IT: No Clowning Around
They say you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone, but in the case of Andy Muschietti’s It, you don’t know what you’ve missed ‘til it’s back. This feature length film adaptation of Stephen King’s tome of adolescence, fear, and unity arrives at the box office this weekend with The Losers Club taking you back to the summer of 1989 when they have to unite to defeat Pennywise the Dancing Clown. The film opens with a sick, Stuttering Bill (Jaeden Lieberher) who waterproofs a paper-boat for his brother Georgie (Jackson Robert Scott). Immediately, Muschietti demonstrates his honest yet heartfelt portrayal of brotherhood and childhood. The brothers are playful, supportive, but afraid of showing their love for each other. Once Georgie meets Pennywise while chasing his boat, the film won’t let you up for air and shows you exactly how far an R-rating can go.
Once Georgie meets Pennywise while chasing his boat, the film won’t let you up for air and shows you exactly how far an R-rating can go.
Yes, the clown is scary, terrifying, and will fuel nightmares for generations to come. The 1990 miniseries stands as an iconic, horror milestone, but move over Tim Curry: Bill Skarsgård is the definitive Pennywise. As Skarsgård just stands still, you’re forced to look at something you feel you shouldn’t be seeing. Unsettling to the core, this iteration of Pennywise evokes a horror that goes much deeper than the fear of clowns. The terror of Skarsgård’s performance relies more on voice and body language than special effects. Most of the CGI moments will frighten you, but at times, the camera lingers on a shot or two for too long and you can feel that flare fading away. But if the trailers and promotional material has you spooked, then be prepared for a load of scares they didn’t throw into the marketing.
It snagged the honor of the most viewed trailer in 24 hours with 197 million views because it’s a trailer worthy of the buzz it sparked. The first trailer isn’t just great, it’s surprisingly honest. We don’t catch a line from Pennywise there since there’s only a handful of them in the movie. Skarsgård has enough screen-time (although I selfishly wanted more) but he’s an embodiment of a force rather than a character. That’s part of the concern with adapting any source material: the novel likens the Dancing Clown to a thunderstorm of monstrous proportions in ability and motivation, but Tim Curry’s signature stamp made Pennywise into a character with staying power. That’s not to say this is a bad clown, just a different kind of terrifying. Audiences will be afraid of this iteration of Pennywise for what he can do more so than who he is.
In this time we live in that seems highly motivated by fear, we could all take a note from characters like Bill and Bev who conquer their fears by standing up to them in whatever form they take.
The only fault rests on the screenplay. Even at a briskly paced 2 hours and 15 minutes, It doesn’t cover all the bases for all the characters. Mike (Chosen Jacobs) plays a crucial role in the adult-half of the story, but is there almost to only bring a certain weapon to a showdown. Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor) pays his dues to befriend the Losers Club, but once he’s in, your sympathy for him ends there. Nonetheless, these kids are delightful and entertaining on their own, especially Finn Wolfhard of Netflix’s Stranger Things who brings serious comedic chops. Some of his moments, like a particular moment with a tuba, will have you and the entire audience bellowing with laughter. But then the film takes these sharp left turns that reveal a new star in the making with the secret lead of the film, Bev (Sophia Lillis) who is the emotional crux of the film. Remember her name: you’re bound to hear it often down the line.
Beyond the scares, the kids themselves, or the magnificent set pieces, It has such a strong sense of King’s tone. King’s brilliance as a writer starts with the tone and dynamics of the world he’s creating and that finally translates to screen in full capacity. While these kids are scared of growing up and being away from each other, they also see the necessity in doing so. In this these fearful times, we could all take note of characters like Bill and Bev who conquer their fears by standing up to them in whatever form they take. It won’t go down in history like The Shawshank Redemption or The Shining, but the film will go down as one of the best cinematic adaptations of King’s work. With the bar set this high and Muschietti returning as director, I’m eager to see the adults floating in It: Chapter Two.
Jeffrey Martin is The Collective’s cinema critic and you can follow him on Twitter at @jeffthemartin.
