IT Review: Andy Muschietti Has Delivered A Faithful, Funny, And Bloody Scary Stephen King Adaptation
Early word on Andy Muschiett's new take on Stephen King's IT was very positive, and now that the embargo has lifted, full reviews will come floating in. Find out what I though of the movie after the jump.
The original IT miniseries scared the bejaysus out of an entire generation back in 1990, but I was actually never a huge fan. Yes, Tim Curry was excellent as Pennywise and it certainly had its moments, but overall I found it lacking.
IT 2017 is a very different story.
This new adaptation of Stephen King's classic novel wisely chooses to focus solely on the characters as kids, leaving the present-day set portion of the book for a sequel. This means we spend a lot more time with the Losers' Club, getting to know them individually and then as a group - which makes it all the more nerve-shredding when Pennywise begins to target them.
The first official image of Bill Skarsgård in costume didn't go down particularly well, but the demonic dancing clown turns out to be a truly terrifying creation. Less jokey than Curry's interpretation (though he does still illicit a few uneasy chuckles), Skarsgård's Pennywise comes across more like an elemental force of evil, determined to siphon as much fear as possible out of his prey before killing them.
You could argue that Skarsgård isn't really given enough screen-time, (Pennywise takes various different forms throughout the film) but that just means that his scenes are even more impactful when they do roll around.
Of course, it wouldn't really matter how scary the monster was if we didn't care about his intended victims, but thanks to some excellent performances from the young cast that's never an issue. They're all very good, but standouts are definitely Stranger Things' Finn Wolfhard as Richie, Jaeden Lieberher as Bill, and newcomer Sophia Lillis, who steals every scene she's in as Beverly.
Despite a few clunky lines here and there the group has terrific chemistry, and their interplay infuses IT with a surprising amount of warmth and humor to balance out the more disturbing moments - not all of which involve the killer clown.
As anyone who has read King's novel will be aware, the story goes to some uncomfortable places at times, and this version doesn't shy away from them as many suspected it might. One particularly controversial (yes, that one) moment is thankfully not depicted, however.
IT is not without a few minor problems, but overall Andy Muschietti has delivered a faithful, funny, bloody, and bloody scary adaptation that is sure to get under the skin of even the most hardened horror buff.
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.