“It” Is a Hauntingly Original Take On The Horror Classic
I hate horror movies. I hate the cheap jump scares littered in the genre, I hate the plain gore meant to freak you out, and I just hate how it makes me feel. In fact, they’re the only genre of film that I regularly stay away from.
But I am happy to say “It”, directed by Andy Muschietti, was impeccable.
Starring some of the best child actors working today (Jaeden Lieberher and Finn Wolfhard) and Bill Skarsgard as the one and only “Pennywise the Clown”, the film takes a hit at the story of “The Losers Club” that has never been seen before.
Following the disappearance of many children in the city of Derry, six kids must team up to defeat an evil that lurks deep within their town.
As a middle schooler, I was obsessed with the character of Pennywise, finding him incredibly interesting and haunting. The original Tim Curry adaptation of it was iconic in my eyes, but Bill Skarsgard truly cemented himself as THE Pennywise. The technology is much more updated than in the previous film, allowing Pennywise to look like a creature rather than a costume. Everytime he was on screen I was engrossed by his look and the way he moved.
The Losers Club shone just as brightly as Pennywise. The film managed to create a comedic tone in the light of some gruesome, horrific, imagery. Finn Wolfhard is the stand out, giving his best performance in his short career.
When going to see a scary movie the most important question I have after seeing it is “Did it scare me?”. Did “It” scare me? Honestly, no. While I did jump a few times throughout the film, it never truly terrified me. Based on the friends I saw it with though, I am definitely in the minority.
The writing in this film was almost fantastic. Like I said before, they somehow managed to create a comedic tone inside a horror film, allowing for hilarious moments right next to scary ones. The writers also decided to split the novel into two movies, this one covering the children, and the second covering them as grownups (not a spoiler, was released by the filmmakers).
There was one main problem I had with the entire film, some members of the “Losers” club felt underdeveloped. For example the Jewish character or the farmer character. Both boys seemed to just be there. They focused a lot more time on Beverly, Bill, and Ben’s character. In the next film, I really hope to see each character get enough development so if somebody is in peril, we truly care about them.
“It” was an impeccable movie, the most fun I’ve had in a theatre all year. Is it the best film of the year? Not even close. The way they managed to keep me engaged and excited for ever turn made me want to see it three more times. Although, viewers beware, if you have coulrophobia (fear of clowns) I would HIGHLY recommend NOT seeing this film. Because “it” will haunt you.
Hello! My name is Maximillian Helfman and I love film. I am the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the online publication and have been on staff for two years. Apart...
Anish Tamhaney • Feb 25, 2018 at 12:30 pm
Max, I agree with your review! I love horror movies and I love concrete narrative. “IT” was one of those rare films that captured both. The movie included its fair share of jump scares and gore but the multitude of characters possessed depth and made me care for them. A well-executed and entertaining success.
Evan Waid • Nov 3, 2017 at 9:23 am
I’m Evan Waid and i have already saw the movie which already gave me a personal connection to this article. I really liked the way the writer of this article used IT many times in the article since that was the name of the movie. One thing i did not enjoy the most of this movie was the constant jump scares which was very scary and i did not enjoy. This article was very well wrote out and makes me want to watch the movie again.
Evan Waid • Nov 3, 2017 at 9:21 am
I’m Evan Waid and i have already saw the movie which already gave me a personal connection to this article. I really liked the way the writer of this article used IT many times in the article since that was the name of the movie. This article was very well wrote out and makes me want to watch the movie again.
Jackson Dobrusin • Nov 3, 2017 at 9:09 am
Hi I am Jackson Dobrusin and I’m in Miss Hammitt’s class and I think you wrote a very well piece. You did a great job persuading me to watch this movie. I’m on the same page as you! I really don’t like horror movies but this seems like a horror movie I would enjoy. The fact that they found a way to make a horror movie funny but not making it cheesy is what’s making me want to watch this movie.
George McLaughlin • Nov 3, 2017 at 8:47 am
Hello, my name is George Mclaughlin from Ms. Hammit’s Writing Through Literary Genres Class. I saw this movie almost a month ago now and I share the same opinions as you about the underdevelopment of characters in the movie. I thought the movie was just as good if not better than the original “It” movie. I believe the way you broke down the and explained the plot of the movie was very effective and interesting. Keep up the great work!
Hannah Suh • Nov 2, 2017 at 11:14 pm
Hi my name is Hannah and I am from Ms. Hammitt’s Writing Through Literary Genres class. To begin, I agree that this movie was flawless! I really like how you repeated the word “it” to emphasize the title of this movie while still delivering your point. Adding on, I love how you talked about what you enjoyed in the past in order to connect to what you are trying to say now. Your article is truly persuading and makes me want to watch the movie again!
Angelina Curti • Nov 2, 2017 at 7:00 pm
Hi, my name is Angelina and I am in a Literary Genres class. I related to this article a lot since I also don’t watch scary movies too often, but I was convinced by my friends to see the movie It! I really enjoyed the movie and I was shocked by the fact it didn’t scare me too much. However, the jump scares were definitely startling to me as well. I agree with what you said about the script being very well written with the comedy incorporated in the scary movie. I hope to watch it again in the future.
Kristofer Kissonergis • Nov 2, 2017 at 6:09 pm
Hello, my name is Kris Kissonergis, I’m in Ms. Hammit’s Writing Through Literary Genres Class. The past two months we’ve been learning about rhetoric. Let me say, you did a good job selling the movie “It”. You talked about the highs as well as it’s strengths as a movie. However, you did take time to talk about it’s weaknesses as a movie, and what you wish to see in it’s sequel. Overall, you did a fantastic job reviewing the movie “It”, and selling it for possible viewers.
Jaclyn Dedvukaj • Nov 2, 2017 at 9:25 am
Considering I dislike horror movies too, this movie is defiantly at the top of my favorites. I agree that the characters along with the writing of the film was amazing, it really kept my friends and I hooked. The comedic tone within this movie made me feel way more comfortable keeping my eyes open at times of horror!
Aaron Murray • Nov 1, 2017 at 8:16 pm
Hello, My name is Aaron and I am a student in Miss Hammitt’s Literary genres class that loves scary movies. The hook to your piece really caught my attention because it is not how I would expect a review for a movie of this genre to begin. Your use of anaphora in the beginning with the words “I hate” really made me wonder if your view would change after watching the movie. This made me continue reading your piece until the very end. I really enjoyed your review, great job.
Andrew F • Nov 1, 2017 at 1:54 pm
Hi my name is Andrew Faber and I’m from Miss. Hammitt’s English class where we have been talking about rhetoric. I am a huge horror movie fan and really enjoyed reading your review of “It”. You really captured the comedic as well as horror factor or the movie in your review. Great job!
Christian • Nov 1, 2017 at 12:12 pm
I really thought this movie was just gonna be another failure like ghostbusters, I was wrong. It brings out the best in horror films while it has comedy. I would recommend this show to people who enjoy a fun cast, and story.