It (2017 film)

Based on the novel by Stephen King, It is the story of seven children who are terrorized by a mysterious clown as they deal with their fears. Directed by Andy Muschietti and screenplay by Cary Fukunaga, Gary Dauberman, and Chase Palmer, the film is a horror film that play into the disappearance of children where seven of them try to find out who has been abducting them. Starring Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer, Wyatt Oleff, Nicholas Hamilton, and Jackson Robert Scott. It is a riveting and intense film from Andy Muschietti.

Set in the late 1980s in a small town in Maine, the film revolves a series of disappearances that occur where a group of kids deal with this mysterious clown who feeds on the fear of children where seven misfits decide to confront the clown. It’s a film that play into these disappearances that has been going on for months as much of the story set in the small town of Derry, Maine in the summer of 1989 has these seven kids coping with what is happening as one of them believes that it relates to strange events in this town that occurs every 27 years. The film’s screenplay opens with an incident months earlier on October of 1988 where a young boy is chasing a paper sailboat where it falls into a storm drain where he sees this clown in Pennywise the Dancing Clown (Bill Skarsgard) and is never seen again.

For that boy’s older brother in Bill Denbrough (Jaeden Lieberher), he is consumed with guilt over what happened as he is determined to find out what happened to his little brother with the help of his friends in the foul-mouthed Richie Tozier (Finn Wolfhard), the hypochondriac Eddie Kaspbrak (Jack Dylan Glazer), and the Jewish mysophobe Stan Uris (Wyatt Olef) who are eager to have fun in the summer despite the presence of bullies that is led by the sociopathic Henry Bowers (Nicholas Hamilton). Denbrough later meet up with one of the new kids in town in the bookworm Ben Hanscom (Jeremy Ray Taylor) following a violent encounter with Bowers as they’re later joined by another outcast in Beverly Marsh (Sophia Lillis) who some believe is a promiscuous teenager that is disliked but is really a victim of sexual abuse from her father. During their investigation and finding answers in which Hanscom believes it all relates to incidents in the town that happened every 27 years. The group would include another outcast in the African-American homeschooled kid Mike Hanlon (Chosen Jacobs) who also sees strange things like the other kids that would play into their fears.

Andy Muschietti’s direction definitely owes a lot to films of the 1980s that involve kids embarking on their adventures yet it has elements that play into something that feels more grounded into the situation they’re in. Shot on various locations in Ontario as well as bits of Toronto as it play into this small town world where everyone kind of knows each other although Hanscom is still a newcomer who baffle librarians due to his interest towards books rather than do what other kids do during the summer. Muschietti definitely infuses that element of nostalgia that is prevalent as it is set mainly in the summer of 1989 where kids would go see the big summer movies of the time or go to an arcade. Muschietti’s usage of the wide shots would play into the vast look of the locations but also in scenes that play into the air of horror that includes the film’s climax involving Pennywise’s secret lair.

Muschietti would also use medium shots and close-ups that play into the interaction with characters that include the boys’ fascination towards Beverly as it adds to their fascination towards girls. Still, it’s an innocent moment despite the awful reputation Beverly has received forcing her to reveal some truths about herself while there are moments in the film that do have elements of humor. Muschietti also play into these chilling moments of violence that relates to the fear of these characters as it include scenes of each fear these seven kids have. Some of it is taken to great extremes while others are psychological as it would lead to this climax of the seven kids going into Pennywise’s lair to confront him but also confront their own fears. Overall, Muschietti crafts an evocative yet unsettling film about a group of outcast kids dealing with a mysterious clown who feeds on the fear of children.

Cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung does amazing work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of stylish lights for some of the interior settings in the day and night where it has a certain tone to it as well as exterior scenes set on a rainy day or at night as it help play into the sense of terror. Editor Jason Ballatine does excellent work with the editing as it uses rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense and horror. Production designer Claude Pare, with set decorator Rosalie Broad plus art directors Brandt Gordon and Peter Grundy, does brilliant work with the look of the mysterious house where Pennywise supposedly lives as well as his lair and the homes of the other characters in the film. Costume designer Janie Bryant does fantastic work with the costumes as it play into casual look of the kids without the need to establish too much of what kids wore in the 1980s.

Makeup designers Alec Gillis, Sean Sansom, and Tom Woodruff Jr. do incredible work with the look of Pennywise to create that air of creepiness and terror. Special effects supervisor Warren Appleby and visual effects supervisor Nicholas Brooks do terrific work with the visual effects with some of the movements of Pennywise as well as parts of his lair that play into its air of intrigue. Sound designer Paul Hackner and sound editor Victor Ray Ennis do superb work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere of the suspense as well as in some of the chilling moments for the horror set pieces. The film’s music by Benjamin Wallfisch is wonderful for its orchestral-based score that does have elements of synthesizers to play up to the feel of the 1980s while using heavy string arrangements to amplify the suspense and horror while music supervisor Dana Sano creates a fun soundtrack featuring a wide array of music from the Cult, Young MC, XTC, New Kids on the Block, Anvil, the Cure, and Anthrax.

