If I have to see one more horror movie with dolls, mannequins, or clowns scattered throughout a dark room while the killer hides amongst them, I might have to start Googling hotlines and calling therapists. When I saw It, based off a Stephen King novel but directed by Andrés Muschietti, I felt like I could not trust the people seated around me, not even my best friend. I haven’t felt that since I watched the first Conjuring movie.
This movie was less of a classic horror thriller and more of a rollercoaster of every genre imaginable. Feelings of pure disgust and immense fear were frequent. On the other hand, there were times that made me laugh hysterically, making me forget about the jump scare that just happened and unprepared for the gore that would take place thirty seconds later. On multiple occasions, regardless of having seen the trailer countless times, I had moments throughout this movie that made me audibly go, “woOOOOOAAHHH.”
The Loser Squad, consisting of young boys and a girl who we follow for the whole movie, stole my heart by the end of the movie. Not to mention, every single child actor blew me away. I can say with complete certainty that these kids have much more talent than half the adult stars in Hollywood today. Jack Dylan Grazer, the young actor who plays Eddie Kaspbrak, had a certain level of talent that proved to rise above and beyond. His character was not only one of the most relatable with his constant fear of literally everything, but he was also the most
convincing. Also, I have to admit, I am shamefully attracted to Bill Skarsgård, the surprisingly attractive man who plays Pennywise the Clown.
This is not a movie about kids vs. killer clown. This is a movie about kids vs. their biggest nightmare with the embodiment of a killer clown. That is what makes this story stand out from the rest of the horror movies out there. Within just a couple of hours, I ended up caring deeply for the safety of nearly all of the characters. This, of course, is excluding the two abusive fathers, the bullies, and the cringy perverts who totally deserved what they had coming for them. My few complaints revolve around some aspects being a bit rushed or forced. The speed of the friendships felt slightly unrealistic at times and some of the humor felt unnecessary and distracting. Also, considering how hard Bill Skarsgård worked to perfect his role as Pennywise, I would have liked to see more of his actual character shine through. Bill Skarsgård deserved more out of his hard work than having 90 percent of his screen time be jump scares. However, one can easily look past this, considering there are 1,138 pages of a novel to adapt, and to perfectly represent every detail would require years of work and more than just two movies.
If you go to see this movie, do not go alone. You’ll need a hand to grip onto and an inhaler like Eddie Kaspbrak. Don’t play in the sewers, or else you’ll float too

Print this entry