Review – It
It is my favorite kind of horror movie in that it is a horror movie that doesn’t rely on it’s scares to be a good movie. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of scares in this movie, but that isn’t what warrants the high rating. What drives It to horror excellence is the coming of age story hidden beneath the terror. This is a movie about love, friendship and conquering your fears.
In the summer of 1989, a group of bullied kids, who call themselves the Losers Club, are being haunted Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård), an evil spirit that has taken the form of a carnival clown. The kids must come together and overcome their biggest fears in order to defeat Pennywise.
Director Andy Muschietti has officially solidified his stamp on the horror genre. Giving us a taste of his talent in 2013’s Mama, Muschietti shows us what he is really capable of and it is something special. Adapting any Stephen King novel is tricky because his books are so dense. Some end up great, like Stand By Me (1986) and The Shawshank Redemption (1994) and some end up not so great like Secret Window (2004) or this year’s Dark Tower. It lands on the great end of Stephen King adaptations. Muchietti fleshes out his characters while also haunting our dreams and ruining any sort of goodwill we had towards clowns. Though he uses a few too many camera tilts to heighten more intense moments, this movie is expertly crafted, really throwing us into the time period of 1989 and giving us some striking images and a haunting score that really elevates the mood.
Not taking anything away from the legendary Tim Curry, who originally played Pennywise in the 1990 T.V. version of It, but this version of Pennywise is far scarier and menacing. Besides his giant stature next to these kids and his overall creepy look, what makes Pennywise so scary is that his motivations and who or what he actually is are never revealed. He is just en entity of sorts that haunts these children and we do not know why. He just shows up and starts kidnapping children without cause. It is the mystery that makes him terrifying.
The mystery of Pennywise and his lack of depth allow the movie to focus on the Losers Club, which is really the backbone of the movie. Led by a wonderful cast of young talent who all have star potential, these kids really convey the themes of friendship and overcoming your fears. The fears vary from kid to kid and they aren’t all incredibly personal. For some of the kids, it is the fear of clowns or germs, for others it is something deeper, like maturity or the loss of a loved one. These are all fears that we as humans all go through. We go through traumatic experiences in life and all have general fears. But it is getting past them that make us grow and make us mature and it is with the help of friends and family that help us get through these tough times. This is the heart of It. We feel for these kids and want these kids to defeat Pennywise because we have been these kids and in some cases, we are these kids.
It is not only a great horror movie, but it is a great movie, period. It features outstanding performances, excellent techs, emotional themes, and of course, it will scare the hell out of you.
Did you see It? What did you think? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter and Instagram, @kevflix, or on Facebook by searching Kevflix.