'It' Movie Review

Hello, fellow moviegoers!
   It is directed by Andy Muschietti, and it stars Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Finn Wolfhard, and Sophia Lillis. When kids begin disappearing in the small town of Derry, a small group of misfits bands together to try and solve the mystery of a monster that has been terrifying them all. The film is the first of a planned duology that is based on the popular novel by Stephen King, but how good is it? Does it warrant a sequel?

   A whole new generation of kids is going to be afraid of clowns now because this new It delivers in-full on all of the thrills, excitement, and edge that we’ve come to expect from this story. The film’s R-rating gives it the room to really breathe and be the horror flick it wants to be. Because of that, I would even say that this film is much more terrifying than the original mini-series from 1990.
   The two best words to describe this film are terrifying and hilarious. You read that right. Hilarious. This film not only had a surprising amount of humor in It, but there was a surprising amount of consistently funny humor in it. There are a lot of jokes in this movie, particularly from Finn Wolfhard’s character Richie. While maybe one or two didn’t quite work, for the most part, all of the jokes land and never fail to get an uproar of laughter from the theater. The humor serves to really lighten the mood of the film, and it does that job brilliantly. It never blatantly feels like comedic relief, but it serves the purpose very well.
   The suspense built over the course of this film was some of the best of any horror film I’ve seen over the past couple years. In a matter of minutes, you’ll go from laughing and having a good time, to absolutely terrified and afraid to move in your seat. Even if you’ve seen the mini-series (I don’t know about the book, I haven’t read it), you’ll still be on the edge of your seat. You never know what’s going to happen next. This new It constantly finds ways to surprise and scare the audience in new and unexpected ways. There is a lot of Pennywise in this film (powerfully played by Bill Skarsgard I might add), but it never gets repetitive or old. Every time it's on screen, it feels completely different from the last. That adds to the building tension because you never know what this monster is going to do next.
   One of the most telling things about the quality of this film is the characters. Most of the characters in this film were actually very well developed, three-dimensional people. They weren’t just your cliché movie kids that have to fight a monster. They each have their own personalities and their own personal demons. The Losers Club feels like a genuine group of friends. You believe their relationships with one another, and that’s a testament both to the quality of the script and the performances from the kids. 
   It was a terrifying yet fun adaptation of the classic Stephen King novel. This film certainly meets and exceeds all expectations. Not only is It a great horror film that will undoubtedly become a classic, but it’s just an excellent film all around, from the directing, to the cinematography, to the musical score, to every other aspect.  I would very highly recommend the new It. This is an event film that you need to see in the theater, as soon as possible.
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8.5/10

   So what did you think of the new It? How does it compare to the 1990 mini-series? Let me know by commenting on this post! Also, if you enjoyed this review, share it on Facebook and Twitter! It really helps! My first reviews for the Daily Nebraskan will be posting next week, so be sure to follow me on Twitter for any updates!
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