It [2017]

It is an 2017 adaptation of Stephen King's 1986 novel of the same name, and as someone that was not a fan of the original live-action adaptation of the story, I was really hoping this one would be something more closely aligned with what I look for and enjoy in good horror. The story's pretty well-known so I'll gloss over the premise and set up- children are vanishing in the small town of Derry, Maine, and when a rag-tag group of friends become involved, they decide to take fate into their own hands and make a stand against the malevolent, dancing clown known only as Pennywise. I'm a pretty tough scare so far as horror goes; I often see jump scares coming a mile away, and prefer something a little more psychological paired with great horror imagery. The only movie I can say genuinely creeped me out more than any other is Jacob's Ladder, and I'm quite pleased to say that It ranks pretty high up there for me, and I knew before the end credits crawled up the screen that this was one of my favorite horror flicks. There is a combination here which hits every mark I look for in good horror:

The pacing is nice and brisk, and there is never a scene that meanders or does not move the plot forward. It should also be noted that there aren't too many scenes that some creepy shit isn't happening. For being 135 minutes long, It sure as hell did not feel like It, because there's a tempo in most scenes that builds like a crescendo and when the mood starts to darken, it snowballs until you're right there alongside the characters, running down the hill, away from the giant red, blood-filled balloon. I also personally found the unrelenting terror rather claustrophobic, as there are few scenes in which the tension gives a moment to take a deep breathe, and get ready for the next thrill.

The sound direction is some of the best I've heard in the genre, and I loved the score. They blended together to create a really tense, twisted atmosphere where instrumental composition and raw sound effects meet and become indistinguishable. There was some really brilliant camera work throughout, with some extreme, twisting dutch angles here and there among other things that you'll have to see to fully appreciate.

As for the imagery, there is some really, really creepy shit in this flick. A bit more extreme than I was initially expecting, but there are no punches pulled and It should make any horror fan quite happy. One image in particular I had theorized about the 'we all float down here' bit that I was spot-on about did not disappoint. Something I also thought was handled really well, was what happens when Pennywise bleeds...and trust me folks- the effect is very cool looking. But what really holds this flick together and makes It shine, is the cast, and characterization in general. All these kids are unique in their own way, and the dialogue is as authentic as Stand By Me, or Stranger Things. Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things) kind of steals the show, however, as about 99% of what comes out of this character's mouth is absolutely hilarious. The Beverly character was really handled well compared to the book, and fit right in with the predominantly male cast. As for Pennywise, Skarsgard was phenomenal, and I'm just going to say It- felt like this was his Dark Knight/Joker performance, as he completely vanishes in the role, and you never once see Bill beneath the make up and prosthesis.

If you're a Stephen King fan, or just love great horror flicks, then you need to seriously consider watching It. I loved It. It was everything I love about horror, and I cannot wait to see It again.

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