Movie Review: It

Pennywise the dancing clown may be one of the creepiest creatures in any scary movie, and this new telling of “It” gives him an ultra Victorian look that just adds to the horrifying identity even more. 

I haven’t been to a proper scary movie in so long, having been pretty unimpressed with the typical horror film styles that continue to be released. I went through a big scary movie phase when I was in high school, where I watched a bunch of the old classics for the first time, but I always avoided “It” because it looked more than a little traumatizing.

Before watching this film though, I finally did sit down to watch the 1990 miniseries. This gave me a good basis of what to expect from the story, especially as I have never read the Steven King novel (but know of a few differences). Honestly, the mini series made me laugh more than anything. The laughter was filled with anxiety of never wanting to personally encounter Pennywise myself, but the story was different than I had expected. The scares itself were much more sinister and icky than actually scary. 

The horror element to this story doesn’t do too much for me, especially given that Pennywise’s appearances in the film are actual pretty minimal. What really works for the film is the group of kids who lead the story as they deal with Pennywise as it transforms into their worst fears. Similar to retro kid friend groups like The Goonies, The Mighty Ducks, The Sandlot, Stranger Things, etc., It features a group of spunky kids who manage to get themselves into some pretty precarious situations. While their stories are more troubling and traumatizing than more family-friendly stories featuring children, the actors portraying these kids had wonderful chemistry and ultimately were the reason I enjoyed the film. The group of seven kids were able to bring heart and soul to the “Loser’s Club,” creating a more memorable collection of moments than the original mini series. While they have deafened Pennywise for now, It will return again and I wonder if the adult versions of these characters will be near as interesting.