A blind man reports on an eclipse, a light phenomenon that he perceives through senses that do not involve sight. He takes us by the hand and guides us through the dark, through this temporary event that transforms the world as we know it.
- Released: 2017-09-06
- Runtime: 135 minutes
- Genre: Fantasy, Horror
- Stars: Jaeden Martell, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer, Wyatt Oleff, Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hamilton, Jake Sim, Logan Thompson, Owen Teague, Jackson Robert Scott, Stephen Bogaert, Stuart Hughes, Geoffrey Pounsett, Pip Dwyer, Molly Atkinson, Steven Williams, Elizabeth Saunders, Megan Charpentier, Joe Bostick, Ari Cohen, Anthony Ulc, Javier Botet, Katie Lunman, Carter Musselman, Tatum Lee, Edie Inksetter, Kasie Rayner, Isabelle Nélisse, Neil Crone, Sonia Gascón, Janet Porter, Roberto Campanella, Kate Moyer, Kelly Van der Burg, Martha Gibson, Jocelyn Mattka, Don Tripe, Liz Gordon, Paige Rosamond, Memo Díaz Capt., Chantal Vachon, David Katzenberg
- Director: Andy Muschietti, Anouk de Clercq, Tom Callemin
Comments
- CinemaSerf - 29 May 2024
It
Every 27 years, the town of Derry experiences sudden, violent and inexplicable mayhem. In 1989, a group of school children rather unkindly called "The Losers Club" decide it is for them to investigate just what has happened. Led by "Bill" (Jaeden Martell) whose younger brother was a victim, these brave kids are soon on the trail of the shapeshifting "Pennywise" - a being from another dimension who frequently takes the shape of a clown. Question is - are these youngsters any match for this lethal and despicable foe? Andy Muschietti has done well here with this film. He manages to combine the more traditional spookiness of the old dark house, with a group of likeable characters who demonstrate the benefits of trust and teamwork as they take on this evil. As with most good horror films, the seemingly invincible must have a weakness, otherwise the plot becomes unsustainable - and this one allows the youngsters to define and exploit this whilst still maintaining enough shock moments and sense of menace to keep the thing interesting. The dialogue isn't the best, but that is not so important here - it's still a really well paced and genuinely scary story that engenders fear from something so outwardly benign as a clown - normally the symbol of joy and happiness. I rarely jump at the cinema nowadays, but this does work! - LargeTortoise - 21 February 2024
A Good Modernization
So let's get to the point. This is better than the old adaption.
As a King fan who loves his brand of gritty off the cuff supernatural writing, the original adaption left a lot to be desired. That desire was mostly a technological problem. The 2017 adaption is better because it is more true to the essence of Pennywise and the essence of the spooky that occurs in the book. The book is haunting because it is gritty. It captures a twisted replication of childhood and forces it through a lens that only the weirdness of Stephen King can. This adaption captures that a little better than the original adaption. The book has its faults of course but I personally think this is a better adaption for it. Skaarsgaard is truly phenomenal and the kids actors are all on point. Watch this version before the other.
If you have read the book recently and are new to the adaptions, I would genuinely recommend the original adaption before this new one. You will enjoy it a great deal more if you see it before the new one. If you have watched the new one and not the original, I would only recommend it for the legendary Tim Curry and as a die hard fan of the writer.
