BurtonReviews IT: More Confusing Title than 'The Thing'?

(Image sourced from https://twitter.com/iva0906)

 

Come on Hollywood, it’s not even October yet and you’re already scaring the heebie-jeebies out of me with a remake of Stephen King’s most twisted and terrifying novel. Oh and of course it stars an iconic menacing clown to-boot; strap yourselves in folks, if you thought the scary-ass clowns that just stood on street corners and terrified the world was bad last year, thanks to IT, this Halloween’s clowning tradition is going to be next level. This is why I don’t leave the house.  

(Video sourced from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkyXfpebihk)

The story of IT takes us back to the 80s, to a small wholesome American town by the name of Derry. Not much happens here, all the townsfolk know each others names, nerdy kids are bullied by knife wielding psychopaths, you know, the usual. Oh and every 27 years kid abductions go through the roof because a mysterious entity in the form of a pants-peeing-scary clown is gobbling them up from the sewers…see, normal small town stuff.

Being the remake of a book that is over 1000 pages, the movie is going to have a long running time to be able to cram in all the spine-tingling details laid out by the book. And with a running time of 2 hours and 15 minutes, it’s not your typical 1 hour and 30 minutes horror-flick, but the movie never feels like a long or drawn out movie. the major events, scares, and heart warming moments that fill this film to its brim speed by as IT’s fast pace propels you through this horrifying story of a bunch of loser kids versus a killer-demon clown. No scene outstays its welcome, each one hitting the exact right mark to most effectively make you pee your pants, or have that good old heart warming feel.

What also helps IT zoom along is just how intriguing the pot is. I haven’t read the book or seen the original mini series, so I was right there with these kids trying to work out what-in the actual hell IT is. The script lays just enough clues through the history of Derry and other-worldly hints that your mind can’t help but race to the blood-curdling possibilities, but never gives you a full answer so you are left still hungry for more information, now matter how terrifying the answers may be.

(Image sourced from http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/films/833993/IT-movie-trailer-Pennywise-clown-director-horror-Stephen-King)

Speaking of IT, or as I like to call him, the scary-ass clown, the costume design, special effects, and unnerving acting by Bill Skarsgård all combined to create one of the most haunting and down-right creepy horror antagonists ever. And if it wasn’t enough that this clown named Pennywise is terrifying enough in his deranged clown persona, but the way in which IT almost out Freddies Nightmare on Elm Street’s dream twisting villain is not only inventive in the way Pennywise takes each of the children’s fears and cranks their worst daydreams to 11, but the variety of each child’s fears keeps the movie feeling fresh and the scares unpredictable as you don’t know whether you’ll be getting shocked out of your seat by the deranged scream of a clown, or the horrific image of seeing a dismembered girl hanging helplessly from chains.

While the scares and Pennywise’s iconic brand of scaring is one of the movies biggest strengths, the true factor that makes IT work so perfectly is the cast of kids being pitted against the maniacal clown. Each and every one of these child actors that make up the losers clubs, from Stranger Things veteran Finn Wolfhard as the hilarious foul mouthed Richie, to relative newcomer Sophia Lillis  as the loveable but deeply troubled Beverly, are all phenomenal. Each plays their character’s quirks, fears, and strengths so perfectly that you forget that they’re being paid to scream these lines, and you just slip into believing that they’re screaming these lines because they are actually being terrorised by this nightmare-inducing concoction of  fear known as Pennywise.

It is the raw and incredible talent on show that really makes IT such an effective and engrossing horror/adventure film. Each and everyone of these kids are unfairly likeable and brought to life in such a perfect way that you can’t help but want it keep spending time with them, even of it means having to go up against your biggest fears. The chemistry between each cast member is infecting and makes you see that being a loser might just not be such a bad thing, as you can either incredibly empathise with one of the kid’s quirks or problems, or you realise that you are completely that character making their troubles and victories almost feel like your own.

(Image sourced from http://www.denofgeek.com/uk/movies/stephen-kings-it/48285/stephen-king-s-it-gets-a-15-certificate-from-the-bbfc)

It the film’s harnessing of the innate empathy that the losers club will bring out in every single one of us, because we were all kids at one point and can relate to their real world problems, that makes the scares much more effective. Whether it be the outlandish bloody acts of Pennywise, or the all too real struggles of overcoming a abusive parent, the link forged between the audience and the characters in this movie by the phenomenal and believable acting, as well as the great writing on show to make such compelling and entertaining characters, makes each struggle hit home that much harder as you tense up in your seat praying for their safety.

But this film isn’t just a horror film; it also has heavy shades of being an adventure film akin to the Goonies as you follow the escapades of the losers club as they unravel the mystery of these terrifying child abductions. In this IT does a great job at balancing both the horror of the story, with its sense of adventure and even abit of comedy thrown in by good measure. In-fact the comedy on show is actually better than most films that call themselves “comedies” as the relief of pressure after a nail bitingly tense scene by the all too relatable line of “WHAT THE F*$K IS THIS” or just the jovial and foul mouthed banter between this tight group of friends is beyond side-splitting at times and was a welcomed break from peeing my pants.   

Overall IT is phenomenal, with its fast-scarefest pace, relatable and unbelievably likeable characters that are so perfectly played by IT’s cast and draw you into the frightening experience, to IT himself that uses inventive and horrifying imagery all under the guise of a classically scary persona, this is not only my favourite horror movie, but is one of the best movies of the year.

IT = 9/10

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