjamin Wallfisch's score is, mixing creepy nursery rhymes mixed with a more traditional horror score. It worked to excellent effect.
If I had any problems with this revision of It, I'd say the tone is a bit schizophrenic at times and uses some very strange music choices for certain scenes. They used songs I liked, but their placement was really at odds with the tone of the film and made me feel like I was watching a scene from a completely different picture. I was a bit worried by the '80s setting too, but it wasn't massively obnoxious and in your face. Nostalgia is here, the kids have posters of films like E.T., Beetlejuice and cinema marquees show films like Lethal Weapon 2 and Nightmare on Elm Street 5 playing. I liked all that, it worked. It also made me want to see E.T. again.
I was also a little worried about the length. The previous film was a gruelling 3 hours, but this was cut down to 2 hours and 15 minutes, making for much easier viewing. And despite being part 1 of a 2 part film (The film ends "IT Chapter 1") it still feels like a told story and even if Part 2 is not very good, this can easily stand on its own as its own one and done story. I do look forward to Part 2 though and it will hopefully correct the awful second half of the 1990 film. I know the director wasn't even a fan of the decision that made, so I have faith.
It is one of the strongest horror films of the year. A terrifying and fun horror adventure with heart and humour. The comeback of horror is still going strong and a new generation have a new Pennywise to be traumatised by. Life is good.
8/10 Dans
It is out now in cinemas in the UK
Watch the trailer below:
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