IT: Frighteningly Good

New+Line+Cinema

New Line Cinema

Nailah Brown, Staff Writer

One of the best movies of fall 2017 horror thriller flick “IT” directed by Andy Muschietti had the third largest opening weekend in 2017, busting into theaters on September 8, 2017. Based on the highly popular Stephen King novel of the same name, that has been haunting readers for years. Instead of tackling the whole novel at once, Muschietti portrays only the early years of King’s coming-of-age novel (Chapter One). The movies blood curdling start begins when a bloody, armless, and young Georgie Denbrough is dragged into a storm drain by the evil clown Pennywise. Plagued with grief and guilt, Georgie’s older brother Bill, becomes obsessed with finding his lost child. As summer vacation comes about, more children of Derry, Maine begin to disappear. A group of kids including Bill known as the “Losers Club” embark on the quest to the woods and into the sewers in search for answers.

The child protagonists in “IT” are outcasts and nerds, largely ignored and forced to find comfort in each other. They’re all hunted by a pack of ferocious and dangerous bullies victimized for their own personal entertainment. This group of kids set out to look for the corpse of Georgie, and along the way, they become each other’s emotional support, with all the intensity and simplicity that Stephen King always puts into creating the bond of childhood. And this film is a coming-of-age story, about the last days of innocence before unwanted adult realizations and responsibilities set in. Each of the main characters is haunted by the nightmares that Pennywise thrust upon them in order to feed on their individual fears. Mike sees visions of a tragic fiery accident from his childhood trauma; Stanley’s fear is induced by a horrible face that gazes upon him from a painting; Eddie, who is terrified of germs, is chased by “a walking infection”; and Beverly’s Carrie like fantasies with a bloody bathroom.

This movie provides a eye opening new take on horror films that never lets you take a breather. Every moment is filled with tension that you begin to crave so much that you wish it wouldn’t end. This movie nails what’s wrong with a lot of horror movies today. “IT” in my opinion brings back the old feel of horror movies with most of the film being original with some touch of the modern age computer-generated imagery effects. You can tell that it was there, however it was not so much that it was overly fake. This movie also takes a risky step in the killing of children. Something that most movies today shy away from or at least try to play it down just a little. However this movie blantly does it in a way that disgust you in a good way.

The actors that they hired for these roles were mind blowing. Each of them brought something different to the table and stood out without ruining the cohesion of the film. The child actors were actually great actors, especially Finn Wolfhard. He was so annoying yet amazing. Portraying a kid that everyone either knows or can relate to. With his smart and big mouth that just never shuts up. And he just makes you wonder “ How in the world does this kid have friends?”  Bill Skarsgård did an outstanding job bringing Pennywise to life. He was intriguing and genuinely terrifying to watch. To be perfectly honest he would have been better if they would have  left him without the CGI, just leaving him to do his own thing.

All in all the movie was impeccable, an eight out of ten. A perfect movie for the die heart fans of Stephen King’s novel, thrill seekers, and a perfect starter horror movie for the biggest of scaredy-cats. “ITshowed that it was not just about the evil at hand, but also the evil of everyday occurrences. The director and screenwriter did a great job in nitpicking the important parts of the novel. Doing as much as they can in two hours and thirty minutes. The actors were great, the storyline was great, and the overall movie was satisfying to watch. “IT” is still in theaters, so if you have yet to see it, you still can!