It is a slow burn coming-of-age horror film that succeeds in presenting scare and drama, but lacks a distinctive flair

Rating: 8/10 (28 July 2019)

Clowns are a staple in horror films, none more so as popular as Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Written by legendary horror novelist Stephen King, Pennywise was an instant cultural icon that continues to scare readers to this day. The second adoption of the novel, It is a slow burn coming-of-age horror film that succeeds in presenting scare and drama, but lacks a distinctive flair.
Led by a terrific ensemble cast, It successfully establishes the characters and their fears in a realistic and emotional manner that adults and children alike can relate. As the protagonists go through their individual stories, It shows thereby manifesting their respective fears. Events unfold that unite the protagonists and allows them to overcome their fears as a group. Acting both as a coming-of-age and horror film, the themes unite to present a single message of overcoming fears through facing adversity head on. The execution and pacing however is off. A director's cut can surely remedy the film's mistakes by adding more scenes to elaborate and coherently present the formation of the group.
Bill Skarsgard as It is terrifying, evoking a child-like performance that is nonetheless scary. Vastly different from Tim Curry's more adult-like interpretation, Skarsgard succeeds better because his has an element of approachability. The design of the character is of imperial British period, adding a layer of timelessness.
Technical wise, the cinematography, score and production design are good enough that the script and acting performances can overcome.
-7.5/10