Killer Clown, Killer Film.

Rating: 8/10 (14 September 2017)

The horror film of the year?
Going into the 2017 adaptation of one of the best horror books of all time, I knew what to expect; A creepy-ass clown and the death of children. To say the least, I was not disappointed.Â Bill SkarsgÃ¥rd's turn as the diabolical clown, Pennywise was absolutely genius and completely refreshing in a genre that has largely grown stale over the last few years. The clown that feeds on the fear of children comes off as genuinely scary at times and wholesomely unsettling.Â
Despite singing it's praises during that opening paragraph, IT (2017) is not without it's faults, there are some very cringe-worthy moments throughout the film and one sub-plot in particular turned my stomach, but not in the traditional way a horror film should.
The film sets the tone very early on, with suspense and dread being the biggest things instilled on the audience. The lead character, played byÂ Jaeden Lieberher, speaks with a stutter. This kind of disposition is very hard to pull off in movies, with most takes on the speech impediment coming off as sarcastic and goofy. Jaeden, however, masters this in the role of Bill, who is the main driving force behind the movie's plot. Basically, without him, nothing would have gotten accomplished. This all stems from the events that transpire during the opening sequence of the film.Â
The entire cast bounced off each-other extremely well, with the entire group of teens being able to show a building sense of camaraderie throughout the film, with the initial divide between the cast diminishing as the film progresses. This is extremely impressive, especially for those who are still, in fact, teens.
The film has a gargantuan run time of 135 minutes, and despite this run time, it manages to be enjoyable throughout, with something happening at every turn, whether it be an encounter with the evil Pennywise, who haunts the town of Derry every 27 years, or an encounter with the local bullies, who get a surprisingly full character arc during the film.
There is a lot of gore throughout, as to be expected with contemporary horror films. This is coupled with a few well placed jump scares and some genuinely creepy and unsettling atmospheres to give the audience a sense of newness in the horror genre. This is not the most innovative film ever, but it does just enough to make itself feel completely fresh when stacked up against those with similar target audiences and themes.
At the end of the day, IT (2017) is more a coming of age thriller than a traditional horror, and I think it works all the better for it, I won't discuss what happens during the ending sequence, but it's quite heartwarming for a film that prefers the rough dark story-telling perspective.
After the film ends, and this is the one thing that I will spoil, the IT (2017) logo comes up on the screen, which is then changed. (SHOCK HORROR) to reveal the fact that it is but IT: Chapter One. This leaves me with some many questions of how they will work in a sequel to the mix with the already established characters and whether or not they will include them at all.
Verdict:
I've sung the praises of IT (2017)/Chapter One, throughout this review and it did thoroughly impress me through the entire run-time, which is something that genuinely surprised me.Â SkarsgÃ¥rd's Pennywise was genius and utterly terrifying and the kids all acted superbly. IT, pun intended, leaves little to be desired in the horror and entertainment department, plus with the little dashes of comedy thrown in, which is just enough to stop you from losing your mind, this is one not to miss. If you're over 15 of course.Â
8/10.
https://hashtagfilm.wordpress.com/2017/09/12/film-review-it-2017/