By Jason Yon
Senior Writer
It feels like in recent years there has been a downward trend in the world of movies; remakes and reboots seem to pop up every couple of weeks, and very few of them actually satisfy the audience, especially those who are familiar and fond of the source material. There is certainly a crisis of originality in Hollywood right now. However, every so often an outstanding remake is released and it absolutely destroys everyone’s expectations. “IT” is a brilliant adaptation of Stephen King’s novel and reworking of the original 1990s miniseries.
“IT” follows a group of children in a small Maine town who bond together to form the “Loser’s Club,” very reminiscent of the group of kids from “The Goonies.” Initially the group is formed out of a mutual fear and mistreatment from a collection of bullies in their grade school, but they soon unite to face something far more sinister. Each of the kids individually encounter supernatural experiences unique to them. They are occasionally connected by one thing, Pennywise the Dancing Clown, an ancient shapeshifting entity of unknown origin that feeds on the fears of people. Although It changes to meet each character’s deepest fears, the creature presents itself as Pennywise the Clown a majority of the time. Once identified, the Losers Club vows to free the town of Derry from the cyclic terror of “IT.”

Of course, the most important part of “IT” is It itself. Bill Skarsgård, a Swedish actor who has done little more than this in American film, was cast in the role. Had this movie been made ten years ago, I believe Johnny Depp could have brought an interesting angle to the character, but at this point in time no one could have done it better than Skarsgård. It is almost difficult to articulate how he embodies the demonic clown, but it is certainly effective. Everything, from his unsettling voice to his spindly, twitchy movements, adds to the unnatural picture of Pennywise. When compared to the antiquated, almost laughable Tim Curry portrayal of Pennywise in 1990, this 2017 edition is many times scarier. Fear is a very subjective thing, but everyone can agree that this version of Pennywise puts on a disturbing show at the very least, if not terrifying.
There is more to the fear in “IT” than Pennywise the Clown. There are a fair share of jump scares and creepy moments surrounding the creature and his conjurings, but where the movie really excels at fear is everywhere else. It shows us that, as a child, the things to be afraid of are far more numerous. From creepy paintings, to reflections of light in the dark, Pennywise takes inspiration from the experiences of the kids, no matter how mundane, and turns them into something scarier. On top of this, the movie explores other things to be afraid of in the real world. Sexual predators, abusive parents, and violent bullies occupy the town of Derry and add another layer of real world fear.
“IT” is a brilliant adaptation of Stephen King’s novel and reworking of the original 1990s miniseries. The modernization and high production value of “IT” (2017) is so drastically superior to the original that there is almost no comparison. This movie had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, and showed that there are scarier things in the world than ghosts and demons. I am absolutely looking forward to more from Skarsgård as Pennywise in the future upon the completion of the story arc that Stephen King originally imagined.
Score: A