Stephen King is truly the master of horror. For those of you who think otherwise, I highly suggest picking up literally any of his books. He gets a bad rap from the "literature" community, but not only does he know how to scare the bejesus out of you, he's actually a great writer. His book On Writing changed my entire perspective of the craft of writing in general. Unfortunately, his books have a tendency to get adapted into really shitty films (Creepshow, Cujo, Christine, Children of the Corn, Firestarter, Sleepwalkers, Needful Things, Thinner, Dreamcatcher, Secret Window, Carrie [the 2013 version], Rest Stop, The Dark Tower). His non-horror films actually turn out alright (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, Stand By Me), but only a few of his horror novels have actually turned into stellar films (Carrie, The Shining, Silver Bullet, 1408, and obviously Misery). We've just been waiting to get a capable filmmaker to truly know what it means to adapt a King book and bring the terror King brings in his writing. The original IT was a TV movie back in 1990 and introduced us to a very iconic villain-- the demented clown Pennywise (played by the wonderful Tim Curry). And while the film itself is quite dated, it is still beloved-- and a remake-- especially with its new version of Pennywise-- had some large shoes to fill (no clown pun intended). Thankfully... we got our capable filmmaker.
The original film was three plus hours long and mostly adapted the entire book of over 1000 pages. However, it relied on the creepiness of its clown and circumstances rather than the graphic terror King wrote due to the fact that it was made for TV. Director Andy Muschietti (Mama) took over for True Detective producer Cary Fukunaga (who left the project due to disputes about how graphic he wanted to make the film-- though he still retains a writing credit) and has given us a very faithful and very ballsy adaptation of King's original novel. Thankfully, we aren't given a watered down version of the story (though due to King's natural ability to not give a single fuck, every adaptation of his is watered down). Hell, the movie begins with little kid Georgie finding our clown Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård), getting his arm graphically bitten off and his little body dragged into the sewer through a storm drain. A few months later, the town, and especially his brother Bill, are still feeling the effects of his disappearance. Not just from Georgie missing, but a large number of kids who have gone missing in the small town of Derry, Maine. Bill, and his friends, the self-proclaimed Losers Club, slowly start getting terrorized by horrifying entities manifested by Pennywise, who feeds off of what scares them the most. Once they realize what it wants from them, they now must band together to take down the clown before it gets them all one by one.
The original film covers the entirety of the story-- the first half focusing on the main characters as kids and the second half, 27 years later, on the kids as adults. This version of IT focuses on just the first half of the novel-- the battle of the Losers Club vs. the monster. This was a great choice-- not just for money-making purposes-- but because the story with the kids is widely regarded as being the stronger portion of the book. Had we been given an overly long singular film, we would've missed out on a lot of what makes the first half of the film great-- getting to meet and know our group, getting the personalized scares for each one, the personal growth of each one, the fun as well as the screams. Thankfully, Muschietti had the balls (and studio approval) to not hold anything back. Because it is darker, because it is more gritty-- it's a hell of a lot scarier, and it feels more real. These kids have some foul mouths, especially Finn Wolfhard's character (the child actor who you may remember most as the lead kid in Stranger Things). By allowing these kids to act the way kids really do (yes, young boys swear just as much as we do when we're not around-- I know... I used to be one). There's a sense of realism and camaraderie within the group that feels genuinely authentic, and by doing this we, as the audience, get to care about these boys even more than we would if they were watered down by a PG-13 rating.
We also get a more terrifying film. We get actual dread when any of the boys encounter Pennywise because a demon this sadistic isn't going to hold back either. He's going to rip off limbs, he's going to show them bloody carnage and incantations that PG-13 just can't effectively do. There are good horror movies that work better when the terror is off screen and your imagination freaks you out better than anything Hollywood could provide. However, IT is not that type of movie. IT is all about what visually scares you. IT is all about offering enough in-your-face visual fear that you actually shit your pants. This works about 80% of the time in this movie, which is plenty enough to give you the fear and chills you crave when purchasing a ticket. The other 20% doesn't work for various reasons (coming off as silly instead of scary, obvious CGI that could've worked just as well with creative make-up, etc.), but doesn't hinder the movie because it is surrounded by enough fright, it's very effective. And it is a very scary film. The techniques utilized by Muschietti are a combination of suspense, dread, and the occasional jump scare. You know me... I'm not one to really ever advocate for a cheap jump scare, but when they're earned due to the surrounding tension and they seize the opportunity to really GET you... I'm all for that. Plus, it makes the movie that much more fun as well.
There's also a good amount of humor peppered in between the scares. These boys really are quite enjoyable to watch and because they're so immature and self-deprecating, they're actually funny. When the people in my theater weren't screaming, we were also laughing hysterically. This is another King staple that most novice horror writers don't know how to organically accomplish-- good humor. None of this, though, would be as effective as it is if any of the boys were cast wrong. Each boy brings his (and one her) own uniqueness to the movie and to their respective characters. They could easily be stock characters, but we're given SEVEN wonderful young actors to lend their talent to a film that really just is the horror version of The Goonies or Stand By Me. Bill Skarsgård is the other shining achievement in the film. His Pennywise is just as frightening as Tim Curry's, without trying to imitate him. He brings in his own vision to the character so that it still serves the story without being a lesser carbon copy. All of the actors work to make the movie as good as it is.
If you're familiar with the original film, or even the book, then you know what to expect from this version. But know that it doesn't hold anything back. There are some truly disturbing images and scenes involving young kids, but it's not just played for shock-value. There is true depth to the story and to the characters. It's also a lot of fun to watch a film that has a very nostalgic 80s feel to it (the good 80s... you know the difference). IT is a very impressive horror film, and definitely the best of 2017 (and certainly one of the best Stephen King adaptations). It's one of those movies you'll be thinking about for awhile after seeing it, and as soon as it was over I was ready to watch it again. But be warned... it's not for the faint of heart... so bring fresh pants.
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