Full Circle Flashback: ‘It’ (2017) Review: “The Perfect Float”

The arrival of the infamous Pennywise the Dancing Clown’s return is amongst us. What better way to celebrate than the reboot of the classic Stephen King book, It (2017)? The original miniseries from 1990 has been reviewed by our guy James Preston Poole, and I’ll be following with reviews of the reboot films. We know the story of the Loser’s Club, a group of young outcasts who are being hunted and haunted by an evil demonic entity.

This film is about a group of kids trying to enjoy their summer. Unfortunately, Billy’s little brother Georgie had gone missing the year before, and out of guilt, he’s not letting it go. Billy talks his friends Richie, Stanley, and Eddie into helping him search for missing Georgie. Along the way, the likes of Beverly Marsh, Ben Hanscom, and Mike Hanlon join the search.

Each of the children eventually ends up running into Pennywise the Dancing Clown in some form and the town bully Henry Bowers. The film’s main antagonist is Pennywise but Henry plays a very dark background antagonist. The children do tons of research and eventually must face their demons. Simply put, the movie is a wild summer horror adventure that’s nothing short of a fun ride onscreen.

Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise the Dancing Clown may be one of the greatest castings of the 2010s. He plays Pennywise so well and definitely compliments Andrés Muschietti’s vision well. Muschietti’s vision of Derry, Maine is terrifying. The parents clearly know that there’s a problem but none seem to care that children are being lured to the sewer. The cinematography from Chung-hoon Chun makes everything in the film seem superbly creepy. Chun brings Muschietti’s vision and narrative to a point of almost pure terror off of camera movement alone. The meshing of these things and Skarsgard’s insane acting definitely make this one of the most terrorizing films of 2017.

The acting of the teens in this film also feeds into what makes this film so well done. Of course, we all know Finn Wolfhard has plenty of experience with battling demonic entities. The other cast members Jaeden Martell, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Wyatt Olef don’t fault for a second. Each of these young actors seems terrified in each scene. The chemistry Muschietti was able to get them to have onscreen is amazing. All of these things are a product of skill and amazing direction. You can do nothing but hope we continue to see each of the kids grow in the entertainment industry.

The reason It works so well is that everything feeds off each other. Muschietti got as close to the book as possible without being a complete creep. He definitely omitted a lot out of the film but for obvious reasons. He added things in place that helped carry the film and stay on task. The children’s television program from the book definitely plays a huge part in the film. It’s one of the most intricate parts because the more the fear spreads the more insane the host sounds. Again, each piece of the film feeds off the other.

Before I close out this review, I must ask… Can the debates over Tim Curry and Skarsgård cease? They are both amazing in their own ways as Pennywise. Skarsgård’s Pennywise is absolutely terrifying. He plays Pennywise in such a creepy, cunning, yet charming way and it just scares you. Curry’s Pennywise while terrifying was more to the plain of Freddy Krueger. He spits crude jokes that landed each time. He had no remorse and you could tell he was pure evil. They are both perfect as Pennywise in their own respects and fans should treat it as such.

Overall, It is one of my personal favorite horror films. I loved the chemistry of the cast, from the children to Skarsgård. They didn’t miss a beat and it was stupendous. I’m curious to see if the adult cast will have the same chemistry and keep the train going. Muschietti brought Stephen King’s vision to screen in a way I didn’t think was possible. As someone that didn’t really enjoy the original miniseries, I’m thankful for the reboot.

Rating: 8/10

What do you guys think? Have you seen the film? Do you agree with the rating? Leave your thoughts below!

It (2017) stars Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Martell, Finn Wolfhard, and Jack Dylan Grazer and is floating in a store near you!