The casting by Rich Delia is remarkable as it feature some notable small roles from Stephen Bogaert as Beverly’s father, Molly Atkinson as Eddie’s worrisome mother, Geoffrey Pounsett and Pip Dwyer as Bill and Georgie’s parents, Stuart Hughes as Officer Butch Bowers who is the father of the bully Henry Bowers, Steven Williams as Mike’s stern grandfather Leroy, Ari Cohen as Stan’s rabbi father, Joe Bostick as the local pharmacist Mr. Keene, Megan Charpentier as Mr. Keene’s daughter Gretta who bullies Beverly, the trio of Owen Teague, Logan Thompson, and Jake Sim as friends of Henry Bowers who are also bullies, and Jackson Robert Scott as Bill’s younger brother Georgie who would be the first to be captured by Pennywise in a chilling moment of the film that is intense to watch. Nicholas Hamilton is terrific as the school bully Henry Bowers as a sociopathic kid with a penchant for violence as he likes to terrorize others for how different they are including Mike because he’s an outcast.

In the roles of the group of outcast kids known as the Losers, there’s Wyatt Oleff in a superb performance as the Jewish mysophobic Stan Uris as a kid who is afraid of a lot of things including a painting that comes to life as his biggest fear while Jack Dylan Grazer is fantastic as the hypochondriac Eddie Kaspbrak who doesn’t like germs and is allergic to a lot of things as he would have an encounter with Pennywise that is scary while coming to grips with his fears. Chosen Jacobs is excellent as the homeschooled student Mike Hanlon as an African-American kid who delivers meat to stores as he is among the first to see Pennywise while dealing with Bowers. Finn Wolfhard is brilliant as Richie Tozier as a foul-mouthed kid in big glasses who says nasty things while admitting to having a fear of clowns while Jeremy Ray Taylor is amazing as the new kid Ben Hanscom as a bookworm who gathers a lot of the information of the town as he believes something terrible is the reason for these disappearances.

Sophia Lillis is incredible as Beverly Marsh as a teenage girl who is given a seedy reputation in the town which is untrue as she deals with the abuse she receives from her father while she helps the boys in dealing with Pennywise. Jaeden Lieberher is marvelous as Bill Denbrough as a teenager who is trying to find the whereabouts of his little brother while learning about Pennywise as he is the leader of the Losers in some respects in his determination to find truth and make sure no more disappearances happen. Finally, there’s Bill Skarsgard in a phenomenal performance as Pennywise as this dancing clown that is the manifestation of the fears of children where he lives for those fears where it’s a small yet effective performance that has Skarsgard play up to the air of terror that he brings in the film.

It is a sensational film from Andy Muschietti. Featuring a great ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, uncompromising approach to violence and terror, a chilling music score, and a compelling premise set in the late 1980s. It’s a film that is definitely bear many of the horror tropes expected from the mind of Stephen King while also studying the idea of fear, guilt, and confrontation of those things from the perspective of seven kids who don’t fit in with the ideas of society. In the end, It is a spectacular film from Andy Muschietti.

It-Chapter Two

© thevoid99 2018

Midnight Special

Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, Midnight Special is the story of a man and his son who escape a religious cult when it’s revealed the boy has special powers where the cult as well as federal authorities try to go after the two. The film is a sci-fi adventure of sorts set in the American South as a father and his friend try to go to a mystery destination for this boy where they would later receive help from the boy’s mother. Starring Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, Paul Sparks, Jaeden Lieberher, and Sam Shepard. Midnight Special is a thrilling yet touching film from Jeff Nichols.

Set in the American South, the film revolves a man who had kidnapped his son from a religious cult as he gets the help from an old friend in taking them to a secret destination where they’re chased by federal authorities and members of the cult. It’s a film that is about a father trying to help his son while wrestling with the fact that his son does have these special powers that can’t be described as the boy is also somewhat immune to sunlight. They’re later joined by the boy’s mother who was excommunicated from the church as she tries to cope with her son’s weakened state while helping her estranged husband and his friend in evading the authorities. At the same time, a FBI analyst tries to uncover the mysteries as he would make some major discoveries of his own.

Jeff Nichols’ script doesn’t exactly try to create something that is just a film that blends sci-fi, adventure, family drama, and as a road movie. It’s also a film that has a lot into what is at stake as the boy Alton (Jaeden Lieberher) has to wear goggles and is immune to daylight where he, his father Roy (Michael Shannon), and Roy’s childhood friend Lucas (Joel Edgerton) have to travel at night and stop before dawn where they would cover motel windows via cardboard and duct tape. Lucas, a state trooper, would use a radio to hear police reports and find ways to evade them as he wonders what is going on where he too realizes what is at stake where the three cope with the fact that there is very few they could trust including Alton’s mother Sarah (Kirsten Dunst) who hadn’t seen her son in years. The FBI believe that Alton is a weapon as they want to catch him and see what he is about but there are also members of this cult who see Alton as a savior and had used his words and such as gospel.

