A well made horror film that oozes dread...pity it wasn't scary

Rating: 7/10 (21 March 2019)

In a sentence I never thought I'd write: I'm glad Hollywood remade a Stephen King adaptation.
Well, to be fair, the previous adaptation was a TV Movie and this is Part 1 of a theatrical adaptation...but I still hold my point firmly.
It (2017) is a miracle. It (2017) takes what is an already well known tale in modern American horror and does justice to it while also offering a different perspective than what we already have seen before. Directed by Andy Muschietti (Mama), It (2017) is a radically updated version of the story that keeps the essence but makes it feel much more real. While not the best Stephen King adaptation ever, It (2017) holds a special place in modern cinema: the film that made it cool to like Stephen King again after a long list of failures. It (2017) broke records, when just a month prior Stephen King's Dark Tower underwhelmed.
I'm not sure I really need to give a plot synopsis of It (2017) considering it is insanely well known but I'll do so because they did update it a tad. In 1988 the malevolent supernatural force known as It/Pennywise has started to prey upon the children of Derry, Maine - transforming into their worst fears and then feeding off them for nourishment (for sake of clarity I'm calling It by his Pennywise persona for the rest of this review). A group of young teens known as the "Loser's Club" band together to stop Pennywise after he terrorized them each individually-lead by Bill, a boy whose younger brother was previously taken by Pennywise. Will the kids face their own fears, become stronger and manage to stop Pennywise? Well, there's a sequel starring older versions of the kids so your guess is as good as mine.
Just to preempt this: if you hate Stephen King tropes you will hate this film. It (2017) hits on a lot of them: sympathetic "loser" characters being the leads, one-dimensional over-the-top bully, alcoholic antagonist, sexual abuse subplot (maybe even incestuous), taking place in Maine, unexplained supernatural villain, hero character that likes to write, etc, etc. And yes, they didn't include the underage sewer gangbang scene from the book...thank god.
In another sentence I never thought I'd write out: the child actors in this film are fantastic. Child actors tend to be about two-thirds terrible, but here in It (2017) they are all great in their roles. Unlike most "kid" roles It (2017) actually seems realistic to how kids would actually act - including swearing and getting turned on by a girl in her underwear (yay this film somehow being allowed to be R-rated by the studio!). To me the standouts are Jaeden Lieberher as Bill and Sophia Lillis as Beverly-though I admit that might be because we spend the most time with them. Lieberher gives Bill a very human performance rather than being as one-note as some of the other Losers. I'll be honest here, at times I thought Sophia Lillis was secretly a 20 year old playing a teen because her emotional acting abilities are far beyond her years, especially Lillis' eyes. Bonus points to Lillis for the "blood scene" because holy crap. All the rest of the Losers are good though they do suffer from a lack of screen time compared to our two leads.
No matter how great the child actors are the real star that people came to see is Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise. In the original It TV miniseries Tim Curry played Pennywise as some sort of exuberant comedic psychopath and was the real highlight of the show. Bill Skarsgård plays Pennywise much differently; a terrifying and cocky embodiment of some supernatural force that knows it is basically unstoppable and enjoys the game he's playing. Pennywise is now far less funny, and more creepy. It's a good alternate take on the character that fits perfectly well with this movie's bleaker tone.
The thing that sets It (2017) apart from a lot of horror movies-especially those that star children-is its looming sense of darkness throughout. The characters are fun but they are stuck in a world that seems antagonistic towards them. Derry is not a happy town, and somehow a killer clown doesn't seem out of place. The kids all suffer from stuff in their personal life, and Pennywise just seems like icing on the cake. That is not to say the film is without moments of levity because at times there can be very odd tonal whiplash; usually involving an 80s-gasm such as the rock-fight scene or a flippin' cleaning montage. When it doesn't attempt to make you laugh It (2017) evokes dread whenever it pleases in almost all aspects of its production. It's just sad that It (2017) does often fail to be scary.
The backbreaking fault I have with It (2017) as a horror movie is the formula it follows in how it tries to chill you to the bone. I don't know why Andy Muschietti decided to make all of the main scares follow the same format but maybe that was in the book and he was stuck with it. The basic gist of most of It (2017)'s scares is this: a kid is alone and sees something or is led into an isolated space, something creepy shows up for a minute and then a big music boom alerts us we are supposed to be afraid, kid gets chased or terrified for a few seconds, kid escapes or an adult shows up to break the illusion, rinse and repeat. Oh, and most of that alarm is started by a jump scare; actually there are a lot of jump scares in It (2017) for some reason. Pennywise shows up way too much and it does neuter his power when he always narrowly misses slaughtering our heroes even though he takes everyone else within a couple of minutes. Yes I know Pennywise feeds on fear, but he took Georgie and others real quick. The bully subplot doesn't really evoke any fright other than the fact they are hilariously over-the-top to the point of comedy. Maybe if you are the type that is afraid of creepy images It (2017) might frighten you as it does have tons of them, but it relies a lot on personal fears rather than trying to create a sense of suspense. Following a formula so rigidly makes It (2017) too predictable; it's hard to be afraid when you can see what's coming up next. I hate to say it but It (2017) just doesn't evoke any dread in me...other than one specific part.
The one legitimately creepy part of It (2017) has to do with Beverly and her father. This subplot will get under your skin in ways Pennywise never could. Sorry Pennywise, but I find the concept of being stuck living with a real life monster as far more disturbing.
It (2017) is a wonderfully made adaptation that feels fresh even though it's of one of the most well-known works in modern western horror. Solid performances and a haunting atmosphere make It (2017) an easy film to like, even if it doesn't quite work for those looking for fright. The upcoming sequel will have large boots to fill, though judging from the cast Andy Muschietti is going to get every opportunity to knock it out of the park. Oh, and something something they all float.