By Emilio Frenk.
Director: Andy Muscietti
Cast: Jaeden Leiberher, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer, Wyatt Oleff, Nicholas Hamilton, Jake Sim, Owen Teague, Jackson Robert Scott, Stephen Bogaert and Bill Skarsgard.
Rating: Excellent.
Andy Muschietti, director of 2013´s “Mama” brings his second feature film with “It”, not only I can say that this is one of his most ambitious movies of his career but I can say that I was really surprised with this one.
Based in the acclaimed novel by Stephen King the movie takes place in the town of Derry, Maine and center in a group of kids that are constantly bullied by the local kid Henry Bowers (Nicholas Hamilton).
The group they called themselves “The Loser´s Club” and are conformed by Bill Denbrough (Jaeden Lieberher), Ben Hanscom (Jeremy Ray Taylor), Beverly Marsh (Sophia Lillis), Richie Tozier (Finn Wolfhard), Eddie Kaspbrak (Jack Dylan Grazer), Stanley Uris (Wyatt Oleff) and Mike Hanlon (Chosen Jacobs).
Everything will change for the group when Bill´s brother George (Jackson Robert Scott) is murdered by a monster that takes the form of Pennywise the Clown (Bill Skarsgard).
Now Pennywise will begin to torment the kids with things provoke them fear. Now Bill and the group will have to confront Pennywise before their own fear can get the best of them for good.
One of the things that made of this version of “It” work was that it was focused in one group and the screenplay written by Cary Fukunaga (originally was going to direct), Chase Palmer and Gary Dauberman hit the mark.
Other factors of the film that worked was that it takes place in the eighties and that is one of the things that I must say that I loved of this film.
The direction of Andy Muschietti is phenomenal and not only brought impressive visuals, but he directed his cast in an outstanding way, giving very good and convincing performances.
I remember when it was announced that a theatrical version of “It” was going to be released and honestly I begin to have my doubts because when second adaptations normally don´t work. Here again I was wrong and this movie works at all levels.
One of the things that made the movie work was that it was focused in the group of kids when they were young. The TV Mini Series of 1990 directed by Tommy Lee Wallace it was focused in both groups and the major flaw of that version was the second part that it was pointless. In the other hand Tim Curry´s performance as Pennywise was terrifying and memorable.
Bill Skarsgard take in Pennywise is really good as well, but I feel that is a very different approach on Pennywise compared with Curry´s but he is terrifying as well.
The movie was really well casted an I was very impressed with the directing of Andy Muscietti who like I mentioned before he took it too another level.
Muscietti was very smart on not only using the elements of horror correctly, but he was able to use some humor in it and did work.
This version of “It” is very realistic and the cinematography by Chung-hoon Chung, who shot movies like “Oldboy”, “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” and “Stoker” was very dark, sharp and he played really well with all his contrasts that made us as audience feel that we were afraid.
This year there had been so far two adaptations from Stephen King´s books which were “The Dark Tower” which was awful and is one of the worst movies of this year and “It” which is one of the year´s biggest surprises of the genre.
One thing that you might now is that there is going to be a sequel and I love this idea that are going to be two movies which is a smart thing and makes us to want more.
I put this version of “It”, with movies like “The Shining”, "Stand By Me", “The Shawshank Redemption” and “The Green Mile” as one of the best adaptations of a Stephen King novel into film.
“It” is one of the scariest movies of this year and I highly recommend it for Bill Skarsgard´s performance as Pennywise, the filmmaking and the screenplay.