Social Icons

IT (2017)



IT (2017)



8/10



Starring
Jaeden Lieberher
Bill Skarsgård
Wyatt Oleff
Jeremy Ray Taylor
Sophia Lillis


Directed by Andy Muschietti


There was a lot of noise about this movie, and I have to say, it lived up to the hype.

If, like me, you were old enough to have seen the 1990 TV miniseries IT when it was released, your expectations for this movie will be high. I remember how much I loved Tim Curry’s performance in the original, and I was worried they’d mess up this remake. But I give kudos to the writers and the studio for deciding to do a remake twenty-seven years after the awesome 1990 miniseries—a timeframe that aligns with the novel’s tale of Pennywise, who returns to haunt the town of Derry, Maine, every twenty-seven years. Pennywise’s main dish? Children, whom he terrifies before devouring.

The movie is based on Stephen King’s 1986 horror novel of the same name. IT was his 22nd book and 18th novel. The plot focuses on the town of Derry, where local kids are mysteriously disappearing one by one, leaving behind bloody remains. A group of bullied kids, united by their horrifying encounters with a shapeshifting demon (who takes the form of a clown), decide to face their fears head-on and take down the clown. But are they ready to confront their deepest fears? That’s the question you’ll see answered when you watch this movie.


What makes this movie so thrilling is how Pennywise hunts the children individually, preying on their worst fears. The visual effects of these fear-induced scenes are genuinely freaky. These moments keep you on edge, wondering what the final outcome will be and hoping that death isn’t the fate of any member of The Losers’ Club.

Pennywise is played by Bill Skarsgård, a Swedish actor. While his performance is undeniably scary, what really makes this movie stand out is the visual effects—both of his character and the children’s phobias. These elements will freak you out to your core. I don’t recall the 1990 miniseries being half as scary or thrilling as this version, nor do I remember the visual effects being so compelling. This remake is designed to keep you glued to the screen with its thrills and terrified by its events.

The movie absolutely delivers on scares and atmosphere, but the pacing stumbles in the middle, with some scenes dragging so much without adding anything to the story. I feel like the character development is a bit uneven. You see, we get strong emotional arcs for some of The Losers’ Club, while others feel underdeveloped. Concerning Pennywise, while the portrayal is masterful, the heavy reliance on CGI in certain horror sequences pulled me out of the experience at times. Instead of being fully immersed in the scares, I found myself just admiring the effects.

This movie has been hailed as the best adaptation of any Stephen King book, and it’s been raking in cash at the box office, setting new records along the way. You have to go see this movie, especially in preparation for the sequel, which is set to be released in 2019.


0 comments:

Post a Comment

Disclaimer

All images featured on this site are the property of their respective copyright owners. They are used solely for illustrative and commentary purposes under fair use principles. This site is a personal blog, unaffiliated with or endorsed by any copyright holders. If you are the copyright owner of an image featured here and wish to have it removed, please contact me directly, and I will address your request promptly.