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★★★
Directed by: #JackBLevy
Written by: #JackGeorge
Starring: #EmmaKenny, #JimmyMcCarthy, #ClementineBoggHargroves
A lot of clowning around in this short comedy film directed by Jack B. Levy. Stop IT! (pun intended) stars Emma Kenny and Jimmy McCarthy as two infuriated clowns looking to take matters into their own hands when the release of another IT film is imminent. The reason for their fury? The IT movies and original novel have caused insurmountable damage to their profession.
A bungling pair of inept robbers, our two clowns spend a good portion of the short film tripping over each other. Whether it is struggling to get the door open or miscommunication over how to deal with security when they arrive (Clementine Bogg-Hargroves), our two children's entertainers seem to have egg on their faces...or at least silly face paint.
Funny at times but in a hard-coded kind of way, Stop IT! seems to be heavily reliant on the script. The jokes are set up too carefully and whilst the plot is interesting, it is also puerile. The buffoonery of Jimmy McCarthy's character being the most obvious example, who edges too close to the "difficult to believe he's so thick" category.
There were some compelling moments in the #filmmaking and Levy shows boldness in keeping the whole piece filmed in the dark. At times this was a nuisance as the viewer is likely to want to see more of what's going on but overall it added tension to the atmosphere and brought some much needed groundedness to the otherwise immature antics.
The performances are underwhelming. There was little chemistry between the two main performers and each seemed to be going through a rehearsed set of instructions rather than any genuine narrative. Boggs-Hargroves gives probably the strongest turn, with a cackling kind of chaos that was compelling to watch.
As a warcry against remakes and reboots this could have been an appropriate way to approach it. The tomfoolery of the movie industry being likened to a circus is certainly something audiences would connect with given the current climate of baffling box office brainstorming. However, the story takes a different path and instead focuses on the seemingly tragic situation that can arise for a category of workers due to the effectiveness of a #horror film, causing viewers to fear them. It sadly renders the piece smaller and sillier.
Fairly innocuous fun that shows some decent filmmaking and at times some depth (the final sequence was particularly affecting). However, the laboured dialogue would seem a lot funnier on paper and without a palpable chemistry between the two central clowns this is one rodeo you can skip.
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