It Chapter One by Andy Muschietti

Rating: 8/10 (30 August 2019)

The novel It is one of the longest and one of the most important works, which the writer Stephen King has ever written. The novel is notable to explore themes about friendship, love, loss, the change from the childhood to the manhood, the battle with the biggest fear, the power of the memories and so on. The novel talks with specific details about the town Derry, which is an important element of the story, to see how the horrors happened in Derry for centuries are all connected with the evil entity It. The novel jumps the time between 1958 and 1985 to see how the main characters as adults, would feel about getting back all of their memories when they were children. It balances the atmospheres between, the horror by scaring the audience in the most unexpected ways, the drama to create emotional chapters by making the audience cry and finally the humor by making the audience laugh. As the miniseries It by Tommy Lee Wallace is still one of the most important Stephen King adaptions, Warner Bros. was interested to produce and distribute a cinematic adaption of the novel It. There have been difficulties to work on the adaption of It as different filmmakers, including Cary Joji Fukunaga, who were initially involved to direct the movie, by then leaving the project like there were no possibilities to release the movie. Until the filmmaker Andy Muschietti came aboard to direct the project, by giving some changes for his vision of the story. But in the same way to be as faithful as possible, with the main themes of the novel. After a long time of work, in 2017 came out It Chapter One by Andy Muschietti with Jaedan Lieberher, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer and Bill Skarsg책rd. The movie's plot: In the summer of 1989, seven children Bill Denbrough (Jaedan Lieberher), Ben Hanscom (Jeremy Ray Taylor), Beverly Marsh (Sophia Lillis), Richie Tozier (Finn Wolfhard), Stanley Uris (Wyatt Oleff), Mike Hanlon (Chosen Jacobs) and Eddie Kaspbrak (Jack Dylan Grazer), are in the holidays to have all together fun as they all take part of the Losers Club. They get close with each other to help each other, as they have different issues especially the main one is getting bullied by the sociopath Henry Bowers (Nicholas Hamilton) and his gang. At the same time the Losers Club help each other, they all have the same scary encounter with an evil entity called It, which most of the time disguises itself as Pennywise the Dancing Clown (Bill Skarsg책rd). It Chapter One from the beginning to the end captures the audience attention to see, who are the main characters and how they would find out the mysteries of Derry. The movie gets interesting by narrating only the first part of the story, when the main characters were children, rather than using the flashbacks like in the novel. The main characters are one of the most important elements of the movie, as they would confront all together the issues without dividing each other. Jaedan Lieberher was excellent as Bill Denbrough, a stutter boy who is the one to convince the Losers Club to do something against the entity It, to even find out what happened to his little brother Georgie. Jeremy Ray Taylor was really good as Ben Hanscom, an overweight boy who is the one to do some researchers by understanding, how all the horrors committed in Derry are connected with It. Sophia Lillis did a well done performance as Beverly Marsh, a strong abused girl who initially has no confidence with anybody, until she meets the Losers Club to be happier than before. Finn Wolfhard was really good as Richie Tozier, a boy with a loud mouth which gets him in trouble, as he cannot resist to use the humor in any kind of situations. Wyatt Oleff was excellent as Stanley Uris, a boy who is the son of a rabbi as he has to practice the bar mitzvah, while he stays with happiness among the Losers Club. Chosen Jacobs did a well done performance as Mike Hanlon, a boy who lives with his grandfather that owns a farm and helps him in the job, he initially has no friends until he meets the Losers Club. Jack Dylan Grazer was really good as Eddie Kaspbrak, a hypochondriac boy who has pressure from his protective mother to feel suffocated, until he is with the Losers Club to feel better. Finally Bill Skarsg책rd was extraordinary as Pennywise an evil clown, who takes actions without being predictable in what he is going to do. Especially through Pennywise's facial expressions, his body language and his scary monologues. It Chapter One uses the horror by scaring the audience, in the most unexpected ways. Through the shadows and the lightenings, by making every single angle shots unforgettable. The movie uses as well as the drama by making the story emotional, especially when there is a strong bond between the Losers Club. Their friendship becomes unique for how they interact with each other, to even see how they would defeat It as Pennywise the Dancing Clown. The editing works without ruining the narration's rhythm, by being unpredictable in what is going to happen in the story. The score by Benjamin Wallfisch was elaborated by creating musical notes, which describes the emotions of the main characters. As well as by giving tension in the scariest ways, in the most thrilling and unexpected moments. It Chapter One is one of the best horror movies, as well as one of the best Stephen King adaptions.