The Menacing Terror of the Devil-Clown
By: Joya El-Aggar
Stephen King’s renowned and distinguished 1986 novel, IT, is brought back to life after a 27-year-long wait since its last picture production and the Egyptian community, for the most part, seems to love it.
The thriller, directed by Andy Muschietti, revolves around the story of seven children from the small town of Maine, England and how they overcome their fear of clowns.
The film’s protagonist, nine-year-old Bill, is driven by his desire to stop the evil clown, Pennywise, who killed his younger brother, Georgie.
Viewers are introduced to Pennywise in the first part of the film where the clown terrorizes and stalks Georgie in a scene that went viral.
The scene depicts Georgie looking for his paper boat which fell down a trench, only to find an ominous clown with red greasepaint stripes that trail from his eyes to his lips, like tears, staring back at him.
Each of the seven children encounter the clown in different ways, corresponding to their own particular fears, creating a menace that is both universal and spine-chillingly particular.
Spectators seemed curious and interested, all on the edge of their seats, intently watching every scene unfold. Not a single person checking their phones or chatting at the sides was in sight.
The movie sparked a plethora of conflicting opinions. While some viewers were more focused on how violent the movie was, others were overwhelmed with what they thought to be outstanding acting performances.
“I felt that I was the one being chased by the clown,” John Wafik, a 21-year-old horror movie enthusiast, told The Caravan.
On the other hand, other viewers believed the quality of production was the most powerful feature of the film. The use of creative visual effects, such as Penny materializing from a projector and bodies suspended in mid-air, add a 21st century polish to the ’80s hit.
“I was waiting to get scared, but it did not happen. I think it is a great movie, but for kids,” said Youssef Samaan, 25, who went to the movie with his younger sister.
The movie is R-rated and is restricted to anyone under the age of 15 due to its gory and bloody scenes and use of strong language.
However, some film critics believe that Muschietti succeeded in integrating humor and compassion in the film to add balance to the terror, evoking both the nostalgic sentiment of an ’80s kid-gang, like those featured in the contemporary series Stranger Things, alongside the deeper horror of a very primal children’s fear.
“[The movie] features a lot of suspense and blood. It did not give me the chance to feel bored or to check my phone because I did not want to miss a single scene,” Sarah Samaan, 15, who went to see the movie with her older brother for her birthday.
According to Stephanie Zacharek, a film critic for Time Magazine, nothing ever looks as terrifying on-screen as it does in our psyches when one is sitting alone with a book. She thinks that with IT, seeing is not the same as believing.
Egyptian cinema-goers, however, seem to anticipate the release of Hollywood horror and thriller movies due to the Egyptian film industry’s lack of investment or production in those specific genres.
“I hope one day the Egyptian film industry would be able to produce movies with such great production that feature actors with great acting skills,” Ahmed Attia, 27.
The film cost $35 million and earned $236.3 million within the first two weeks of its release. The movie had the highest-grossing R-rated release in history and the highest out sizing release in September 2017.
This is not the first adaptation of King’s best-selling novel. In 1990, the story was produced into a two-episode series that aired on ABC over two nights, November 18 and 20, attracting 30 million viewers in its premier.
