EXCLUSIVE review: Ross Noble’s film debut, Stitches.

Stitches | Ross Noble

Directed by: Conor McMahon
Written by: Conor McMahon and David O’Brian
Featuring: Ross Noble, Tommy Knight, Gemma-Leah Devereux

On the surface of Ross Noble’s film debut lies a well-worn cinematic angle: a killer clown, played by comedian Noble, is out for revenge on a group of kids who take a prank too far.

Stitches is advertised as a horror/black comedy. As far as I’m concerned, it’s mission accomplished; though forget pigeonholing it into a genre. The film hits almost every beat in both horror and comedy, even stretching to the realm of fantasy beautiful visuals, well-executed gore, a few laugh out loud gags and, perhaps most importantly, a stunning execution of the narrative.

To give you an overview of the story, a slightly scary clown named Stitches (Noble) performs at a birthday party for a group of misbehaving kids, most of whom are absolute bastards. Stitches is clearly bored with his job, while the kids are only really interested in teasing the clown, who is inadvertently killed during a prank gone wrong. I’m sure you can imagine the rest…

Yet despite this basic narrative, you can’t help but be drawn in by Noble’s jarring clown. And credit due to Conor McMahon, too, the film’s writer and director; throughout Stitches he takes a series of risks – on every level, from the casting to the visuals – but they pay off. The end result is an edgy, credible piece of work; an entertaining and, at times, stunningly vile film enhanced to no end by the inclusion of Noble and his kooky mannerisms.

Here, Noble plays the clown as naturally as he does on stage. And with the limelight firmly on the North East’s king of comedy as he follows messrs Gervais and Evans into cinema, Noble does what he does best, leaving me, and the audience, in stitches.

Stitches will be released in UK cinemas this Halloween.