IT

IT

Director : Andy Muschietti

Year : 2017

Genre : Horror

Rating : ****1/2

As recent cinema has unfortunately demonstrated, it is very rare for a horror remake to improve on its original. However, Andy Muschietti's eagerly anticipated adaptation of 'IT' not only matches the quality of Tommy Lee Wallace's beloved (yet dated) 1990 mini-series but completely surpasses it in almost every way possible. A wonderfully enjoyable and frequently horrifying experience, this new interpretation of  Stephen King's 1986 literary opus succeeds where so many remakes have fallen in the past - by remaining loyal to the original source material while changing just enough to fully satisfy the tastes and expectations of modern multiplex audiences. The end result is the most fun you're likely to have in the cinema this year, rivalling Jordan Peele's equally exuberant 'Get Out' as the very best horror release of 2017. 

Set against the closing days of the 1980's (King's novel began in the '50's), 'IT' gleefully relishes the fads of the decade to create a joyfully nostalgic blend of 'The Goonies' crossed with 'A Nightmare On Elm Street' with a bit of 'Stand By Me' and 'Poltergeist' thrown in for good measure. In a surprisingly brutal opening scene, young Georgie Denborough (Jackson Robert Scott) is viciously mauled and dragged kicking and screaming into the sewers below his hometown of Derry, Maine, by the monstrous child-eating clown Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard). Haunted by the mysterious abduction of his little brother and shaken by the ongoing disappearances of Derry's children, Billy ('Midnight Special's Jaeden Lieberher) enlists in the help of his friends known collectively as ''The Losers'' to rid the world of the mythical creature relentlessly terrorising their home.  

For a film that has been marketed as ''the scariest film of the year'', I was delighted to discover that the true strengths of 'IT' don't lie in the screams generated from the snarling Pennywise but rather in the relationships forged between the various members of The Losers. Every single character is given enough development and backstory to become fully three-dimensional while the young actors who portray them unanimously deliver terrific performances that far excel many of their similar-aged contemporaries. Special recognition must be given to 'Stranger Things' star Finn Wolfhard who is absolutely uproarious in his role as the quick-witted, foul-mouthed Ritchie while newcomer Sophie Lillis brings depth and maturity to Bev, the horribly mistreated and sole female member of the group whose torments go far beyond those of a drain-dwelling clown. Even the usually bland bully characters are given satisfactory development, proving to be just as threatening as our buck-toothed, balloon-obsessed nemesis.

The kids are great but, as is to be expected, the aforementioned clown is the unequivocal star of the show and Bill Skarsgard is fantastically horrifying in the central role of Pennywise. Played like the demented offspring of Alex DeLarge from 'A Clockwork Orange' and Heath Ledger's Joker from 'The Dark Knight', Pennywise is a truly terrifying presence and with his lisping voice, glowing eyes, razor-sharp teeth and predatory demeanour, Skarsagrd delivers a clown that is far more threatening and infinitely more creepy than that of his mini-series predecessor Tim Curry. Rarely are horror performers remembered around the awards season but Bill Skarsgard deserves serious consideration for a performance that is both terrifying and captivating. However, praise must not only be given to Skarsgard but also to the many make-up artists and special effects teams who brought the character to life and provided 'IT' with some of the most distressing imagery I have ever seen on the silver screen. Unlike so many horror flmmakers that have come before him, Muschietti (who also helmed the unnerving 2014 spook-fest 'Mama') remembers that it's not just jump scares alone that terrify audiences but also atmosphere and the building of palpable tension, expertly executing his well-earned frights with the precision and exactitude of a metronome - keeping us on the edge of our seats with our hearts in our mouths and our nerves on a knife-edge. 

If you were to ask me what I thought of the film upon leaving the cinema, I would have said that it was a hugely entertaining romp that wasn't particularly scary but nonetheless delivered the laughs and the threat. However, I must admit that as the days have gone by and the extreme imagery has continued to haunt my thoughts, the movie has increasingly got under my skin and for that, I adore it. For too long, I have been waiting for the next truly great horror classic and with the release of 'IT', I now feel that we finally have it. Yes the movie isn't perfect - at 135 minutes, the film does outstay its welcome and as the picture enters it's action-packed finale, the practical effects make way for less-impressive CG effects which notably lack the tactility and visceral nature so inherent in the first 2 thirds of the movie. But these are small blemishes on an otherwise near-flawless gem. Undeniably scary, frequently hilarious and consistently delightful, 'IT' is a complete triumph of horror filmmaking and one that I cannot wait to experience again and again and again. I await 'IT : Chapter 2' with unabashed impatience.