(As written in October 2017)
The 2017 coming of IT was 135 minutes of sheer modern-horror brilliance, and I don’t say that lightly.
I saw the 2017 film within it’s first week in theaters, and in the time that’s passed I’ve tried to find even one qualm I have with it — just a singular thing that drove itself under my skin and struck up my irritability. I haven’t been able to find anything.
That alone should tell you more than any written review ever could.
It’s important though, for context, to gauge what came before this movie and understand the bar that was set 27 years ago.
The original screen adaptation of IT was released in 1990 — eleven months after I was born. Prior to my preparation for seeing the 2017 rendition, I hadn’t seen the original mini-series in its entirety as an adult. While I enjoyed it in my youth, I think it’s important to note the last time I saw IT, I was a 14-year-old ninth-grader and roughly a month away from being dumped by my first boyfriend. To be clear — the last time I saw this movie, I was so delusional and misguided, I was actually deep in the closet and dating dudes. All things considered, it’s fair to say my perspective was a tad bit skewed.
Times have certainly changed.
While the years have felt long and many things have faded from my memory in that time, my feelings towards the hilarity of most aspects of the original film hasn’t. The 2017 release would have to make copious mistakes and fall a very long way to not feel better by comparison.
From the moment the story begins and U.S.S. Georgie undergoes assembly, you’re pulled into just how different this variation of IT feels from its 1990 predecessor. Bill seems to love Georgie even more this time around — and that intensity doesn’t stop with the ill-fated brothers. The love and affection between every character isn’t just expressed through plot mechanics or outright said in throwaway lines. (I’m lookin’ at you, 1990 Young Eddie and your blasé delivery of “Bill’s my best friend. He’s a really great guy.”) The connections in this world are palpable, and the character treatments manage to feel fresh while still walking the line of familiarity. The most critical role that needed to be handled with care, though, was Pennywise. If this movie had any hopes of being successful, it would need to get Pennywise right.
Ladies and gentlemen, I’m thrilled to report Pennywise was more right than my wildest horror dreams could have imagined.
I knew going into it there would be major differences in the approach to Pennywise. That was something universally expected. Where Tim Curry’s Pennywise was equal parts creepy, gruff, and macho, Bill Skarsgård manages to take the Dancing Clown down a dark path of what can only be described as a maniacal villain demonstrating pure, unhinged insanity.
While Skarsgård’s Pennywise would steal the show in any other horror movie, the team behind this film ensured he never stole the light from the real focus of the film: the children.
In my outrageous excitement for a frightening clown leading up to my first viewing, I didn’t even consider how much richer the characters comprising the Losers’ Club could feel. To be frank, this film made me care about the kids — enough to make me genuinely invested in their futures as adults.
Each character gets their moment to shine and an arc that parallels their unique journeys of loss, gain and maturity — all of which intertwine with what each Loser fears most.
The 1990 adaptation of Stephen King’s novel shows IT in three main forms — a clown, a werewolf, and an outrageously laughable giant spider. This film, however, pulls a page from the original novel by having IT appear in several different forms — each one unique to each Loser. When Pennywise isn’t onscreen and peering into the depths of our souls with his fiery eyes, we’re getting a extensive look into what each of the Losers fears most.
One of the most notable difference in the 2017 rendition, however, is the difference in Richie’s biggest fear. Once afraid of werewolves, he’s now afraid of clowns. Cop out? I think not — especially considering Richie’s reputation as the jester of the group. This shift in fear creates an opportunity to get a better, deeper understanding of Richie’s character.
Is Richie afraid of clowns because he’s afraid of being a failure as a comedian, or is his humor and comedy a method to overcompensate for and cope with his fear of clowns?
IT tends to pose circumstances and thoughts similar to those throughout its runtime. While most don’t evoke existential questioning, they do leave you wondering whether the real villain of the film was the demon clown or the darker side of humanity (regardless of whether or not the adults of Derry are under the influence of IT).
This film is not without its flaws, but the few that exist are more subjective based on your prior connection to the IT story (i.e. if you’re a fan of the novel, or if you’ve pledged your allegiance to Tim Curry in the mini-series). For most, though, this movie stands strongly on its own two legs and shines as the premiere horror film of 2017.
Minus kids being inconsiderate youths and leaving their bikes in the middle of whichever street they happen upon.
