It – Movie Review

It is a 2017 horror/drama film directed by Andy Muschietti, and is based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Stephen King. The film stars an ensemble cast consisting of Jaeden Lieberher, Bill Skarsgård, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer, Nicholas Hamilton and Jackson Robert Scott. It follows a group of kids dubbed “The Losers’ Club” in the summer of 1989 in the small town of Derry, Maine. As local kids start to disappear the group discovers a scary shape-shifting demonic entity named It, which has returned after 27 years of hiding.

Okay.. wow.. I never thought I would ever be this impressed by a horror film, but It definitely delivers. Not only has this film set a new standard for the horror genre, it has also set a standard for films in general as this film provides some of the best acting and character development that the world of film has ever seen. It is beyond just the standard horror flick that we’ve come to know and hate in today’s society and proves that there is still some worth in the horror category. Of course a film so great has to be talked about, so lets dive into it.

So the first thing that stood out in It was its beyond fantastic acting. Usually this is hard to come by when you have such a young cast, but holy cow these kids are fantastic! They not only have a great future ahead of them, but even right now they will have no trouble finding work in the near future. These kids are beyond amazing, and bravo to the casting director, as these kids fit their parts perfectly. I also wanted to touch on Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise as he was freaking terrifying, and has quickly become one of the greatest horror film icons that the big screen has ever seen. Each character in the film has great depth to them and a great story that honestly makes you want more from the film’s two and a half hour runtime. The cast has such a great amount of chemistry between them, and because of that we see some very convincing scenes as this almost feels like a documentary following a bunch of losers in middle school.

The tone and direction in this film was also fantastic as you really felt as if you were on a journey with these kids. It really doesn’t feel like a bunch of adults tried to make a movie about kids, as it felt like a bunch of kids made a movie for adults about kids. Confusing? Well the dynamic of the middle school atmosphere felt like it was ripped straight from my diminishing teenage memories. The cursing, the talking back, the curiosity about sex, all that jazz really added to the general feel of the movie and was key in helping the audience relate to these outcast kids. The film also does a good job at giving you a character who the audience can relate to on a personal level, which continues the great connection that this film has between its characters and its audience.

Along with great acting and tone, It features some truly horrifying moments that left me covering my eyes and clogging my ears. How’s that possible you may ask? I don’t know, but I will tell you that this film was terrifying to me. It embraces its heavy R rating with one of the most memorable cold opens, and continues the theme of violence and vulgar language in a way that provides impactful moments rather than a gore fest that brainless moviegoers mindlessly love to see. The film It is a truly scary film, and does this by providing suspense and tension instead of mind numbing jump scares.

Continuing on with things that absolutely blew me away about this film was the way it was beautifully directed. There were some great shots in this film that were elegantly crafted, and because of this I feel that It will end up being a timeless classic that will stand proudly next to films like The Shining and Halloween. Andy Muschietti’s fantastic work on this film will end up with him becoming a household name for the horror genre, and I can’t wait to see what he will end up doing in the future.

Now although this film has quickly become one of my all time favorite horror films, it still had some minor issues. Although this is by no means a short film, it also feels like it doesn’t give enough time for certain characters to have impact. There were a couple of characters that I felt had more of a back seat role, and I really wish the film had more time to expand on them and give them more story. There’s also some more minor issues with dialog matching mouths in some early scenes, but for the most part the editing seems pretty solid for what it’s worth.

Other than some really really minor issues I had with the film, It ultimately provided audiences with one of the greatest horror films that I think the genre has ever seen. The fantastic cast, characters, scares, and tone leaves this as one of my all time favorite movies, and a film I will have no problem watching in the years to come. Because of It‘s fantastic direction in its story, acting, and execution, I have decided to give It “Golden V’s” on theVade Review Bar. Chapter Two cannot come any faster, as it has me counting down the days until 2019, but until then I will just have to continue reviewing horror films with the constant line of, “Still not as good as It.”