Movie Review: IT

By: Czarina Louise Sunga

We all float down here. If you have coulrophobia or fear of clowns, this film isnt for you.
Though the mammoth novel has been reduced to a few indelible images and quotes over the
decades a killer clown, a balloon, youll float too, nothing ever looks as scary as it does in
your mind when youre sitting alone with a book. Stephen Kings IT is the blockbuster
adaptation of the formers novel about a child-eating clown who has the ability to shape shift into
its preys worst fear. The novel was previously adapted into a 1990 mini-series, directed by
Tommy Lee Wallace. The King of Horror, Stephen King, is absolutely blown away of the
remake. He even sent the director, Andrew Muschietti, a mail stating he was terrified of the
movie. The brilliant mind of Stephen King has inspired many directors to make film adaptations
of his novels such as, The Shining, Carrie, Misery and IT.

This years remake of the iconic film classic becomes the highest grossing horror film of all
time. Focusing entirely on the childhood-set portions of Kings book, it is a collection of
alternately terrifying, hallucinatory, and ludicrous nightmare imagery; a sometimes jarring pileup
of moods, ranging from haunted house horror to nostalgic hangout humor; a popcorn movie
about gruesome child murders; a series of well-crafted yet decreasingly effective suspense set
pieces; and a series of well-acted coming-of-age sequences that dont quite fully mature. IT
looks poised to slay the box office, but theres a fundamental hollowness that haunts the film just
as surely as the titular monster haunts this small town.

At its best, its entertaining evocation of the way kids think and talk within their little cliques,
and the way they protect one another with fierce and loyalty. Its the end of the 1988 school year
in Derry, Maine, a town full of secrets, and a bunch of nerdier-less popular kids who are looking
forward in spending a nice summer outside without getting picked on by bullies. Theres an
asthmatic mothers boy, Eddie Kaspbrak (Jack Dylan Grazer), gangly jewish kid Stanley Uris
(Wyatt Olef), a comedian Richie Tozier (Stranger Things Finn Wolfhard), and the leader of the
group Bill Denborough (Jaeden Lieberher). Their group, self-named the Losers Club,
gradually grows to include Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor), a shy new kid who spends his time in the
library, and Mike (Chosen Jacobs), a home-schooled loner. The biggest disruption, however,
comes with the addition of Beverly (Sophia Lillis), a supremely confident, chain-smoking
tomboy eager to escape her abusive home life. But Wolfhard all but steals the show as the gangs
cheerful antagonist Richie. Best known for his turn last year in Stranger Things the 14-year-
old unleashes tons of profanity and stupid-clever teenage jokes with infectious panache.

One by one, IT (a pronoun that gradually becomes a proper noun) appears to each of the Losers
in a variety of disguises, toying with them just long enough to scare them witless before
transforming to its default form of Pennywise. Eventually, the kids all admit to one another that
they are having the same experiences, and bookish Ben connects the sinister goings-on to similar
eruptions of violence throughout the history of Derry, a town where mysterious tragedy appears
to strike every 27 years. The original film was actually released in 1990s and the remake is
released 27 years after .Coincidence? I think not.

Of course, Tim Currys role as Pennywise is one of the iconic horror classic monsters and is now
played by Bill Skarsgard in the remake film. Skarsgards starred in Allegiant, Atomic Blonde
and also Netflixs Hemlock Grove as a blood thirsty, sadistic vampire. He is also one of the
Skarsgard brothers. His brilliant performance was absolutely praised by people. Who would
expect that pretty face could scare the hell out of people? Skarsgard stated in the interview that
he even made children cry during the filming of his scenes.

Overall, this years IT remake is bloody successful, one of the most unique film that terrorizes
you psychologically. With the mind of the King of Horror and the amazing talent of Andrew
Muschietti, this made the film a must watch for movie lovers, and of course, for Stephen Kings
fans.