It (2017): Whimsically Horrific

The stories of Stephen King are no strangers to cinematic adaptation, but rarely have I seen a movie based on his work generate the kind of buzz that 2017's It did. Period pieces draw crowds, and for middle-aged adults who have been handed the chores of desk jobs, crying children, or both these days, it's no wonder that those set in the 1980s hold a particular appeal. The latest iteration of It was a runaway success at the box office, partially because it's a movie about a group of outcast children growing up in the 80s, a perfect storm of nostalgia and relatability. The other part of this movie's success is likely that it's about an evil clown, and who doesn't like a few terrified laughs? I'm no exception, especially when I can laugh terrified at a clown on a screen rather than at my grades for a change. It is far from a perfect movie, and I wish its priorities were more aligned. Still, this movie scares with the mind of a devil while also managing to capture a bizarre sense of wonder that belies the sinister figure lying at the center of its dark, devilish heart: Bill Skarsgard and his knockout performance as Pennywise the Dancing Clown, a simply delicious spectacle of both acting and casting. Pennywise is menacing, whimsical, and weirdly nostalgic in the same breath, and It possesses the qualities of both a scary cautionary tale you might tell a child before bed to steer them away from destructive behavior, as well as that of a sentimental trip through a photo album.

This movie is equally successful as a horror movie and as a coming-of-age story about The Loser's Club, a gang of children on the lower echelons of Derry High School's social ladder. Everyone loves a good underdog tale, and though the cast of this movie is reasonably large, It takes ample time to make each and every one of its losers lovable. Every character in this movie brings something different to the table, and when working with a large cast, that's a non-negotiable. You get to know these kids just as well as you do their troubles, and this gives It a heart that belies two grim hours of horror. Speaking of horror, I appreciated how sparingly this movie used Pennywise himself. You don't see the evil clown very often, which keeps him mysterious, terrifying, and fresh, and keeps us eager to see him again - and therefore keen to keep watching until he does arrive. And when he does show up, Skarsgard really puts on a show. Pennywise is an incredibly versatile villain, and while he never seems to manifest in the same way twice, he also finds a distinct identity to call his own amidst his own unpredictability.

Still, It and its evil clown flounder in the latter half of this circus, struggling to find a real purpose narrative-wise. It is both a friendship movie about children that lacks a consistent coming-of-age element and a mystery movie where we already know the answers to any real questions that need to be asked from the very beginning. This movie's funhouse of horror persona is more than satisfying, but it's a house built on a shaky foundation and without ample supporting beams. The adaptation factor of this movie works in favor of It at times, but against it at others. The larger goals of the movie don't take flight soon enough, and to put it simply, It is too long. Still, it's a movie that has more than one face, and that's valuable. It's a movie predicated on the fears, joys, friendships, and loves of childhood, a dark movie to be sure, but one that values a strange, blood-spattered, broken, and yet beautiful innocence that I haven't seen in any other horror movie. There were moments of undeniable goodwill in It that made a more profound impact on me than any of the horror did, likely because I expected a movie about an evil clown that happened to feature children, but found instead a movie about children that happened to feature an evil clown. Perhaps I'm just sentimental, but It can be too.

I'm about to graduate from college, and to be vulnerable, these last four years of school haven't always been the easiest experience for me. There have been days when I've felt lower than I ever have before, and as a film major, I've even come to realize that I don't particularly want to make movies anymore. But there is a hook in me, a hook engraved with the word write. I can't help it. I need to write about something, and even if I don't love making movies as much as I want to, I keep watching them and analyzing them because sometimes, they open my eyes to an almost-inexplicable magic I can't find anywhere else. And for all of its imperfections, it's both strange and comforting to me that I found this magic in It, especially when I didn't really expect to.

It (2017) - 7/10

Proverbs 27:10