I had been waiting to see Andy Muschietti‘s adaptation of Stephen King’s novel It ever since the trailer for the film got released – there was something about the creepy music that gave me chills. Since I was young I’ve had an aversion to clowns, not to the extent of a phobia but they have always made me feel slightly off. Stephen King (who I am a huge fan of) adaptations are usually hit or miss, but I had high hopes for this particular one. The choice of casting, which I will touch on later, was spot on for me, and I was particularly looking forward to seeing Finn Wolfhard of Stranger Things’ performance as Ritchie Tozier. Although the film wasn’t as scary as it could have been (with a lot of reviews criticising the overuse of jump scares and excessive CGI), it still packed a punch when it came to creepiness, heart, and 80s summer vacation nostalgia.
It is set in the quiet town of Derry, Maine in 1989, where they are experiencing a peculiarly large number of children going missing. With summer vacation approaching, Bill Denbrough (the leader of a group of misfits called the Losers who are regularly bullied), played by Jaeden Lieberher, embarks on a mission to discover the truth behind the disappearances – in particular his younger brother Georgie (played by Jackson Robert Scott), who went missing a year prior. We see in the opening scene that Georgie in fact disappears after an encounter with Pennywise the Dancing Clown (played by Bill Skarsgard), a mysterious entity who takes the form of a friendly, children’s entertainer to lure children into his grasp. The Losers Club, consisting of abused Beverly Marsh (Sophia Lillis), foul-mouthed Ritchie Tozier (Finn Wolfhard), new kids in town Mike Hanlon (Chosen Jacobs) and Ben Hanscom (Jeremy Ray Taylor), nervous Stanley Uris (Wyatt Olef), and hypochondriac Eddie Kaspbrak (Jack Dylan Grazer), are forced to confront their biggest fears as they discover the truth about the demonic Pennywise and venture into his lair.
First let me start off by saying that a huge positive of this film for me was the casting – Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise was excellent, bringing a menacing, bizarre, energetic take to the character. I have seen various debates online about which portrayal of Pennywise was scarier, Bill Skarsgard’s or Tim Curry‘s in the 1990 adaption of the novel – but in my opinion, they both brought something unique and completely their own to the role. What I love is watching the press interviews with Bill Skarsgard on talk shows following the release of the film, showing the stark contrast between the actor and the character he can transform himself into. Check those out on Youtube if you have spare time!
The performances of the children in the Losers Club also deserve a mention, with a few breakout stars in this film. I loved Jaeden Lieberher’s interactions with his brother Georgie as well as the rest of the kids in the film, showing that he was caring as well as showing he was a leader. The comedic relief came from Finn Wolfhard and Grazer, with their one-liners and quips being a highlight of the film for me. The kids all had such excellent chemistry with one another, and you could tell that the entire filming process would have reflected the story of It, that is, a summer vacation with friends (minus the killer clown, of course). I always love it when the cast of a film get along with each other off set, and to see the photos flooding social media of their time spent together just warms my heart.
Now, given the fact that the film had such a low budget of $35 million, Muschietti still manages to make a film that never feels cheaply made. This just shows that a film doesn’t necessarily need to have an enormous budget to be great. One of my favourite aspects of films is usually the soundtrack, and Benjamin Wallfisch does a fantastic job in creating the music for It, adding a whole new layer to the film’s tension-filled sequences. Another challenge that Muschietti faced when adapting King’s novel to the big screen is updating the time period from the 1950s to the 80s – and whilst this doesn’t alter the story all that much, this means the second chapter will most likely take place in the present day rather than in the 80s as is the original.
If I could think of any negatives of the film, it would be the lack of rhythm when it came to moving from scene to scene. It felt slightly repetitive, with each scene of “child senses something scary – sudden jump scare – out comes Pennywise in a different form” feeling quite disjointed. This led to It feeling less and less intense as each scene progressed, so I can understand why avid horror film fanatics were not pleased with the film. If you take it as it is, and see the film as a nostalgic coming-of-age story about a group of outcasts facing their fears together, then you will (as I did) enjoy the film. I think it is just safe to say that nothing ever is as scary on-screen as it is in our minds, and that is the biggest problem with adapting Stephen King novels into films.
That being said, It completely lived up to my expectations – yes, it was not as scary as it could have been, however it was funny, creepy, surprisingly heartwarming, and beautifully nostalgic. It was great how it was not a carbon copy of the original adaptation, throwing in some cheeky lines that appeal to modern day audiences (those jokes would not have flown back in 1990 for sure). It’s always tough to do remakes, with criticism being thrown around even before its release – particularly with fans who are partial to the original. But I feel like this was done right, and I am very much looking forward to the second chapter, where they will explore the Losers grown up 27 years later. I’m so excited to see what Muschietti does with the adult characters in their fight against Pennywise!
I give It a score of 8/10.
Over the last few years, Pixar has been criticised heavily for its decline in quality since its acquisition by Disney – however I am pleased to note that Coco has not only proven Pixar still has it, but has now become one of my favourite Pixar movies of all time. Not only are the visuals and colours amazing, but the narrative is truly heartwarming. I must admit, as is usual for me and Pixar films – I cried. Hard.
1Q92 