Shivers up your spine
KILLER CLOWN: EFFECTIVE, FUN AND ULTIMATELY FRIGHTENING
IT
Starring: Jaeden Lieberher. Sophia Lillis and Finn Wolfhard Director: Andy Muschietti Classification: 16 LVH
An unexpected big screen gem.
There’s a generation of people scared of It. We grew up with the rumours that kids became possessed by demons while watching the series; that some kids fainted and died – and we all had a friend who knew someone who was killed after watching the 1990 miniseries. It, psychologically, has walked a long path with many of us. Some of us know the book by Stephen King, and others only know Tim Curry as It – but it’s those who know both who will be mesmerised by the latest adaptation of It.
It is the perfect combination of literature and cinematic spectacle, with generous helpings of the TV series’ corniness and horror, with great jolts of jump scares to ensure you won’t walk out of the cinema unaffected by this cinematic joyride.
To make things better, in South Africa It is being released on Imax and 4DX, to truly pack a punch.
Last week, I attended both a press screening and Imax pre-screening of the film, and as a fan, Imax ensured an added level of fear – and I can’t wait to watch it a third time this weekend on 4DX.
That I would want to watch it three times proves director Andy Muschietti’s effective recreation of this beloved and feared story. Starting with the gruesome murder of young Georgie, It is essentially a coming-ofage story about a group of friends who realise that they are stronger than any bully, adult or monster.
Starting at the beginning of their summer holiday, Bill (Georgie’s grieving brother), Eddie, Richie, and Stanley meet up with fellow social outcasts Beverly, Ben and Mike to form the Losers Club. The friends realise that they have all experienced hauntings, often featuring a clown, and make the heroic decision to save the children of their town by killing Pennywise, the dancing clown – a malignant alien shape-shifter that lives in the town sewers and kills children every 27 years.
But their quest comes with challenges, and them facing their own fears – which includes the town bully Hendry, as well as adults, who are equally fright- ening. The film (like the book) references the fact that Beverly is molested by her father, while Eddie is mistreated by his mother – proving that yes, clowns are scary, but real circumstances are equally jarring, something that lingers throughout the beautifully shot film.
Featuring fantastic tracking shots, as well as a well-orchestrated soundtrack It relies on traditional filmmaking to normalise the sometimes unsettling content, which is effectively brought to life by Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise, the dancing clown.
Leaving behind the sarcastic stabs of Tim Curry’s version, Skarsgård delivers a more frightening, creepy and brilliant version of the alien. If you’re keenly aware you’ll realise why this Pennywise is so unsettling: his eyes are skew, which means that while on screen he’s interacting with characters, he is also looking at you, the audience.
It’s an effective bit of filmmaking that reaches into your stomach and makes you fear something as bizarre as a clown. Equally, Skarsgård dominates the frame thanks to his length, making him a devillish presence that you both hate and admire.
“I was first captivated by Bill’s performance in his audition and from then on, it was like discovering a new treat every day,” says Muschietti. “He not only brought mystery and an intriguing quality to the character but had the guts to explore Pennywise’s insane theatricality.
“He had a madness in his look, and his body language was completely unnerving. Some of the physical demands of this role were exhausting, but I have to give it to Bill – his energy was at full all the time.”
In turn, Skarsgård says he counted on Muschietti’s guidance.
“Andy trusted me and I trusted him. I knew I was in good hands so I could really go for it, and he responded to what I was doing. We had a great collaboration between the two of us.”
In fact, one expression the actor was able to bring to the role took the director by surprise. “Pennywise’s wall-eyed appearance was something I had in mind from early on. I wanted him to have this crazy look where one of the eyes is going in a different direction. I mentioned this to Bill as a trait of the character, think-
Skarsgård delivers a creepy and brilliant version of It
ing it was something we would do in post-production. But he said, ‘Well, I can do that,’ and he just did it right there. And it freaked me out,” Muschietti said,
What makes It so effective is that it is not as nightmarish as you expected.
There is a certain nuance of comedy, schmaltz, and horror that makes it incredibly addictive from the opening frame to the very last name on the credit roll – something that serves the film well in its third act when, indeed, even the most squeamish cinemagoer might get a little bored.
Not that the film takes a dip, Pennywise just becomes a tad less scary as you’re confronted with more realistic threats like the adults and the bullies.
But It is brilliant, visceral and above all satisfying.
It is a movie that will again define a generation because it is one of the best mass-appeal cinematic releases this year – and considering the genre, that’s saying a lot.