The Movie: It (2017)
2017 Favorite Horror Movie
The Director: Andy Muschietti
The Cast: Bill Skarsgård, Jaeden Lieberher, Finn Wolfhard, Sophia Lillis, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer, Wyatt Oleff,
The Story: A group of bullied kids band together when a monster, taking the appearance of a clown, begins hunting children.
The Review:
If all movies were this much fun, Hollywood's box office problems would be a thing of the past. While the horror genre isn't for everyone, and there are people like my roommate who want nothing to do with clowns, this movie should be an absolute must see for everyone else in the world. It does so many things right making it hard to not be entertained and it just feels good, even when it's scaring you right out of your seat. Yes, it is scary. Director Andy Muschietti comes up with some really intense and innovative scares, my favorite of which involved a slide show projector that brings to light just how much danger the "Loser's Club" is in.
If you're not familiar with the book or the made for TV limited series, then I will tell you that the Loser's Club is a group of outcast high school kids. You know, the ones who form a bond around the fact that they are relentlessly bulled and picked on by the bigger, stronger, and supposedly cooler kids in town. The group of teenage actors are led by Jaeden Lieberher (Midnight Special) and Sophia Lillis who I would say are each destined for stardom as their careers mature. Comic relief is provided by Jeremy Ray Taylor (Ant-Man) and Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things) whose character seems to have mastered the mom joke as well as the intricacies of in our face innuendo.
The group of kids, which also includes Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Wyatt Olef (Guardians of the Galaxy), provide tons of fun moments that will remind you of films like Stand By Me, E.T., and The Goonies and they also knew how to get down to business when it's time for the clown to make an appearance. I was seriously impressed with how the group of youngsters were able to handle such a wide range of demanding emotions in a movie that is equal amounts of hard core horror and coming of age comedy.
That being said, the real star of this movie is Bill Skarsgård whose take on Pennywise the clown was absolutely fantastic and downright chilling in how freakishly scary he was. There's a few different influences at play in his performance although the one that stood out to me the most was Heath Ledger's take on the Joker in The Dark Knight. There's subtle things he does with the character that are just downright unnerving and you just can't take your eyes off of him...at least until he's scaring you out of your socks.
The Verdict:
It is the most fun I have had watching a horror movie in quite some time and for me it's right up there with The Cabin in the Woods for sheer entertainment value. Outside the genre, this is still one of the best movies I have seen this year and a must see recommendation for anyone who can handle it.
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