“It” is yet another adaptation of a popular Stephen King novel and acts as a retelling of the popular 1990 TV mini-series. The film focuses on a small group of outcasts from Derry, Maine who have to face off against a shape-shifting entity, taking the form of a clown, as it begins to hunt and devour local children. When comparing this adaptation to the original, “It” (2017) far outshines its predecessor in terms of effects, plot and overall thrill factor, immediately grabbing the viewers attention with the classic, yet tragic, sewer scene. Be prepared, as this movie does not shy away from showing some very disturbing and violent imagery. Much of this violence happens towards children too, giving the movie a sort of edge that many others of its kind have not dared to try before.
With fantastic performances by many new up and coming child actors, and an absolutely chilling performance from Bill Skarsgård as the clown Pennywise, “It” was an absolute thrill from beginning to end. Tim Curry’s original Pennywise left Bill with some big, clown sized shoes to fill, but luckily he delivered and gave us an updated version of the titular clown that will haunt our dreams for years to come. There is time devoted to fleshing out the majority of the Loser’s Club, but there are a couple of kids who aren’t given enough time to shine, making them feel sidelined and underused. The director of the film, Andrés Muschietti, decided to only focus on the first half of the book, where all the main characters are still children, which was a smart decision as trying to successfully adapt all 1,100 pages of the novel into one movie would not accurately portray the story. As for the rest, well we’re just going to have to wait until “It: Chapter Two.”
The film manages to provide a unique mix of both horror and comedy due to a witty and well written script, leaving the audience screaming, as well as laughing, throughout. However, there are times and sequences where the comedic and horror aspects overlap, making it difficult to distinguish whether you should be scared or amused and thus creating unbalanced tonal shifts. But other than a few minor gripes, the film is still the best Stephen King adaptation to date. There’s a special feeling of extra care and quality with “It” (2017) that isn’t present in other King films, making this one of the better horror experiences of the year.
Joey Menendez // Editor-in-Chief
