Stephen King’s “It” Reboot Terrorizes All Moviegoers

Clown fearers beware: IT delivers quite the scare in this incredible story filled with plenty of thrills and chills.
After jumping between three different directors over the course of six years, the 2017 adaptation of Stephen King’s 1986 classic novel “IT” has finally crept its ways into cinemas around the world. Breaking records with its over $117 million opening weekend sales, this film has been praised for its incredible narrative, haunting visuals, and outstanding cast. And after watching this film, I’m here to tell you that all the hype and anticipation was worth it.
Growing up there were two things I loved the most: reading comics and watching scary movies with my Dad. Watching Halloween, Creepshow, as well as seemingly hundreds of other haunting films over the years has given me both a love for the Horror genre and a bit of a tolerance. Not much reaches out to me as “scary” as much as it may for others. And the last time we saw this novel come to life was in 1990, when the miniseries was released starring the legendary Tim Curry as the haunting clown. Being a big fan of the original, I was skeptical if this film would hold up. And it did just that.
This film can be described with one word: haunting. I was blown away at what an amazing job they did. Not only did they keep the feel of the novel, but they also were able to deliver their own strong adaptation of the story. Honestly, calling this film a “scary” movie isn’t giving the film enough credit. Sure there are points where things lunge towards at you and loud noises that startle you. But what this film does better than scares… is terror. Building up your fears as you watch: the uneasiness grows inside with every second passing. You never feel safe, and your guard is always up while your heart beats out of your chest with every noise.
While the kids do a truly remarkable job in this film, and are a major reason to watch it, Bill Skarsgård steals the show as the malicious, wicked and utterly terrifying Pennywise. Tim Curry’s Pennywise is pushed to the shadows after Bill’s performance, something that hasn’t really been seen since Heath Ledger’s Joker adaption made people forget about Jack Nicholson’s. He is unpredictable, maniacal, and downright horrifying from his look to his laugh. Bill succeeds at capturing the feel of the creature, waiting in the shadows for the fear of his victims to overwhelm them before he strikes.
This is a incredible film, a classic in the genre. It offers so much more than just copying and pasting the original with its remarkable visuals, creative storytelling, and outstanding performances from everyone who was a part of this production. This film has left its mark in the genre, one that’s not going anywhere anytime soon. I give the incredibly haunting reboot of Stephen King’s IT 9 missing children out of 10.