A superb, anxiety-inducing horror/supernatural thriller by Scott Derrickson, based off a Joe Hill short story, with great performances by the two child leads - Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw - and a scarily unhinged Ethan Hawke.
Heavier on the psychological suspense than true scary horror, the film took its time to establish its premise in the first act, but things got moving and the adrenaline started pumping once we hit the second act, and - boy oh boy! - the third act was just a non-stop, heart racing, pearls-clutching, twisty-bendy ride that led to, most importantly, a satisfying conclusion.
There were only one or two really good scares, but Derrickson had crafted an atmosphere that kept you engaged and almost constantly on the edge of your seats, and those good scares really earned their moments.
The screenplay was co-written by Derrickson and his frequent collaborator, C. Robert Cargill, and was unfortunately peppered with clunkers that was only saved by the actors’ delivery and Derrickson’s direction. Luckily, Hill’s story provided the backbone for the film and the premise itself was interesting enough to support the narrative through its 103 minutes runtime despite some of the unevenness. The atmospheric score by Mark Korven helped too.
Hawke was the biggest named star of the film and he reunites with Derrickson to create a psychotic villain that was creepy and unnerving and just evil. Although almost always hidden by a mask - a great and equally creepy mask! - Hawke still managed to exude an utterly menacing and terrifying presence through his speech, eyes and mannerisms. He was, at times, reminiscent of Tim Curry’s Pennywise. Especially with those damn balloons.
A brilliant theatrical experience with potential for a sequel, and for once, I might actually look forward to what could be next if it follows the two children.
No comments:
Post a Comment