"It" Doesn't Live Up To Expectations as a Horror

As we approach the favorable Halloween season, we start to crave all of the joys that come with it. The process of carving pumpkins, seeing all sorts of spooky costumes on our streets and probably the most popular activity of them all, having a marathon of all our favorite scary movies. This year, audiences of the genre were given a fresh film adaptation that is just in time for the big day.

On Friday, September 8th, beloved fans of Stephen King were gifted with a terrifying remake of his well known book, It. This film mirrors the same premise of both the novel as well as the mini series that audiences were introduced to in the early 90s. For those who are not familiar with the plot of the film, the story takes place in the summer of 1989, and follows a young group of individuals well-known as “The Losers Club”, as they try to find the demonic dancing clown that has caused many children in the town of Derry to go missing. As they do this, they encounter their own personal fears which are equally as disturbing as the ancient creature that comes out of the sewer every 27 years.

The film has an amazing group of aspiring actors and actresses, including Finn Wolfhard, who is best known for his role in Stranger Things, Jaeden Lieberher, who plays the main protagonist, and Sophia Lillis as she performs in her first major piece of work. Despite being young and very new to the movie industry, the group portrayed their characters in way that kept audiences engaged the entire time with both their witty remarks and realistic behaviors of a young group of loving nerds.

Of course there is Bill Skarsgård’s character, who makes it difficult not to be spooked every time Pennywise pops into frame with his unnaturally quick paced movements and intense eyes. Not even to mention that unforgettable devilish smile that is disturbing just to think about. However, some might suggest that the film overused the technique that is referred as “jump scares,” even to the point where the audience expects it. For someone with a higher scare tolerance, you can easily see when a certain action will be done by the clown, which definitely is a downer for horror flick fans.

Many viewers could argue that the best parts of the film are the most gruesome scenes, or the several jump scares that the group of kids go through as they attempt to defeat the creature. As those parts can be considered terrifying and favorable for some, the most noteworthy ideas that were shown, are the playful remarks that the characters say to one another. A lot of people do not realize going into this film that this is both a horror flick and a hilarious comedy. The way the writers portray these kids definitely reminds adult audience members of their times in middle school. Plus, there are several mother-related jokes that would make any high school kid laugh out loud. It was also a well done break from the dark atmosphere of missing children, as you can see these characters mature and develop in a way that almost makes the story heartwarming, and not too serious to the point of not being enjoyable to watch.

Even though there are many moments in the film that were great, such as the constant bickering in the “grey water” or the visually pleasing scenes of each child's fear (especially the slow headless corpse that is briefly shown), there were definitely aspects that could have been better. The main issue that many Stephen King fans had was all the unnecessary hype that suggested that the film would meet and even go beyond the standard expectations of a horror flick. However, it barely met those marks, as the plot development was kind of weak and progressed slowly at times. Perhaps that was the direction that the filmmakers were trying to create since there is confirmation that there will be a sequel heading to box offices within the next year or so.

As someone that considers themselves a total movie buff, I would have to admit that this movie may get too much media representation, since it was not the best when it came to scare level. However, viewers that were into the older version, or really anyone that can handle a demonic clown that feeds on the fears of children, should definitely check this adaptation out, but maybe keep your expectations low just to be safe. Just remember to keep your eyes peeled for demonic clowns this Halloween—you never know what horrors may ensue…