'It' | The unexpected coming-of-age film with a horrifying twist
It’s 1988, and a stuttering boy’s seven-year-old brother has disappeared. Strangely though, he isn’t the only one, and yet no-one seems keen to find answers. That is, until a group of teenage misfits band together to explore the depths of their small town, and are terrified by what they discover.
If you’re expecting a horror film full to the brim with nightmare-inducing scenes, think again. Stephen King's ‘It’ will have you on the edge of your seat, yes, but audiences are far more likely to laugh at the familiarity of the conversations the film's central characters find themselves in, rather than cower in fright throughout.
Director Andy Muschietti (‘Mama’) impresses with this coming-of-age flick, featuring the talents of seven teens cast to perfection: Jaeden Lieberher (Bill, who mourns the sudden loss of his younger brother to the demon known as "It"); Jeremy Ray Taylor (Ben - a sweet, loner who holds the respect of the audience throughout the film); Sophia Lillis
(Beverly, who is far more than a token female lead – this girl is one to watch); Finn Wolfhard of ‘Stranger Things’ (hilariously hyperactive Richie); Chosen Jacobs (Mike, who receives little screen time, but is invaluable to the final events of the film); Jack Dylan Grazer (the hysterical hypochondriac Eddie), and Wyatt Oleff (the reserved Stanley, who we witness ‘becoming a man’ at his Bar Mitzvah).
Yep. That’s a lot of names to memorise, but would I waste your time? I think not.
Thanks to Casting Director Rich Delia, we are graced with young actors who truly make this film the inevitable classic it is destined to be. Without their individual personalities, youthful antics and convincing impatience with one another at times, the film simply wouldn’t be the authentic coming-of-age film Muschietti aimed to create. Audiences will love Grazer’s panicked bossy intonation, Lillis’ powerful and natural confidence (and in contrast, fragility), and Taylor’s genuinity, depicting him as ‘that friend’ we all once had, who just didn’t have a bad bone in his body, and we later discovered was well underrated.
The film is very witty. The script is clear, well-developed and deep. The teens are relatable, and remind us of the struggles we may have overcome during our own adolescent years. The adults are flawed to the extreme, symbolising the horrors of humanity in the real world - not only what is written in a Stephen King novel.
And then there’s Pennywise. 27 year-old Bill Skarsgård completes this film with his portrayal of the demon that is ‘It’ – an entity that morphs itself into your worst fears. In the film, we see Pennywise in the form of the terrifying clown (with a unique lilt), a war victim, an abusive father, a Jewish portrait and of course, a resurrected little brother – demonised.
Skarsgård’s agility is incredible, not only contorting his face into the creepy smile we’ve all seen him recreate on US talk shows, but moving his body to the requirements of the horror he is creating.
Muschietti was clever to keep the child actors separate from Skarsgård during the first few weeks of filming, so as to capture their authentic reactions to his character and costume on camera – it really works, and what you see on screen is nothing short of cinematic brilliance.
The film’s cinematography is on point, Chung-hoon Chung (‘The Handmaiden’) capturing all relevant objects, backgrounds, characters, expressions in his well-planned mise-en-scene. Janie Bryant deserves accolade for the costume design featured in this film. To capture the essence of eighties fashion for an eclectic group of teens, their parents, a bunch of bullies and a satanic clown is a true mark of excellence, and one that really pays off.
There are far too many crew names to pay tribute to here, but for the sake of honouring the incredible make-up artistry, special effects, and art design (to name only a few), take a gander at the superstars’ behind the film here.
Is this a feature film worth seeing at the cinema? Absolutely.
'It' is in cinemas now.
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