IT was, in every sense of the word, a very timely movie, and an important one at that. Summer 2017 saw the lowest grossing Box Office in over a decade; the last time summer-time movie going was this low was in the 1980's. Many in the industry were left with questions. How can the movie-going season that brought us tent-pole flicks like Wonder Woman, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Despicable Me 3, Spider-Man: Homecoming and the surprise hit Baby Driver be such a failure for Hollywood? One idea was that the state of movie-going itself (noisy audience members, dirty theaters, expensive tickets etc.) had began to outweigh the benefits of going to the cinema. Some more hopeful analysts, though, pondered a second curiosity.
For decades the summer movie season has been the biggest in Hollywood, but, as blockbuster films take over the summertime release schedule, space for movies to stand out has significantly dwindled in this time zone. Due to this, you may have noticed that we have begun to see major motion pictures set their eyes on a more abstract release date. Deadpool, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Fifty Shades of Grey and this years phenomenal 'X-Men' spin-off Logan all proved that a February/March release date can prove staggeringly successful for the Hollywood Box Office and November/December has successfully supported countless Star Wars installments and genre flicks for the past few years (see The Hobbit trilogy, La La Land and Doctor Strange).
There is a point to all this listing, because it provides solid evidence for the latter explanation for summer's dwindling Box Office returns. We can't really compare a summer's box office to determine a year's Box Office success anymore, the comparison to years previous just isn't fair. So, if movie going isn't dead yet, then what film can re-awaken the market and, in turn, rejuvenate such a dwindling revenue? Here's a hint: you're reading its review.
Really, it shouldn't come as a shock to anyone that IT broke so many records with its opening weekend just days ago. Currently holding the spot for one of the most viewed movie trailers in history, the 'biggest opening for a horror movie of all time' as well as the 'biggest opening in the month of September of all time', interest in this Stephen King adaptationa has clearly been high.
Was IT a victim of its own hype, though? Did it live up to the almost insurmountable fervor leading up to its release? In my opinion, no. But that doesn't mean it was a bad film. Quite the opposite, in fact. The truth of the matter is that the YouTube trailer so many millions were enamored with wasn't wholly representative of the movie itself. If you're looking for a terrifying, thrilling, crazy and explosive horror film then this is not your best bet. This isn't The Conjuring with clowns. IT is actully a mix of The Goonies and Stranger Things with a sprinkle of Insidious. Sure, it can be terrifying, but it mostly hovers around the creepy or disturbing mark, and in fact reveals itself to be surprisingly romantic, funny and adventurous
So let's forget Pennywise for the moment, and focus on the Losers Club - the group of kids who we get to spend our time with during this first film. Each kid was well cast and fulfilled their roles expertly. The obvious standout was Sophia Lillis who played the role of Beverly. This girl had multiple storylines to juggle with varying emotional complexity and intensity and you never once see through her acting facade. Just below her came the portrayals of Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor), Richie (played by Stranger Thing's Finn Wolfhard) and Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer). Each of the aforementioned boys managed to successfully convey their horror to the audience, all while being genuinely hysterical.
The script here was also successful at reminding the audience that the characters in question were still very young, with our gang not having enough money for supplies, not knowing how to treat wounds to prevent infection and getting complex words completely wrong. This constant reminder of their age was brilliantly effective in ramping up the real dangers posed to the young stars, and again played off of the recent 80's nostalgia wave of kids chasing monsters on bikes.
Also well crafted were the characters of Bill and little Georgie, the brothers whom the entire plot revolves around. Both acted surprisingly well given the emotionally taxing nature of their roles and really managed to sell the brotherly bond that drives the twisted plot ever deeper into the dark.
Oh, and Pennywise is, of course, perfect. His character design is utterly phenomenal and terrifying. While the fear of clowns has always been strife, I truly feel this version of Pennywise has the potential to ascend into the Horror Hall of Fame alongside Freddie, Jason, Jigsaw and the like. Bill Skarsgard plays the role with an underlying, erratic violence that never lets the audience feel safe enough to look away from him. I literally could not look away. While I wont give any spoilers about the background of the character of Pennywise (for that information is sure to be explored in IT's inevitable sequel), I can say that some of the more interesting character choices director Andy Muschietti made for our titular clown were utterly genius at laying the groundwork for Chapter Two.
IT is a truly timely film. It has reinvigorated the Box Office, it has propelled Pennywise into the roster of horror legends, it has smashed financial records and ignited a fire of excitement and intrigue amongst movie going audiences worldwide. So why did it fall ever so slightly flat? It seems to come down, for me, to its tone. IT felt like it had a bit of an identity crisis. It never quite knew what it wanted to be. One minute you are watching a bloody, little girl with no legs hanging from ceiling chains, and the next you're exploring the woods with funny, crass school boys. Not helpful to this mismash of horror and coming-of-age is the slightly awkward CGI that, in some scenes, made IT feel more 'Scooby-Doo' than 'Friday the 13th'. The film always maintained an atmosphere of disturbance, but just never quite solidified itself as the dark, frightening feature it's ad campaign promised it would be. Don't get me wrong, the film was great, but something about it didn't let it reach its potential.
As I said, though, you can't judge a movie on what it's not, and what IT is is a compelling, shocking, funny, romantic, thrilling adventure film that will easily leave you with a pounding heart, wanting more. If you liked Stranger Things, E.T., The Goonies or Stand by Me, or even just want to go to the cinema with friends and a box of popcorn, you will adore IT. Just don't go in alone, okay?
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Written by James Green
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