It (2017) No-Spoiler Review

Hey, guys! ❤ As promised, here is my post regarding the new film adaptation of Stephen King’s It. Please Note: There won’t be any spoilers, so any pics or gifs I post here will have already been released in the various trailers/ads. That said, let’s begin! *Cue the creepy clown music.*

Adaptations, reboots, remakes, etc can be really dividing when put to film. Especially ones concerning something like It, which traumatized so many people, either through the original novel, or Tim Curry’s portrayal of Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the 1990 TV mini-series. This left some pretty big shoes to fill for the new film adaptation just recently released. (“Big shoes”, get it? Because clown shoes are big. No? Okay, then, I’ll just excuse myself and take my leave.)

Anywayyyy, getting back on track. (It’s early and I am not properly caffeinated, so please bear with me.) I really enjoyed this movie, and it surprised me in a few ways. A major surprising factor for me was just how damn funny it was. The kids that make up the legendary “Losers’ Club” were great. I was really impressed by how well all the child actors did. How many times do we see kids cast in movies who fit the bill of the adorable child, but just really can’t act? That is not a problem in this movie. Far from it, actually. Each of the young actors has talent and range that allows them to flow easily between humor and terror and back again throughout the story. Excellent casting, in my opinion. Each of the “losers” has believable chemistry with one another, and their friendship really does add to the enjoyment of this film in a major way.

 And while speaking of acting, we of course cannot forget the central antagonist of the story, Pennywise, played by Bill Skarsgård. First of all, I was really happy that he and the creators of the movie chose not to try duplicating the feel of Tim Curry’s performance in the 1990 version. They went off in a different direction with the look and feel of the character, and I think that was smart. Otherwise, everyone would have just been non-stop comparing the two, and forgetting that these projects are completely separate entities revolving around the same original story. Of course they are going to be different. But when someone like Curry manages to traumatize an entire generation with his portrayal, it can be difficult for people to not expect the same of the next person to don the clown makeup.

Bill Skarsgård, I feel, did a great job with the character. As I mentioned before, I’m not particularly scared of clowns, but I really loved what he did throughout the film as Pennywise. He was interesting to watch, and the guy has a natural calling to the horror genre, as seen in this and Hemlock Grove. Plus, I love that he is an actor that chooses not to just get by on his “pretty boy” looks, which is always a plus in my book. 🙂 Go for those weird and/or challenging roles! That is what makes an actor memorable in my humble opinion.

Bill Skarsgård pre-clown makeup and the blood and tears of children.

The movie was fun to watch, and never dull or dragging. It’s more like a coming-of-age story with horror splattered in for good measure than a straight-up horror movie, and honestly, I think it made the movie all the better. And this is coming from someone who loves horror. It’s a good one to see in the theater if you can, and definitely worth watching.