The script also plays into the mysterious elements of Alton’s powers as his eyes would light up mysteriously for unknown reasons as Alton himself has very little idea on what he is. Even as Alton and his entourage are baffled by what they encounter and what Alton has done where Roy is trying everything he can to protect him where the two would later make a discover on where Alton needed to go and what he is. Adding to the suspense are the FBI where they bring in an analyst named Paul Sevier (Adam Driver) who is asked to work for the authorities but is really someone that is just an observer who would make a discovery of where Alton and his entourage is going. All of which would play into not just elements of mythology but also in humanity itself where a group of people are trying to do what is right in a world that is very complicated.

Nichols’ direction is quite entrancing for the way it presents a film that bends all sorts of genres but is grounded into a modern world without the need of being futuristic or anything. Shot largely in New Orleans as part of the American South where it would take place from East Texas to Florida, the film does have something that is homegrown of a world that Nichols is very familiar with where he doesn’t go too far into the world of fantasy and mythology. With its usage of wide and medium shots for the locations, Nichols also maintains an intimacy with the latter and in in the close-ups as it relates to not just the journey at hand but also the relationship between Roy and Alton which is the heart of the film. Even as there’s scenes in the second act where Roy and Alton cope with the danger of being chased as well as the latter being ill as he has a revelation of what he has to do to survive.

The direction is also quite ambitious in not just creating the air of suspense as it relates to the authorities that are involved from the FBI and military who try to stop Roy, Alton, Lucas, and Sarah but also in the fact that they know they’re being chased with news coverage being shown on televisions. Some of the scenes that involve Alton’s mysterious powers are have an air of realism including moments that are big yet Nichols keeps it grounded so that it wouldn’t overwhelm the story. The film’s climax is quite ambitious as it relates to something mythological but it also play into what is at stake about the bond between father and son as well as what a few people would do to make things right. Overall, Nichols crafts an exhilarating yet gripping film about a few people trying to get a boy to an unknown destination away from people who want him for their own reasons.

Cinematographer Adam Stone does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography with its usage of natural lights for many of the exterior scenes in day and night along with bright lights for moments where Alton‘s eyes light up and some of the interiors in the way they‘re lit inside the motel rooms. Editor Julie Monroe does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense and action. Production designer Chad Keith, with art director Austin Gorg, set decorator Adam Willis, and set landscaper Austin T. LeValley, does fantastic work with the look of the authority bases and rooms as well as the look of the cult ranch which Roy was a part of.

Costume designer Erin Benach does nice work with the costumes as it is mostly casual with the exception of some of the dresses many of the women in the cult would wear. The visual effects work of Cody Brunty is terrific for a few sequences that are driven by effects as it plays into the gifts that Alton carries. Sound designer Jeremy Bowker and sound editor Will Files do superb work with some of the sound effects that occur in the film along with the mixing of naturalistic sound to play up the atmosphere of whatever location the characters are at including the truck stops. The film’s music by David Wingo is incredible as it is largely an electronic score with some ambient textures and bass-driven synthesizer pieces that do play into the sci-fi elements in the film while the soundtrack also features music ranging from country to ranchero.

The casting by Francine Maisler is great as it features notable small roles from Bill Camp as the cult leader’s second, Scott Haze as a cult member helping out in finding Alton, Sharon Garrison as Sarah’s mother, David Jensen as a former cult member who brings shelter to Roy, Lucas, and Alton, and James Moses Black as a military officer working with the FBI in trying to find Alton. Sam Shepard is superb as the cult leader Calvin Meyer who is also Roy’s father as he is eager to get his grandson back for his own selfish reasons. Paul Sparks is excellent as FBI agent Miller as a man that is trying to find Alton while wondering if Alton is a threat to national security. Adam Driver is fantastic as FBI analyst Sevier as this man that interviews cult members and try to decode things where he makes a discovery which would be crucial for everything that is going to happen as it’s a very restrained performance with dabbles of humor.

Kirsten Dunst is amazing as Sarah as Alton’s estranged mother who hadn’t seen in him years as she helps out in the escape and going to their secret destination as well as coping with the years she had been away from her son and the things she knows about Alton’s condition. Joel Edgerton is brilliant as Lucas as a childhood friend of Roy who helps out in the journey as he tries to understand what is going on while being someone that can be helpful and do what is right. Jaeden Lieberher is phenomenal as Alton as a young boy with a special gift that deals with his situation as he tries to understand what is going on while being aware of what he can do where it’s a performance that manages to be a lot of things and a whole lot more. Finally, there’s Michael Shannon in a remarkable performance as Alton’s father Roy as this man that was once part of a cult as he tries to save his son from being something he’s not while providing a realism that is compelling such as the fact that he enjoys worrying about his son as it’s a very soulful and moving performance from Nichols.

Midnight Special is a sensational film from Jeff Nichols. Featuring great performances from Michael Shannon, Jaeden Lieberher, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, and Adam Driver as well as some dazzling visuals and David Wingo’s hypnotic score. The film is a fascinating genre-bender that does a whole lot more with its premise while creating something that appeals to a wide audience as it relates to the concept of family. In the end, Midnight Special is a riveting and enchanting film from Jeff Nichols.

Jeff Nichols Films: Shotgun Stories - Take Shelter - Mud - (Loving (2016 film)) - The Auteurs #58: Jeff Nichols

© thevoid99 2016