Movie Monday (August 8): IT

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Each week, I will look at a movie that is currently in theaters or available to stream and give some reasons why people should watch it. This isn’t necessarily a film critique, rather, an overview of what I think is enjoyable about the film, and why it’s worth seeing. This week, we’ll look back at the chilling It, from 2017.

The 2017 version of It became a box office hit raking in over 300 million dollars in the U.S. and 700 million worldwide. Almost unbelievable numbers for a rated R horror movie. That’s because, in the second attempt at an adaptation to the Stephen King novel, this one gets it right, and then some. It (2017) is a bone chilling event that expresses far more horror than its made for tv predecessor. From the very beginning, with Pennywise the clown’s interaction with young Georgie, a far darker tone is set than the 1990 version, as it embarks on what ultimately becomes one of the scariest movies in recent memory, in my opinion. If you weren’t already a little uneasy around clowns, this will move the needle for you. Pennywise is a complex monster because he can not only be the creepy clown of nightmares, he can shapeshift. This becomes a key part of his arsenal scaring the kids. He essentially shifts into whatever form is most scary for the kid he’s dealing with; playing off their fear. It’s something that could easily terrify any of us. What scares you most? That’s what Pennywise will turn into and feed off of. Whether he’s lurking around the corner, or appears out of thin air, everything he does in the movie is incredibly scary and makes for the chilling experience this is. Some other things worth noting include the setting, which is set in an otherwise quiet town, making it the perfect backdrop for this kind of horror to take place, and maybe more importantly, to have this group of young protagonists be able to come together. The kids are all a little different, which is great because it takes something different to scare each one of them, making for a variety of scares and intense survival sequences. Despite being a very terrifying movie, I would recommend this to even those who don’t watch horror because this is what horror is all about. Taking something scary, and personalizing it to what scares that individual the most. After this movie, what scares you most, might simply be “It”.

It is available to be streamed on Netflix.

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